Identificational keys of Pempheris adusta Bleeker, 1877 (Pempheridae) with comments on its standard Japanese name

Abstract

The diagnostic morphological characters of Pempheris adusta Bleeker, 1877 (Perciformes, Pempheridae) are redescribed based on specimens collected from the Pacific Ocean. The Japanese name Ryukyu-hatanpo has been commonly used for the species in the Ryukyu Archipelago, and is a factor in the taxonomical confusion with Japanese Pempheris. This Japanese name was proposed by Okada in 1938 for P. oualensis in Snyder’s list of 1912. However, the specimens used in Snyder’s list are herein reidentified as P. adusta. This result indicates that the Japanese name Ryukyu-hatanpo should be adapted for the species P. adusta.