Description

SINGLE PAPER

Volume 18, Issue 4 – 15 October 2012

John E. Randall and Rachel J. Arnold: Uranoscopus rosette, a new species of stargazer (Uranoscopidae: Trachinoidei) from the Red Sea, pp. 209-218

Abstract
Uranoscopus rosette is described as a new species of stargazer (family Uranoscopidae) from 11 specimens, 92-216 mm SL, collected from the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea, and formerly misidentified as U. fuscomaculatus Kner, U. sulphureus Valenciennes, or U. dollfusi Brüss. It is distinct in having two narrowly separated dorsal fins with IV spines and 13 soft rays, no scales dorsally on body anterior to origin of second dorsal fin; 37-41 oblique scale rows midlaterally on side of body; a strong cleithral spine; supracleithrum without a distinct posterior spine; 5-7 short spines ventrally on preopercle; body depth at anal-fin origin 3.6-4.05 in SL; head width 2.5-2.8 in SL; lingual lure flat and broadly triangular at base with long cirri on edges, ending in a ribbon-like filament with short cirri; and a unique color pattern dorsally on the body of irregular rows of dark gray-brown spots, many rosette-like, the head densely dark-dotted dorsally.