Validity of a Lutjanid Fish, Lutjanus ophuysenii (Bleeker) with a Related Species, L. vitta (Quoy et Gaimard)

Abstract

A valid lutjanid fish, Lutjanus ophuysenii (Bleeker) is, herein, described. This species has been synonymized with L. vitta (Quoy et Gaimard) but differs in several important characters including squamation, color pattern, and geographic distribution. L. ophuysenii has 46-49 lateral line scales, no small scales on the lower preopercular flange, a black spot superimposed on the mid-lateral stripe in all stages, higher dorsal (first and sixth) and anal (first and fourth) soft rays lengths ratios in the eye diameter, and the pectoral and pelvic fins entirely yellow in life. In contrast, L. vitta has 49-52 lateral-line scales, small scales on the lower preopercular flange, lower dorsal (first and sixth) and anal (first and fourth) rays lengths ratios in the eye diameter, whitish pelvics and transparent pectorals with light yellow dorsally in life. L. ophuysenii is restricted to the Eastern Asian Shelf of the western North Pacific, including southern Japan (except the Ryukyu Ids.), southern Korea, Yellow Sea, western region of Taiwan and the vicinity of Hong Kong. L. vitta is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific region except in the Eastern Asian Shelf. However, the species are sympatric at southwestern Taiwan and in the vicinity of Hong Kong.