A REVIEW OF SPECIES OF THE ANTHIINE FISH GENUS PLECTRAHTHIAS (PERCIFORMES: SERRANIDAE) FROM MAURITIUS

SUMMARY

Three species of the serranid genus Plectranthias occur at Mauritius: Plectranthias winniensis (Tyler, 1966). P. inermis Randall, 1980 and P. pelicieri Randall and Shimizu, 1994. A recently collected specimen of P. inermis provided new data on intraspecific variation of what were previously supposed to be diagnostic characters for this species. Although this new specimen has a complete lateral line and 20 dorsal-fin rays, compared with an incomplete lateral line and 16–18 rays previously reported for P. inermis, all of the other diagnostic features (preopercle, interopercle and subopercle smooth; dorsal fin divided almost to the base between spinous and soft-rayed parts; pectoral-fin rays 13. all unbranched; one row of scales between lateral line and base of middle dorsal fin spines and one row of scales between dorsal-fin origin and lateral line; snout, preorbital, maxilla, lower jaw and interorbital area naked, cheek with 5 oblique rows of scales) agree with P. inermis. New data for all three species of Plectranthias known from Mauritius are presented. Colour photographs of the two species that have not previously been illustrated in colour (P. inermis and P. winniensis) are included.