Parapercis altipinnis: A new species of Sandperch from Cebu Island, the Philippines

Sandperch, Pinguipedidae, are usually small, elongate, spiny fish in the Perch order. They are often brightly coloured and live close to the seafloor, where they feed on Crustaceans and other invertebrates. Male Sandperch are often territorial, defending a harem of females. Some forms excavate burrows.

In a paper published in the journal Zootaxa on 2 November 2017, Hsuan-Ching Mo of the  National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium in Pingtung, Taiwan, and the Institute of Marine Biology at the National Dong Hwa University, and Miranda Van Heden of Heusden in Belgium, describe a new species of Sandperch from Cebu Island in the Philippines.

The new species is placed in the genus Parapercis, and given the specific name altipinnis, meaning 'long-fin', in reference to the unusually high dorsal fin of this species. The species is described from a single specimen obtained by Miranda Van Heden from De Jong Marinelife, and initially confirmed as species by Hsuan-Ching Mo from a photograph sent to him. The specimen is 50.3 mm in length, reddish in colour above and black below, with a pattern of irregular deep coloured saddles, bars, dots and white patches. It was reportedly obtained at a depth of between 55 and 65 m. 

Living or fresh coloration of Parapercis altipinnis. Miranda Van Heden in Ho & Van Heden (2017).

Sandperch of the genus Parapercis are protogynous, which is to say individuals start out as female and become male as they mature. The single known specimen of Parapercis altipinnis is a female, but has no eggs in its ovaries, which Ho and Van Heden suggest is probably associated with either a juvenile yet to produce any eggs or a mature female which has just spawned.

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Two new species of Sandperch from the South China Sea.

Sandperches are usually small, elongate, spiny fish in the Perch order. They are often brightly coloured and live close to the seafloor, where they feed on Crustaceans and other invertebrates. Male Sandperch are often territorial, defending a harem of females. Some forms excavate burrows.

Many populations of Sandperch from the Indian Ocean and South China Sea were formerly classified under the name Parapercis somaliensis, until a study published in 2008 which placed the South China Sea specimens in a separate species, Parapercis shaoi. In 2010 a third species, Parapercis randalli, was described from specimens collected off the south coast of Taiwan.

(Top) Parapercis shaoi. (Bottom) Parapercis randalli. Ho et al. (2012).

In a paper published in The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology on 29 February 2012, Hsuan-Ching Ho of the National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium and the Institute of Marine Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology at the National Donghwa University, Chia-Hao Chang of the Department of Biological Science and Technology at the National Chiao Tung University and Kwang-Tsao Shao of the Biodiversity Research Center at Academia Sinica, describe two new species of Sandperch from individuals that were put to one side during the 2010 study due to their unusual coloration, and which have now been shown to be separate species via DNA analysis. 

The first new species described is Parapercis kentingensis, the Kenting Sandperch, named for the Kenting National Park in southern Taiwan, where the first specimens were found, though additional samples were obtained from across the northern part of the South China Sea and from coastal waters near Japan. Parapercis kentingensis is a 107-137 mm reddish fish with brown blotches on its body and brown spots on its fins, and a yellowish bar beneath the eyes.

Parapercis kentingensis. Ho et al. (2012).

The second new Fish described is named Parapercis rubromaculata, the Redspot Sandperch. It is a 78-114 mm fish with numerous red spots, that was found along the south coast of Taiwan and in the northern South China Sea.

Parapercis rubromaculata. Ho et al. (2012).

See also A new species of Toothcarp from Iran, New species of Grenadier from Japan, Two new species of Asian Sea Bass from South Asia, New species of Priapiumfish from the Mekong Delta and Boney Fish on Sciency Thoughts YouTube.

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