Serranus novemcintus Kner 1864

• Main Authors: Sithole, Yonela, Heemstra, Elaine, Mwale, Monica
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2021
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Actinopterygii; Perciformes; Serranidae; Serranus; Serranus novemcintus; Paul Islands
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5705498; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/F651DA1CFFD9A56E57BCF9E8E7DF43B7

Serranus novemcintus Kner, 1864 English name: Barred seabass Figures 3, 5; Tables 1–5 Serranus novemcinctus Kner 1864: 483, Pl. 2, Fig. 1 (St. Paul Island and Cape of Good Hope, southern Indian Ocean); Heemstra & Randall 1986: 536 (Fig. 166.77; Amsterdam and St. Paul Islands). Diagnosis. Dorsal-fin X, 14; pectoral-fin rays 16–17; gill rakers 9–12+21–24 (31–35 total); circumpeduncular scales 34–36; lateral-line scales 67–74; scales from dorsal fin to lateral line 9–10; scales from the anal-fin origin to lateral line 20–23. Caudal fin emarginated; scales ctenoid; maxilla naked; teeth on vomer and palatines; opercle with three flat spines, central spine largest and directed horizontally; cheek, pectoral-fin base and chest scaly. Description. Body elongate; body depth less than head length, about 3.2–4.9 in SL; head length 2.4–3.6 in SL. Maxilla extending to below middle of the eye; lower jaw projecting beyond upper jaw; opercle with three flat spines, the upper two spines well developed. Scales ctenoid; small scales at the bases of dorsal, anal and pectoral fins. Preopercle margin coarsely serrate, developed spines near angle. The first two dorsal-fin spines shortest. No distinct notch between dorsal spines and soft rays but soft rays slightly elevated. Color (Fig. 5). Brownish with nine dark vertical bars dorsally on body, the first four below the spinous dorsal fin; the next three under the soft dorsal rays, the eighth on the caudal peduncle and the last at the caudal-fin base; diagonal bar on the preopercle, originating behind the eye to margin of opercle at mid-pectoral fin position. Ventral body white. No spots on the fins but dorsal fin membranes may have some irregular bluish lines on basal third of fin membrane. Color in preservation. Specimens lose color in preservation but the pattern, i.e. nine vertical bars on body, and diagonal bar on the preopercle, remains visible. Distribution. Amsterdam and St. Paul Islands, and at Walters Shoals south of Madagascar (Heemstra & Randall 1986; Collette & ...