Priacanthus blochii Bleeker 1853

Priacanthus blochii Bleeker, 1853 English common name: paeony bulleye Fig. 1, Table 1 Material examined. KAUM – I. 193393, 107.1 mm SL, off Perak, Malaysia, bottom trawl, 17 January 2024, coll. by Reo Koreeda et al. Description. Counts and measurements given in Table 1. Body oval, laterally compressed. Dorsal profile from snout to base of fifth dorsal-fin spine gently elevated, thereafter gradually lowering to caudal-fin base. Ventral profile of body lowering from lower-jaw tip to pelvic-fin insertion, subsequently parallel to body axis, and elevating from origin of anal fin to caudal-fin base. Lateral line complete, originating above anterodorsal tip of opercle and rapidly rising to just below third dorsal-fin spine base, subsequently lowering to caudal peduncle, thereafter straight to caudal-fin base. Scales very small, ctenoid, non-deciduous, present on entire body, except lips and posterior margin of opercle. Posterior edge of preopercle serrated. Long spine on angle of preopercle, its posterior tip barely reaching opercular margin. Snout short, smaller than eye. Eye large, rounded. Anterior and posterior nostrils located anterior to orbit, close to each other; anterior nostril oval, with short broad flap posteriorly; posterior nostril slit-like, with convex flap on lower half of anterior margin. Gill rakers well developed, rod-shaped, with small dense spines. Mouth large, terminal, posterior tip of maxilla beyond anterior margin of eye. Mandible protruding considerably beyond maxilla. Lower-jaw tip pointed, slightly above level of eye center. Upper jaw with 2 rows of conical teeth, curving backwards. Lower-jaw teeth slightly larger than upper-jaw teeth, conical, curving backwards, 2 rows anteriorly, a single row posteriorly. Vomerine teeth patch V-shaped, each end extending outwardly, teeth small, conical, dense, curving slightly backwards. Elongate palatine teeth similar to upper jaw teeth, 2 rows anteriorly, a single row posteriorly. Dorsal-fin origin just above uppermost point of posterior tip of opercle, 10 th spine longest, third soft ray longest. Anal-fin origin just below eighth dorsal-fin spine base. Posterior end of dorsal-fin base slightly anterior to posterior end of anal-fin base. Anus just anterior to anal-fin origin. Uppermost point of pectoral-fin base slightly anterior to posterior tip of opercle, below level of lower eye margin. Lowermost point of pectoral-fin base just below third dorsal-fin spine base. Posterior margin of pectoral fin round, reaching below sixth dorsal-fin spine base. Pelvic-fin insertion below and slightly behind posterior margin of eye. Base of last ray of pelvic fin slightly posterior to uppermost point of pectoral-fin base. Second pelvic-fin ray longest, last ray connected to abdomen by membrane. Posterior tip of depressed pelvic fin slightly beyond base of second anal-fin spine. Caudal fin truncate, posterior margin convex. Color when fresh (Fig. 1). Body uniformly reddish silver. Dorsal surface of head red. Dorsal-, anal-, and pelvic-fin spines and rays slightly pale red, membrane reddish black. Base of anal- and pelvic-fin membrane yellowish. Fin membrane connecting last pelvic-fin ray and body whitish. Pectoral fin transparent, rays reddish. Caudal fin red, posterior margin blackish. Pupil black, iris pale red. Distribution. Priacanthus blochii is widely distributed in the Indo – West Pacific region (Starnes 1988; Heemestra 2022). In Southeast Asia, the species has been recorded from Andaman Sea (southwestern coast of Thailand), the Philippines (Luzon, Panay, and Pamilikan), and Indonesia [Sumatra, Java, Bali, North Sulawesi, Maumere (Flores), Ambon, and West Papua] (Starnes 1988; Iwatsuki et al. 1997; Kimura et al. 2003; Kuiter and Tonozuka 2004; Randall 2005; Iwatsuki 2009; Satapoomin 2011; Allen and Erdmann 2012; White et al. 2013; Kawama 2017; Gloerfelt-Tarp and Kailola 2022). The presently reported specimen from Perak represents the first Malaysian record of the species (Fig. 2). Remarks. Identification of the Perak specimen was based on the following combination of characters, which closely matched the diagnostic features of Priacanthus blochii given by Starnes (1988): 13 dorsal-fin soft rays; 14 anal-fin soft rays; dorsal and anal fins relatively low and rounded distally; 21 total gill rakers on first arch; 77 scales in lateral series; 10 th dorsal-fin spine 1.59 times length of second dorsal-fin spine; pectoral-fin length 48.0 % of head length; posterior margin of caudal fin convex; lacking a black blotch on first two spinous dorsal membranes; single large black blotch on pelvic-fin base. Moreover, the counts and measurements of the Perak specimen matched with specimens of P. blochii from the Seychelles reported by Starnes (1988). Although Ambak et al. (2010) reported P. blochii from Malaysia, based on a photograph, the figured individual had the 10 th dorsal-fin spine strongly elongated, together with the dorsal- and anal-fin rays, and the anterior portion of the dorsal fin black, all characteristics of P. sagittarius shown by Starnes (1988, 1999). Furthermore, the distribution of P. blochii given by Starnes (1999) includes Malaysia. However, the distribution map in Starnes (1999) probably connects the points shown in Starnes (1988), and no specimens from Malaysia are shown in Starnes (1988, 1999). Therefore, the presently reported specimen, from Perak, Malaysia, represents the first record of P. blochii from Malaysia. Comparative material examined. Priacanthus blochii: 8 specimens (103.1–228.5 mm SL) from Seychelles: ANSP 108322, 2 specimens, 171.7–228.5 mm SL, North Island, Mahé; ANSP 108323, 2 specimens, 156.0– 181.6 mm SL, between Rouge Point and St. Pierre Islet, Curieuse Island; ANSP 108335, 173.6 mm SL, St. Anns Bay between Praslin and Round islands; ANSP 108340, 140.7 mm SL, Ressource Island, Amirante Islands; ANSP 108425, 103.1 mm SL, D’Arros Island, Amirante Islands; ANSP 159098, 157.5 mm SL, Beau Vallon Bay, Mahé.