Japanese Perchlet, Plectranthias japonicus (Steindachner 1884)

Other Names: Pink Sea-perch

Summary:

An orange-red perchlet with yellow scale centres, 6 large darker blotches along the back, and a reddish blotch on the body below the rear of the spinous dorsal fin. The Japanese Perchlet has no spot on the caudal peduncle, and no small spot on the upper part of the caudal-fin base.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2021, Plectranthias japonicus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 05 Dec 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/4384

Japanese Perchlet, Plectranthias japonicus (Steindachner 1884)

More Info

Distribution	NW of North West Cape, Western Australia, and the Arafura Sea, NE of Darwin, Northern Territory. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical east-Indo-west Pacific: southern Japan, Taiwan, and southern Indonesia.
Features	Dorsal fin 14-16, fourth or fifth dorsal spine longest; Pectoral fin 15-17; Gill rakers (lower limb) 10-12; Lateral line complete, 30-35 tubed scales; Vertebrae 10+16. Posterior preopercle with 17-40 serrations, which continue around corner of bone to posteroventral edge; no antrorse serrations on ventral edge of preopercle; margins of subopercle and interopercle serrate. Canine teeth in lower jaw absent or very small. Head, including maxilla and chin, almost completely scaled. No prolonged dorsal-fin rays; caudal fin rounded to truncate with rounded corners.
Similar Species	The following combination of characters distinguishes Plectranthias japonicus from congeners: segmented dorsal rays 14–16, usually 15; fourth or fifth dorsal spine longest; pectoral rays 15–17, usually 16; lateral line complete, consisting of 30–35 tubed scales; posterior preopercle with 17–40 serrations, which continue around corner of bone to posteroventral edge; no antrorse serrations on ventral edge of preopercle; margins of subopercle and interopercle serrate.
Etymology	The species is named japonicus after Japan, the type locality.
Species Citation	Paracirrhites japonicus Steindachne,r in Steindachner & Döderlein 1884, Denkschriften der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Wien 48: 25. Type locality: Japan.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2021
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Japanese Perchlet, Plectranthias japonicus (Steindachner 1884)

References

Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls.

Allen, G.R. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls.

Gill, A.C., Pogonoski, J.J., Moore, G.I. & Johnson, J.W. 2021. Review of Australian species of Plectranthias Bleeker and Selenanthias Tanaka (Teleostei: Serranidae: Anthiadinae), with descriptions of four new species. Zootaxa 4918(1): 1-116. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4918.1.1

Gloerfelt-Tarp, T. & Kailola, P.J. 1984. Trawled Fishes of Southern Indonesia and Northwest Australia. Jakarta : Dir. Gen. Fish. (Indonesia), German Tech. Coop., Aust. Dev. Ass. Bur. 406 pp.

Jordan, D.S. & Seale, A. 1906. Descriptions of six new species of fishes from Japan. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 30(1445): 143-148 figs 1-6 (described as Sayonara satsumae) See ref at BHL

Larson, H.K., Williams, R.S. & Hammer, M.P. 2013. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Northern Territory, Australia. Zootaxa 3696(1): 1-293

Lee, S.-C. 1990. A revision of the serranid fish (family Serranidae) of Taiwan. Journal of the Taiwan Museum 43(2): 1-72

Randall, J.E. 1980. Revision of the fish genus Plectranthias (Serranidae : Anthiinae) with descriptions of 13 new species. Micronesica 16(1): 101-187 figs 1-32 See ref online

Randall, J.E. 1996. Two new anthiine fishes of the genus Plectranthias (Perciformes: Serranidae), with a key to the species. Micronesica 29(2): 113-131 See ref online

Randall, J.E. & Heemstra, P.C. 1978. Reclassification of the Japanese cirrhitid fishes Serranocirrhitus latus and Isabuna japonica to the Anthiinae. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 25(3): 165-172 https://doi.org/10.11369/jji1950.25.165

Russell, B.C. & Houston, W. 1989. Offshore fishes of the Arafura Sea. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 6(1): 69-84

Sainsbury, K.J., Kailola, P.J. & Leyland, G.G. 1984. Continental Shelf Fishes of Northern and North-Western Australia. Canberra : Fisheries Information Service 375 pp. figs & pls.

Smith, H.M. & Pope, T.E.B. 1906. List of fishes collected in Japan in 1903, with descriptions of new genera and species. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 31(1489): 459-499. (described as Sayonara mitsukurii) See ref at BHL

Steindachner, F. in Steindachner, F. & Döderlein, L. 1884. Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Fische Japan's (II). Denkschriften der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Wien 48: 1-40 pls 1-7