252 
THE CORAL TRIANGLE: HEARST BIODIVERSITY EXPEDITION 
Family Trichonotidae 
Subfamily Hemerocoetinae 
Genus Pteropsaron Jordan and Snyder, 1902 
Pteropsaron dabfar Iwamoto sp. nov. 
Figures 1-3, Table 1. 
Type specimens. — Holotype: CAS 236400 (33.6 mm SL); Philippines, 13.905833°N, 
120.35433°E, between Luzon and Mindoro islands; 45^7 fm (82-86 m) over hard, sandy, roeky 
bottom; MA^ DA-BFAR; beam trawl; 2 June 2011; Hearst Philippines Expedition sta. HEPD-026. 
Paratypes: CAS 236667 (33.0 mm SL, DC-1508, preserved in 95% ethyl aleohol) and CAS 
236560 (30.0 mm SL, body damaged, slightly squashed), eollected with holotype. 
Diagnosis. — D V + 20; A 24; P 17-19; V 1,5. Spinous-dorsal-fm spines closely set creating 
a narrow base, first spine greatly elongated, reaching to middle of caudal fin; dorsal lobe of caudal 
fm with filamentous tip. Tubed lateral-line scales about 33, their posterior margin narrowly incised 
or crenulated. A short, curved spine (maxillary spine) at anterior end of each maxilla. Short rostral 
barbel. 
Description of holotype.— (paratype characters in parentheses, if different).— Head 
cylindrical, slightly depressed, body long and slender, compressed posteriorly (Figs. 1, 2) Snout 
sharply pointed in lateral view, about K orbit diameter; barbel short, 0.6 mm long (Fig. 3) at tip of 
upper jaw (a male character). 
Orbits large, deeply incised into 
top of skull, pupil with a promi¬ 
nent aphakic space anteriorly, 
and a slightly developed pupil¬ 
lary lappet (= dorsal operculum); 
bony interorbital very narrow, 
about Ko orbit diameter. Upper 
jaw projecting slightly beyond 
lower jaw; maxilla extending to 
below posterior A of orbit. Max¬ 
illary spine (Fig. 3) curved ven- 
trally, 0.4 mm long. Anterior nostril a short raised tube; posterior nostril a simple pore, no cirri or 
flaps on margin of nostrils. Opercular flap membranous, overlapping entire base of pectoral fm; a 
narrow bony ridge without protmding spine dorsally on opercle; margins of opercular bones entire. 
Tongue long, narrow, with spatulate tip. Gill rakers short, broad based, 9 or 10 on lower limb of 
first arch (8 or 9 in paratypes); pseudobranchs well developed. Branchiostegal rays 7. 
Scales'. Scales cycloid, absent on head except dorsally posterior to orbits. Lateral-line scales 
about 33 (35); tubed, with posterior margin incised or irregularly crenate, partly to accommodate 
the raised lateral-line tube midlaterally. Other body scales with entire margins, lacking any projec¬ 
tions or serrations. 
Fins'. First dorsal fm short-based, 5 spinous rays, tightly clustered at base; first three spines 
elongated, the first spine longest, extending to caudal fm; fm origin about on same vertical as that 
of pectoral fm and between those of pelvic and anal fins. Second dorsal fm well separated from 
first, long-based with 20 rays, last split to base, all rays unbranched, none prolonged, longest rays 
at posterior third of fm, slightly longer than postorbital length of head. Anal fm long-based with 24 
Figure 1. Fresh coloration of Pteropsaron dabfar sp. nov. CAS 236400 
(holotype, 32.6 mm SL); Philippines: between Luzon and Mindoro islands in 
82-86 m. (Photograph by T. Iwamoto.) 
