One specimen of Gibberichthys latifrons (Thorp, 1969) of 155 mm TL was trawled off Eiao Island, Marquesas Archipelago, French Polynesia. This capture is the second record of the species for this area of the Pacific Ocean and the largest specimen caught to date.

MUSORSTOM 9

MUSORSTOM 2, MUSORSTOM 7, MUSORSTOM 8, SALOMON 1

A new right eyed flounder, Samariscus hexaradiatus, is described on the basis of two specimens collected from the Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean, at depths of 135-325 m. The new species is distinguished from other species of the genus by the following characters: 6 pectoral-fin rays; 82 dorsal-fin rays and 60-62 anal-fin rays; 9 abdominal vertebrae and 32 caudal vertebrae; presence of ctenoid scales on the interorbital space and high number (74-75) of lateral-line scales. Ocular side of body light brown with four and three distinguishable horseshoe-shaped spots along margins of both dorsal and ventral profiles, respectively. Two indistinct dusky blotches on the lateral line, one situated before the distal end part of the pectoral fin when flattened posteriorly, the other placed near the last one-third of the body length. Two distinct black spots placed on the upper and lower margins of the caudal peduncle at the posterior end of the dorsal and anal fins, respectively. Pectoral fin with dark pigmentation. Dorsal and anal fins dusky brown near the proximal and distal ends of the fin-rays, respectively, and with distinct series of small dusky spots on the medial parts the fin-rays.

BATHUS 4, BOA0, BORDAU 1, CHALCAL 1, CHALCAL 2, LAGON, MUSORSTOM 3, MUSORSTOM 4, SALOMON 1, SALOMON 2, SANTO 2006, SMIB 1

The red sandperch Parapercis rufa Randall, 2001 is redescribed on the basis of three specimens newly collected from Taiwan that represent the second record of the species and first record from Taiwan. The species is now redefined as a species of Parapercis with a large black spot with whitish rim above the pectoral-fin base, upper lobe of caudal fin with a prolongation extending about 1.0–1.5 times orbital diameter posterior to rear fin margin, and a combination of coloration and morphometric and meristic data.

MUSORSTOM 2

Scorpaenopsis crenulata sp. Nov. (Scorpaenidae), a small deepwater (600 m) species, is described on the basis of a single specimen from wallis and futuna islands, southwestern pacific ocean. The new species is distinguished from other congeners by the following combination of characters: pectoral-fin rays 17; scale rows in longitudinal series 37; pored lateral-line scales 19; posterior margin of maxilla extending well beyond a vertical through posterior margin of orbit; an additional spine arising from a low median ridge of anterior lacrimal spine; posterior lacrimal spine divided into two spinous points; interorbital ridges poorly developed; upper opercular spine divided into three spinous points; postocular, tympanic, nuchal, pterotic, posttemporal, and supracleithral spines serrated; occipital pit extremely deep; a pair of pores behind a symphysial knob on lower jaw; nape and anterior body not highly arched; interorbital space narrow, width less than orbit diameter; upper one-third of pectoral-fin axil with a large black blotch. The capture depth of S. crenulata indicates that it is the deepest occurring member of the genus.

MUSORSTOM 7

A new scorpionfish, Phenacoscorpius longilineatus n. sp., is described on the basis of 94 specimens from New Caledonia and New Zealand in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, at depths of 345–1089 m. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: 8–18 (mode 12) pored lateral-line scales, last of which is situated from below base of seventh spine to below base of fourth dorsal-fin soft ray; no slit behind fourth gill arch; palatine teeth present; second preopercular spine always absent; nuchal and parietal spines distinct; nape and anterior body strongly arched in adults of over ca. 80 mm standard length (SL); post-nuchal-spine length 5.0–9.7% (mean 7.2%) of SL; caudal fin length 21.4–26.7% (mean 23.4%) of SL; 1–5 (mode 2) black spots on posterior half of caudal peduncle; and body usually uniformly whitish without distinct dark saddles in preserved specimens. In addition, P. adenensis Norman, 1939, which is similar to P. longilineatus morphologically, is redescribed on the basis of 3 specimens from the western Indian Ocean and 52 specimens from the southwestern Pacific. The latter represent the first records of this species outside the western Indian Ocean.

AZTEQUE, BORDAU 1, CHALCAL 1, CHALCAL 2, LITHIST, MUSORSTOM 4, MUSORSTOM 6, MUSORSTOM 8, NORFOLK 2, SANTO 2006, SMIB 3, SMIB 4

The Indo-West Pacific species, Neomerinthe erostris (Alcock 1896), originally described as Scorpaena erostris, is redescribed as a senior synonym of Scorpaena gibbifrons Fowler 1938, N. rotunda Chen 1981, and N. bathyperimensis Zajonz & Klausewitz 2002. Although the latter three nominal species have been regarded as valid species and N. erostris has not been reported since 1898, examinations of type specimens of the four nominal species revealed that they represent a single species. A lectotype of Scorpaena erostris is herein designated. Neomerinthe erostris is characterized by having a distinct longitudinal ridge on the lateral surface of the maxilla and a strongly rounded dorsal profile of the head.

MD32 (REUNION), MUSORSTOM 3, MUSORSTOM 7, MUSORSTOM 8, SALOMON 2, SANTO 2006, SMIB 3, SMIB 5

Lioscorpius trifasciatus, originally described from 16 specimens taken from Australian territory in the Tasman and Coral seas, is now reported from New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji with 224 additional specimens. A revised species’ diagnosis is provided based on these new specimens, along with fresh colour photographs.

BOA0, BOA1, BORDAU 1, MUSORSTOM 3, MUSORSTOM 4, MUSORSTOM 8, SALOMON 2, SANTO 2006

BATHUS 1, BOA1, BORDAU 1, MUSORSTOM 4, MUSORSTOM 6, MUSORSTOM 7, MUSORSTOM 8

A poorly known scorpionfish, Neomerinthe pallidimacula, previously known only from the holotype, is redescribed on the basis of the holotype from the Philippines and an additional specimen from the Wallis and Futuna Islands. This species is distinguished from its congeners in the Indo-Pacific Ocean by having a ventrally directed anterior lacrimal spine, the posterior margin of the maxilla reaching to a vertical through the posterior margin of the orbit, a well-developed symphysial knob, a well-developed upper posttemporal spine, a slit behind the fourth gill arch, 18-20 pectoral-fin rays, the pectoral-fin membranes between the middle and lower rays deeply incised, 44-45 scale rows in longitudinal series, and three slightly curved brownish white or white stripes on the lateral surface of the trunk in preserved specimens, and in lacking the lateral lacrimal and second preopercular spines.

MUSORSTOM 7

A new goatfish, Upeneus vanuatu (Mullidae), is described based on five specimens collected off two islands of Vanuatu (South Pacific), at depths of 191–321 m, and compared with five closely related species: Upeneus davidaromi (Red Sea), U. mascareinsis (Western Indian Ocean), U. stenopsis (northern Australia, Philippines, 127–275 m), and the more shallow- occurring Indo-West Pacific species U. subvittatus (26–120 m) and U. vittatus (<100 m). The new species can be distinguished from all other congeneric species by the combination of four characters: number of gill rakers on lower limb, caudal-peduncle depth, interorbital length, and interdorsal distance. Strong allometric variation in body form between the holotype and the four smaller paratypes was found. Based on the lack of lateral body stripes, a rather narrow caudal peduncle depth, and large eyes in adults as common characteristics for U. subvittatus and the four deep-water Upeneus species, the so-called “stenopsis” species group can be distinguished from four other species groups that were established in earlier studies in order to facilitate intrageneric comparisons. The ecological and evolutionary significance of deep-water goatfishes is briefly discussed.

MUSORSTOM 8, SANTO 2006

The bothid flounder family Bothidae contains 20 genus and 166 species. Most of the known species have wide distributions, others are restricted to specific zones and depth ranges. Fourteen bothid specimens captured near Vanuatu Archipelago were confirmed to be Parabothus taiwanensis (Pleuronectiformes; Bothidae), a rare species described before from only five specimens from the coasts of Taiwan and recorded only from the East China Sea (Amaoka and Shen, 1993; Yamada et al., 2007). The present note provides a description of these specimens with considerable range extension for this species and a new diagnostic character.

BIOCAL, CHALCAL 1, CHALCAL 2, CORAIL 2, MUSORSTOM 4, MUSORSTOM 5, MUSORSTOM 6, SANTO 2006

Nine species of Parabothus are currently recognized. A new bothid flatfish, Parabothus rotundifrons, is described from six specimens. It is considered as a species of Parabothus because of caudal skeleton structure, moderate width of concave interorbital space in male and moderate body depth in both male and female. P. rotundifrons is easily separable from other congeners by having a lowest number of scales in the lateral line (4858), biserial teeth on the upper jaw, steep dorsal profile of the head, 8-9 non-serrate gill rakers on the low limb of the first arch, perforated membrane of dorsal and anal fins. P. rotundifrons is known from the Saya de Malha Bank, Mascareignes Plateau, Indian Ocean.

SANTO 2006