Description

SINGLE PAPER

Volume 16, Issue 1 – 20 Januray 2010

John E. Randall and Erwin Schraml: Notes on soapfishes (Serranidae: Grammistinae), with a pictorial review of the genus Pogonoperca, pp. 1-6

Abstract

The skin toxin of soapfishes of the family Serranidae, subfamily Grammistinae is reviewed. A resumé is given of the classification of the genus Pogonoperca, represented by P. punctata in the central and western Pacific, and P. ocellata in the Indian Ocean. Color illustrations are provided of the adults of these two species and three juvenile to subadult stages of P. punctata. In addition, an aquarium photo is presented that represents a probable undescribed species of Pogonoperca for which no specimens are known. The listing by Boulenger (1895) of ?Grammistes compressus Liénard at the head of his synonymy for Pogonoperca ocellata Günther (1859) is shown to be an invalid name for Aulacocephalus temminckii Bleeker, following Michel (1972) and Monod (1976). Color illustrations of A. temminckii are provided.