The “Lembeh Frogfish” Identified: Redescription of Nudiantennarius subteres (Smith and Radcliffe, in Radcliffe, 1912) (Teleostei: Lophiiformes: Antennariidae)
The “Lembeh Frogfish” or “Ocellated Frogfish,” a distinct antennariid, known for many years, especially among members of the dive community, and suggested by some to represent an undescribed species, is identified as
Nudiantennarius subteres
(Smith and Radcliffe). Unique in several ways—including reduced dermal spinules, the body appearing naked; illicium short, about half the length of the second dorsal-fin spine; second dorsal-fin spine unusually long and narrow, without a posterior membrane; pectoral lobe narrow, somewhat detached from the body; membranes between the rays of the paired fins deeply incised; and all pelvic-fin rays simple—the species is redescribed and figured below. Morphological and molecular analyses indicate a close relationship with the Sargassumfish,
Histrio histrio
.
Nudiantennarius subteres (Smith and Radcliffe, in Radcliffe, 1912), the holotype, USNM 70268, 42 mm SL, collected off Luzon, Philippines, 10 May 1909 (pectoral and pelvic fins retouched).
Esca of Nudiantennarius subteres, BMNH 1866.8.14.108, 64 mm SL (after Pietsch and Grobecker, 1987).
Nudiantennarius subteres, uncollected specimens: (A) Pantar Island, Alor Archipelago, Indonesia, 29 November 2006 (© 2006 David Hall); (B) Secret Bay, Anilao, Philippines, 18 April 2009 (photo by Stephane Bailliez); (C) Dauin, Negros Island, Philippines, 29 April 2015 (photo by Daniel Geary); (D) Ambon, Indonesia, 28 October 2015 (photo by Linda Ianniello); (E) hypothesized mated pair, male on the left, female on the right; Seraya Bay, northeast Bali, Indonesia, 1 November 2012 (photo by Vincent Chalias); (F) Secret Bay, Anilao, Philippines, ca. 2 m depth, 19 April 2009 (photo by Stephane Bailliez).
Nudiantennarius subteres, uncollected specimens: (A) Dauin, Negros Island, Philippines, 7 March 2017 (photo by Daniel Geary); (B) Ambon, Indonesia, October 1996 (photo by Scott Michael); (C) Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia, 2005 (photo by Teresa Zuberbühler); (D) Dauin, Negros Oriental, Philippines, 11 May 2015 (photo by Daniel Geary); (E) juvenile, Dauin, Negros Oriental, Philippines, 12 April 2016 (photo by Daniel Geary); (F) Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia, 27 September 2013 (photo by Colin Marshall).
Fifty percent majority rule phylogeny of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene, from trees sampled in the posterior, generated from Bayesian analysis. Branch lengths are measured in expected substitutions per site and are proportional to length. Numbers above nodes are posterior probabilities.
Contributor Notes
Associate Editor: D. Buth.