A NEW SPECIES OF TILEFISH (FAMILY BRANCHIOSTEGIDAE) FEOM EASTEEI^ AUSTEALIA James K. Doolby* and John E. PAXTONf J. [Accepted for publication 20th March 1974] Synopsis Until recently the genus Branchiostegus was represented in Australia only by B. wardi, thought to be restricted to waters off southern Queensland and New South Wales. A specimen of this species has been taken recently from New Caledonia and a new species of Branchiostegus trawled off New South Wales. The new form is characterised by a colovu pattern of 18—19 black body bars, two broad yellow bands on the caudal fin, yellow spots on the dorsal fin and 67—72 pored lateral line scales. Both Australian species are benthic carnivores. B. wardi appears to spawn a nimiber of times per year. Introduction The genus Branchiostegus is represented by eleven nominal species found mainly in the tropical Indo-Pacific ; exceptions are B. semifasciatus from West Africa and B. sawakinensis which ranges into the Eed Sea from the Indian Ocean. The only species previously known from Australia, B. wardi, is not restricted to the tropics but occurs off southern Queensland and ISTew South Wales (Marshall, 1965). A revision of the family Branchiostegidae has recently been completed (Dooley, 1974). During this study a second Australian species became apparent which is strikingly different from B. wardi, particularly in colour pattern. MATERIAI.S AND METHODS Measurements were made with dial calipers to the nearest • 5 mm and conform to those defined by Hubbs and Lagler (1958). Measurements are expressed as per cent standard length (SL) or per cent head length (HL). Head length was taken from the tip of the snout to the tip of the opercular spine. Cheek depth was measured vertically from the lower rim of the orbit to the lower margin of the preoperculum. Opercular length is the horizontal distance from preoperculum to opercular spine ; opercular scale counts were also made along this line. Vertebral counts were made from radiographs. The holotype has been deposited at the Australian Museum, Sydney (AMS) and the paratypes at the Austrahan Museum, at the Queensland Museum, Brisbane (QM), at the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco (CAS), at the United States National Natural History Museum, Washington, D.C. (USNM), at the British Museum of Natural History, London (BMNH) and at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN). All specimens were obtained by bottom trawl. Branchiostegus serratus n. sp. Holotype. AMS I. 16207-004, 285 mm SL, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, 8 May 1971, Sydney Fish Markets, J. Paxton. Paratypes. New South Wales : AMS I. 16207-002, USNM 209532, USNM 209533, (3) 245-290 mm SL, data as holotype ; AMS I. 15916-003, -004, -005, * Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina, Moorehead City, North Carolina, 28567, U.S.A. Present address : Department of Marine Biology, Institute of Marine Sciences, Adelphi University, Garden City, Long Island, New York, 11530, U.S.A. t Department of Ichthyology, The Australian Museimi, College Street, Sydney, N.S.W., 2000. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, Vol. 99, Part 3
BioStor
