Description

SINGLE PAPER

Volume 11, Issue 1 – February 2006

Gerald R. Allen, Forrest Young and Patrick L. Colin: Centropyge abei, a new species of deep-dwelling angelfish (Pomacanthidae) from Sulawesi, Indonesia, pp. 13-18

A new species of pomacanthid fish, Centropyge abei, is described from a single specimen, 90.8 mm SL, collected from a depth of 120 m during deep diving operations off Manado, Sulawesi in Indonesia during April 2005. It was also observed in similar habitat at Palau between 110-155 m using a research submersible. The combination of morphological features that include large scales (43-45 in lateral row from upper opercle to caudal fin base), 3-4 preopercular spines, a relatively narrow supracleithrum with pronounced serrae on its posterior upper margin, serrate interoperculum, and a posterior margin of the preorbital bone that is attached and hidden by skin and scales serve to distinguish it from all known angelfishes, although it appears to be a modified Centropyge. Moreover, its distinctive colour pattern consisting of an extensive black area on the back and dorsal fin that grades to yellow on the side, white bar behind the head, and white caudal fin, is unlike that of any known species in the family.