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Monday, June 30th, 2025
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| 2:07a | [Cnidaria • 2025] Neoanthomastus stellatus, Anthomastus sphaericus, Pseudoanthomastus ornatus, ... • Mushroom Soft Corals (Octocorallia: Coralliidae) From Seamounts in the Tropical Northwestern Pacific: Morphology and Phylogenetic Analysis Reveal a New Ge
Abstract Mushroom soft corals in the subfamily Anthomastinae are among the most remarkable octocorals found in the deep sea, characterized by their capitate or mushroom-shaped red colonies and large autozooids. To date, their species diversity remains largely unknown due to limited research, and their phylogenetic relationships have yet to be explored. Based on samples collected from four seamounts in the tropical Northwestern Pacific, we establish a new genus and six new species within Anthomastinae: Neoanthomastus stellatus gen. et sp. nov., Neoanthomastus elongatus gen. et sp. nov., Anthomastus sphaericus sp. nov., Anthomastus tongi sp. nov., Pseudoanthomastus ornatus sp. nov., and Pseudoanthomastus applanatus sp. nov. We transfer four species of Anthomastus with the siphonozooids extending into the stalk to the new genus Neoanthomastus, and four additional species of Anthomastus to Pseudoanthomastus. A dichotomous key to all five known genera and 43 species of Anthomastinae is provided. Meanwhile, we utilize the concatenated nucleotides of 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes (PCGs), the full-length coding regions of the mitochondrial MutS gene (mtMutS) and the barcodes of partial mtMutS to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships among all the five genera (Anthomastus, Bathyalcyon, Heteropolypus, Pseudoanthomastus, and Neoanthomastus gen. nov.) and available species of Anthomastinae. The phylogenetic trees constructed from the three types of sequences suggest a hierarchical relationship where Neoanthomastus gen. nov. and Pseudoanthomastus form a clade that clusters with Bathyalcyon, which in turn with Heteropolypus, and finally with Anthomastus, all with high nodal supports. We also identify a second species in octocorals that lack the unique mtMutS. The study reveals a high diversity of mushroom soft corals and underscores the need for further systematic and zoogeographic research. Keywords: Anthomastus, Anthomastinae, deep sea, mitochondrial DNA, mtMutS, new taxa 
Neoanthomastus stellatus gen. et sp. nov., N. elongatus gen. et sp. nov., Anthomastus sphaericus sp. nov., A. tongi sp. nov., Pseudoanthomastus ornatus sp. nov., and P. applanatus sp. nov. Yang Li, Junyuan Li, Kuidong Xu. 2025. Mushroom Soft Corals (Octocorallia: Coralliidae) From Seamounts in the Tropical Northwestern Pacific: Morphology and Phylogenetic Analysis Reveal a New Genus and Six New Species. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. DOI: doi.org/10.1155/jzs/4177670 [30 March 2025]  | ||||||||
| 2:12a | [Ichthyology • 2025] Synodus autumnus • A New Species of Lizardfish (Aulopiformes: Synodontidae) from the Indo-Pacific Region
Abstract The Indo-Pacific lizardfish Synodus autumnus sp. nov. (Aulopiformes, Synodontidae) is morphologically distinct from all other nominal species of Synodus, and is described as new. It is characterized by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays 11–13; anal-fin rays 8–10; lateral-line scales 49–51; scale rows above lateral line 3.5; scale rows below lateral line 4.5; vertebrae 49–52; anterior gill rakers 22–29; peritoneal spots 0–5; anterior palatine teeth in a discrete group, longer than posterior palatine teeth; anterior nostril flap long, broad, leaf-like, extending above and behind posterior margin of posterior nostril when laid back; posterior process of pelvic girdle wide; posterior part of preopercle scaled; body with 5 reddish saddle-like blotches; and lateral surface below lateral line with a straight row of brown blotches when fresh. The new species is similar to Synodus binotatus Schultz, 1953 and Synodus rubromarmoratus Russell & Cressey, 1979, but these species differ in having 52–56 and 53–55 lateral-line scales, respectively. In addition, S. binotatus has blotches below the lateral line in a zigzag pattern, and S. rubromarmoratus has anterior and posterior palatine teeth similar in length, 14–25 teeth on the tongue, and 0–5 peritoneal spots. No color pattern differences were apparent between the new species and S. rubromarmoratus, making differentiation between the two species in underwater photographs impossible; consequently, underwater photographs and unsupported catalog records were excluded from the reassessment of each species’ distribution. Examination of specimens reported as S. rubromarmoratus revealed that the true S. rubromarmoratus has been collected only in Australian waters, whereas S. autumnus sp. nov. is widely distributed in the eastern Indian and Pacific oceans. Key words: Description, morphology, Synodus binotatus, Synodus lobeli, taxonomy, Teleostei
Synodus autumnus sp. nov. New English name: Autumn Lizardfish; new standard Japanese name: Iroha-eso Diagnosis. A new species of Synodus with the following combination of characters: Dorsal-fin rays 11–13; anal-fin rays 8–10; lateral-line scales 49–51; scale rows above lateral line 3.5; scale rows below lateral line 4.5; vertebrae 49–52; anterior gill rakers 22–29; peritoneal spots 0–5; anterior palatine teeth in a discrete group, longer than posterior palatine teeth; ANF long and broad, leaf-like, extending above and behind posterior margin of posterior nostril when laid back; posterior process of pelvic girdle wide; posterior part of preopercle scaled; body with 5 reddish saddle-like blotches; lateral surface below lateral line with a straight row of brown blotches when fresh.
Etymology. Scientific and English names of the new species are derived from its body color, which is reminiscent of shrub and tree colors that change in autumn. “Iroha” means the leaves of plants that change color in autumn. Ryusei Furuhashi and Hiroyuki Motomura. 2025. Synodus autumnus, A New Species of Lizardfish (Aulopiformes, Synodontidae) from the Indo-Pacific Region, and A Reassessment of Distributional Records of Synodus rubromarmoratus. ZooKeys. 1243: 191-206. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1243.147259 | ||||||||
| 2:02p | [Herpetology • 2025] Scincella montana • A New Species of Scincella Mittleman, 1950; the “Lampropholis” group (Squamata: Scincidae) from the Sierra Madre del Sur, Mexico
Abstract We describe a new Mexican endemic species of Scincella in the “Lampropholis” group. It is distinguished from the other species in the group by the following combination of characters: two ventrolateral dark lines below the lateral stripe on each side, which begin on the supralabial scales, pass through the tympanic opening, and disappear at the level of the forelimbs; a thick and strongly defined lateral stripe; reddish hue on the tail; limbs that do not overlap when adpressed against the body; enlarged dorsal scales arranged in 54–67 transverse dorsal rows and 24–28 longitudinal rows at midbody. Analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences support the distinctiveness of the new species, as well as its sister relationship to a clade composed of S. assata and S. cherriei. This is the 12th species of Scincella in the Americas and is known from pine and pine–oak forests throughout the Sierra Madre del Sur in the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca, Mexico. KEYWORDS: description, morphology, phylogenetics, taxonomy  Scincella montana  Antonio Esaú Valdenegro-Brito, Anibal H. Díaz De La Vega-Pérez and Uri Omar García-Vázquez. 2025. A New Species of Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata: Scincidae) from the Sierra Madre del Sur, Mexico. Herpetologica. 81(2); 171-182. DOI: doi.org/10.1655/Herpetologica-D-24-00020 [8 May 2025] Describimos una nueva especie endémica mexicana de Scincella en el grupo “Lampropholis.” Se distingue de las otras especies del grupo por la siguiente combinación de caracteres: tiene dos líneas oscuras ventrolaterales debajo de la franja lateral en cada lado, una surge en la abertura timpánica y se desvanece gradualmente a la altura de medio cuerpo, la inferior surge en las escamas supralabiales y se desvanece a la altura de la axila; una franja lateral gruesa y fuertemente definida; cola de color rojizo; extremidades que no se superponen cuando se presionan contra el cuerpo; escamas dorsales más grandes y ensanchadas dispuestas en 54–67 filas dorsales transversales y 24–28 filas longitudinales alrededor de la mitad del cuerpo Los análisis basados en secuencias de mtDNA respaldan la distinción de la nueva especie, así como su relación de especie hermana con el clado conformado por S. assata y S. cherriei. Esta especie representa la número 12 de Scincella en América, se distribuye en bosques de pino y pino-encino de la Sierra Madre del Sur en los estados de Guerrero y Oaxaca, México. | ||||||||
| 2:05p | [Ichthyology • 2025] Iago gopalakrishnani • A New Species of Hound Shark, of the Genus Iago (Carcharhiniformes: Triakidae) from the northern Indian Ocean
Abstract Sharks of the genus Iago Compagno and Springer, 1971 (Carcharhiniformes: Triakidae) that commonly occur in the deep waters of the Indo-Pacific, are an interesting group phylogenetically. Currently, three nominal species of Iago are known globally, namely, Iago garricki, I. omanensis and I. mangalorensis. In this study, we describe a new species of hound shark, Iago gopalakrishnani sp. nov. from the deep waters of eastern Arabian Sea, India. Iago gopalakrishnani sp. nov. is distinct in its dark chocolate brown to blackish colouration and low fins; pre-oral length 4.7–6% TL, 22.4-25% head length; first dorsal height 5.8-7% TL, first dorsal length 10.6–14.1% TL, first dorsal base length 6.7-9.8% TL, second dorsal length 8.9-10.9% TL and vertebral counts 117-123. Iago gopalakrishnani sp. nov. is genetically distinct from congeners. COI based analysis of Iago gopalakrishnani sp. nov formed a distinct clade in phylogenetic reconstruction with a genetic distance of 4.5-5.2% when comparing K2P parameters with congeners. Keywords: Diversity, Genetics, Indian Ocean, Morphology, Sharks, Taxonomy
Iago gopalakrishnani sp. nov. K. K. Bineesh, Sweta Beura, Moumita Das, M. Nashad and K. V. Akhilesh. 2025. Description of A New Species of Hound Shark, of the Genus Iago (Carcharhiniformes: Triakidae) from the northern Indian Ocean. Indian Journal of Fisheries. 72(1); DOI: doi.org/10.21077/ijf.2025.72.1.152519-03 |
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