OXYCHEILINUS NIGROMARGINATUS - (RANDALL, WESTNEAT & GOMON, 2003)
Picture courtesy of: Alain Daoulas
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Labriformes (Order) > Labroidei (Suborder) > Labridae (Family) > Oxycheilinus (Genus)
Blackmargin maori wrasse, New Caledonian Wrasse,
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8; All dorsal and anal rays branched, the last to base; Pectoral rays: 13, the first rudimentary, the second unbranched; Pelvic rays: I,5; Principal caudal rays: 14, the middle 12 branched; Upper procurrent caudal rays 5; Lower procurrent caudal rays: 5; Lateral-line interrupted, the pored scales to caudal-fin base: 16 + 7; 2 pored scales on caudal-fin base, the last very large and pointed; Gill rakers: 5-6 + 8–9; Vertebrae 23. Body moderately elongate, the depth: 3.1–3.55 in SL; Body width: 1.95 in depth; Head length: 2.4–2.55 in SL; Snout long and pointed: 2.6–2.8 in head; dorsal profile of snout straight or with a slight concavity on snout to over eye. Lower jaw slightly projecting; Mouth oblique, forming an angle of about 20° to horizontal axis of body; Maxilla ending about a half orbit diameter before anterior edge of orbit, the upper-jaw length: 2.6–2.9 in head; Lips thick but not fleshy; A ventrally directed flange on side of lower lip. Origin of dorsal fin slightly anterior to a vertical at posterior end of opercular membrane, the predorsal length: 2.4–2.6 in SL; Dorsal spines progressively longer, the first: 5.6-6.75 in head, and the ninth: 3.5–3.65 in head. Max. length: 11.3 cm SL (male); 8.2 cm SL (female). Depth range: 10 - 27 m.
Color
Upper half of body red with four irregular narrow whitish bars (from white edges on scales) and a similar short bar on nape; Lower half of body light red with small white spots, mainly in three lengthwise series (the lower on abdomen); A small red spot midlaterally on body below base of fifth dorsal soft ray; Head red, paler ventrally, with narrow light orange lines radiating from eye, those passing ventrally most numerous, sometimes broken and branching on lower part of head; Numerous white dots on postorbital head, larger posteriorly; A broad diffuse dusky stripe on side of snout extending narrowly onto front of upper lip; A few nearvertical light orange lines on side of snout, some crossing those extending anteriorly from eye; three faint dusky-edged light orange lines crossing side of lips; a broad dark purplish brown bar on each side of upper lip, converging onto chin; Dorsal fin pale red with scattered whitish flecks and red blotches along base; First membrane of fin black; A dusky-edged orange stripe in outer part of spinous portion of fin, continuing faintly without dusky edges onto soft portion of fin; Posterior half of soft portion of fin with transparent membranes and whitish rays blotched with red; Anal fin pale red with scattered white flecks and red blotches on basal half, and a light orange-red stripe near middle of fin; Caudal fin pale red, dotted with white, the rays with narrow red transverse bands; posterior edge of caudal fin with a broad black border, the black continuing more proximally on second principal ray; A small dusky spot on first basal pored scale of caudal fin; Pectoral fins with pale orange rays and transparent membranes; Pelvic fins pale red with small whitish flecks.
Etymology
Oxycheilinus: from Greek, oxys = sharp + from Greek, cheilos = lip.
nigromarginatus: from Latin, nigro = black + from Latin, margino = having a border or margin. Referring to the conspicuous black posterior margin on the caudal fin, the only obvious color marking persisting in preservative.
Original description: Oxycheilinus nigromarginatus Randall, Westneat & Gomon, 2003 - Type locality: Chesterfield Bank, southeast end of lagoon, Coral Sea, 19°53.5'S, 158°28.2'E, depth 10 meters.
Distribution
Southwestern Pacific: from New South Wales (Australia), Chesterfield Bank in the Coral Sea, Fiji, New Caledonia and Tonga.
Biology
Collected in protected waters of lagoons or harbors on mixed sand and coral-reef habitats. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding.
Similar species
Cheilinus oxycephalus (Bleeker, 1853) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here). Brownish red, mottled with small whitish spots; Dark brown spot anteriorly on each side of upper lip; Two dark lines diverging from the eye; Dark brown spot on 1st two dorsal membranes. Deep-bodied for genus, and snout pointed. Max. length: 17.0 cm TL.
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Labriformes (Order) > Labroidei (Suborder) > Labridae (Family) > Oxycheilinus (Genus)
Blackmargin maori wrasse, New Caledonian Wrasse,
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8; All dorsal and anal rays branched, the last to base; Pectoral rays: 13, the first rudimentary, the second unbranched; Pelvic rays: I,5; Principal caudal rays: 14, the middle 12 branched; Upper procurrent caudal rays 5; Lower procurrent caudal rays: 5; Lateral-line interrupted, the pored scales to caudal-fin base: 16 + 7; 2 pored scales on caudal-fin base, the last very large and pointed; Gill rakers: 5-6 + 8–9; Vertebrae 23. Body moderately elongate, the depth: 3.1–3.55 in SL; Body width: 1.95 in depth; Head length: 2.4–2.55 in SL; Snout long and pointed: 2.6–2.8 in head; dorsal profile of snout straight or with a slight concavity on snout to over eye. Lower jaw slightly projecting; Mouth oblique, forming an angle of about 20° to horizontal axis of body; Maxilla ending about a half orbit diameter before anterior edge of orbit, the upper-jaw length: 2.6–2.9 in head; Lips thick but not fleshy; A ventrally directed flange on side of lower lip. Origin of dorsal fin slightly anterior to a vertical at posterior end of opercular membrane, the predorsal length: 2.4–2.6 in SL; Dorsal spines progressively longer, the first: 5.6-6.75 in head, and the ninth: 3.5–3.65 in head. Max. length: 11.3 cm SL (male); 8.2 cm SL (female). Depth range: 10 - 27 m.
Color
Upper half of body red with four irregular narrow whitish bars (from white edges on scales) and a similar short bar on nape; Lower half of body light red with small white spots, mainly in three lengthwise series (the lower on abdomen); A small red spot midlaterally on body below base of fifth dorsal soft ray; Head red, paler ventrally, with narrow light orange lines radiating from eye, those passing ventrally most numerous, sometimes broken and branching on lower part of head; Numerous white dots on postorbital head, larger posteriorly; A broad diffuse dusky stripe on side of snout extending narrowly onto front of upper lip; A few nearvertical light orange lines on side of snout, some crossing those extending anteriorly from eye; three faint dusky-edged light orange lines crossing side of lips; a broad dark purplish brown bar on each side of upper lip, converging onto chin; Dorsal fin pale red with scattered whitish flecks and red blotches along base; First membrane of fin black; A dusky-edged orange stripe in outer part of spinous portion of fin, continuing faintly without dusky edges onto soft portion of fin; Posterior half of soft portion of fin with transparent membranes and whitish rays blotched with red; Anal fin pale red with scattered white flecks and red blotches on basal half, and a light orange-red stripe near middle of fin; Caudal fin pale red, dotted with white, the rays with narrow red transverse bands; posterior edge of caudal fin with a broad black border, the black continuing more proximally on second principal ray; A small dusky spot on first basal pored scale of caudal fin; Pectoral fins with pale orange rays and transparent membranes; Pelvic fins pale red with small whitish flecks.
Etymology
Oxycheilinus: from Greek, oxys = sharp + from Greek, cheilos = lip.
nigromarginatus: from Latin, nigro = black + from Latin, margino = having a border or margin. Referring to the conspicuous black posterior margin on the caudal fin, the only obvious color marking persisting in preservative.
Original description: Oxycheilinus nigromarginatus Randall, Westneat & Gomon, 2003 - Type locality: Chesterfield Bank, southeast end of lagoon, Coral Sea, 19°53.5'S, 158°28.2'E, depth 10 meters.
Distribution
Southwestern Pacific: from New South Wales (Australia), Chesterfield Bank in the Coral Sea, Fiji, New Caledonia and Tonga.
Biology
Collected in protected waters of lagoons or harbors on mixed sand and coral-reef habitats. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding.
Similar species
Cheilinus oxycephalus (Bleeker, 1853) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here). Brownish red, mottled with small whitish spots; Dark brown spot anteriorly on each side of upper lip; Two dark lines diverging from the eye; Dark brown spot on 1st two dorsal membranes. Deep-bodied for genus, and snout pointed. Max. length: 17.0 cm TL.
Oxycheilinus orientalis (Günther, 1862) - Report from New Caledonia must be confirmed.
Oxycheilinus rhodochrous (Günther, 1867) - Reported from Indo-West Pacific. Randall & Khalaf, 2003 state that is a possible synonym of Oxycheilinus orientalis (Günther, 1862).
Oxycheilinus rhodochrous (Günther, 1867) - Reported from Indo-West Pacific. Randall & Khalaf, 2003 state that is a possible synonym of Oxycheilinus orientalis (Günther, 1862).