Chelidoperca flavolineata, a new species of perchlet (Perciformes: Serranidae) from Indonesia and the first Indonesian record of C. maculicauda

Abstract

The new serranid fish Chelidoperca flavolineata is described on the basis of 22 specimens from Indonesia (southern coast of Java, eastern Indian Ocean), in depths of 115–210 m. Literature records indicate that the species also occurs off northern Australia. The new species is most similar to Chelidoperca investigatoris (Alcock 1890) (known from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal) in having the head and body entirely pinkish with a distinct yellow stripe from the snout tip to the caudal-fin base when fresh. However, C. flavolineata can be readily distinguished from the latter, having 4 (3 full-sized plus 1 half-sized) scale rows between the lateral line and middle of the spinous dorsal-fin base [vs. 3 (2 full-sized plus 1 half-sized) in the latter]; the lower and upper lobes of the caudal fin reddish and yellowish, respectively, and ca. 4 small reddish blotches on the dorsal margin near the caudal-fin base when fresh (retained as dark brown blotches in preserved specimens) (vs. both lobes uniformly yellowish to reddish without blotches). Moreover, C. investigatoris is characterized by an extremely large head, its length 45.0–46.5% of SL (vs. 37.2–39.8% of SL in C. flavolineata); longer upper-jaw, its length 20.1–20.2% of SL (vs. 16.8–19.3% of SL); longer postorbital, its length 26.2–27.0% of SL (vs. 17.9–19.9%); and a broader interopercular spine, its width 5.5–5.7% of SL (vs. 3.6–4.8% of SL).