Corresponding author: Kunto Wibowo (
Ronald Fricke
A single specimen (117.1 mm standard length) of
The monotypic genus
A single short-beaked hemiramphid specimen, collected off Lepar Island, Bangka Belitung Islands, Indonesia and recently found in the collections of the Research Center for Oceanography, Jakarta (NCIP), was identified as
Methods for counts and proportional measurements followed
MZB.26439, 117.1 mm SL, Lepar Island, Bangka Belitung Islands, Indonesia,
Dorsal fin rays 16; anal fin rays 15; pectoral fin rays 12; pelvic fin rays 6; gill rakers on first gill arch 8 + 20 = 28; pre-dorsal scales ca. 37. Morphometrics (expressed as percentage of SL): head length 23.9% of SL; snout length 7.8% of SL; upper jaw length 6.4% of SL; upper jaw width 6.2% of SL; lower jaw length 3.0% of SL; preorbital length 7.8% of SL; orbit diameter 6.4% of SL; pectoral fin length 13.0% of SL; distance from base of uppermost pectoral-fin ray to base of anteriormost pelvic-fin ray 34.1% of SL; distance from base of anteriormost pelvic-fin ray to base of caudal fin 44.4% of SL; dorsal-fin base length 15.7% of SL; anal-fin base length 12.0% of SL.
Body elongate, subcylindrical; dorsal profile rising slowly from snout tip to above pectoral fin insertion, thereafter parallel to body axis to dorsal fin origin before lowering slowly to upper caudal-fin base; ventral profile sloping gradually from tip of lower jaw to below posterior margin of opercle, thereafter parallel with body axis to anal fin, before elevating gradually to lower caudal-fin base. Upper jaw short, triangular in dorsal view; dorsal surface covered with scales. Lower jaw slightly longer than upper jaw, with distinct symphysial knob. Jaws with short, minute, dense, conical teeth.
Dorsal and anal fins located on posteriormost quarter of body. Origin of first dorsal-fin ray above anus; base of dorsal fin slightly longer than that of anal fin; posteriormost point of dorsal-fin base slightly posterior to posteriormost point of anal-fin base. Origin of first anal-fin ray below origin of fourth dorsal-fin ray. Pelvic fin short, posteriorly depressed fin not reaching anus; located slightly anterior to mid body length; distance from upper insertion of pectoral-fin base to origin of pelvic fin less than that from origin of pelvic fin to caudal-fin base. Pectoral fins short, not reaching posterior nasal pit when folded forward; uppermost part of pectoral-fin base distinctly higher than snout tip; located slightly posterior to dorsoposterior margin of opercle. Caudal fin deeply forked; lower lobe longer than upper lobe.
Nasal papillae short, rounded, length less than half pupil diameter. Preorbital canal T-shaped, with posterior branch. Preorbital ridge well developed. Posterior margins of preopercle and opercle smooth. Body scales cycloid. Scales on dorsal surface of snout. Lateral line with one branch ascending toward pectoral fin origin.
Photographs of
Distributional records of
The Bangka Island specimen agreed closely with the diagnostic characters and morphological description of
The monotypic genus
We are especially grateful to Dr Graham S. Hardy (Ngunguru, New Zealand) for reading the manuscript and providing help with English.