Randall, J.E. & A. Edwards (1982). A new Labrid fish of the Genus Thalassoma from the Pitcairn Group, with a review of related Indo- Pacific species. Journal of Aquariculture & Aquatic Sciences Vol. IV, No. 2.

6094

Randall, J. E.; Edwards, A.

1982

2

Publication

Year of publication needs to be confirmed. Partly entered.

Of the 15 Indo-Pacific labrid fishes of the genus Thalassoma, six exhibit a basic similarity in color pattern of alternating red and green stripes on the body, the two principal green bands taking the form of a sereies of vertically elongate spots. These species are T. cupido (southern Japan to Taiwan); T. klunzingeri (Red Sea; rueppellii of most authors); T. purpureum (Indo-Pacific; umbrostygma a junior synonym); T. quinquevittatum (Indo-Pacific except Red Sea, Pitcairn Group and Easter Island); T. trilobatum (Indo-Pacific except Read Sea and Easter Island; fuscum of most authors but unavailable due to homonymy); and T. heiseri, n. sp. (Pitcairn Group and SE Tuamotu Archipelago). T. heiseri is most closely related to T. quinquevittatum; it differs in gill-raker counts (modally one higher in heiseri), slightly more elongate body and details of color. Of the remaining species, purpureum and trilobatum have most often been confused. T. purpureum has higher gill-raker counts (modally three more); terminal males are easily distinguished by color (purpureum has a blue head with irregular pink bands, whereas trilobatum has a solid orangish brown head), but initial phases of the two almost identical (purpureum has a dark reddish vertical line in front of center of eye to level of mouth; this is lacking in trilobatum).

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