A new species of scorpionfish, Ebosia saya (Scorpaenidae: Pteroinae), from the western Indian Ocean and notes on fresh coloration of Ebosia falcata

Abstract

A new scorpionfish, Ebosia saya sp. nov. (Scorpaenidae: Pteroinae), is described on the basis of 10 specimens collected from the Saya de Malha Bank in depths of 95–126 m. Comparisons with two valid Indo-Pacific species, Ebosiableekeri (Doderlein in Steindachner and Doderlein 1884) (western Pacific Ocean) and Ebosiafalcata Eschmeyer and Rama-Rao 1978 (northern and eastern Indian Ocean), showed E. saya to be most similar to the latter, with both species sharing 8 (usually) anal-fin soft rays, 17 (usually) pectoral-fin rays, the elongated parietal spine of males relatively narrow and strongly falcate posterodorsally, and the pectoral fin predominantly yellow in males, whereas E. bleekeri has 7 (usually) anal-fin soft rays, 16 (usually) pectoral-fin rays, the elongated parietal spine of males relatively broad and weakly falcate, and the pectoral fins entirely red in males. However, E. saya differs from E. falcata in having 5 scale rows above the lateral line [vs. 4 or 5 (modally 4) in E. falcata], slightly greater total numbers (5–20, mean 12.3) of preocular, supraocular, and postocular spines at 60–90 mm SL (vs. 4–18, 8.4), shorter postorbital length 18.1–19.2 (mean 18.7) % SL [vs. 19.8–23.5 (21.5) % SL], and the blotch above the pectoral-fin base and blotches on the pectoral-fin membrane all relatively smaller. Fresh coloration of E. falcata is described for the first time, based on specimens from the Andaman Sea (easternmost record for the species).