FIRST RECORD OF A RARE SCORPIONFISH SCORPAENOPSIS ORIENTALIS (ACTINOPTERYGII: SCORPAENIFORMES: SCORPAENIDAE) FROM TAIWAN

Twenty-eight species of the genus Scorpaenopsis (Scorpaenidae) have been recognized as valid in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, and 11 species of which having been recorded from Taiwan. Scorpaenopsis orientalis Randall et Eschmeyer, 2002 was originally described on the basis of type specimens collected from Miyazaki, and the Ogasawara Islands in Japan, and subsequently reported from Iou-jima Island. A single specimen (189.0 mm standard length) of Scorpaenopsis orientalis was collected from southern Taiwan in 2018. The morphology and fresh coloration of the collected specimen are herein described. The majority of the morphological characters of the specimen closely matched the diagnostic features of Scorpaenopsis orientalis given by the previous authors. The specimen from southwestern Taiwan is identified as Scorpaenopsis orientalis. The presently reported specimen represents the southernmost record for the species as well as the first record for Taiwan. This study suggests that S. orientalis may widely distributed in East Asian warm waters.


INTRODUCTION
The genus Scorpaenopsis Heckel, 1839 (family Scorpaenidae) is characterized by having 12 dorsalfin spines and three or more suborbital spines, lacking palatine teeth, not having black pigment on membranes between the first and third dorsal-fin spines, and featuring a strongly compressed head (Randall and Eschmeyer 2001, Motomura et al. 2004, Motomura and Causse 2011. Twenty-eight species have been recognized as valid in the Indo-Pacific region (Motomura et al. 2004, Motomura and Causse 2011, Allen and Erdmann 2012, Fricke et al. 2013, 11 species of which having been recorded from Taiwan (Shao 2018).
A single specimen of Scorpaenopsis orientalis Randall et Eschmeyer, 2002 was recently purchased at a market in Hengchun, Pingtung, southern Taiwan. The fish was captured off the Kenting National Park. This species was originally described on the basis of the holotype and 11 paratypes collected from the Ogasawara Islands and Miyazaki Prefecture (east coast of Kyushu), Japan (Randall and Eschmeyer 2001). Motomura (2013) subsequently reported six specimens and an underwater photograph of the species from Iou-jima Island (30°47′N, 130°18′E) in the Osumi Islands, southern Japan and no additional specimens have never been reported. The specimen captured in the Kenting National Park is described in detail and represents the southernmost record of this species and the first record of its occurrence in Taiwan.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Counts and measurements follow Randall and Eschmeyer (2001). Measurements were made to the nearest 0.1 mm with needle-point callipers. Standard and head lengths are abbreviated as SL and HL, respectively. The morphological description is based on the Taiwanese specimen. Counts and measurements, observed morphology of presently reported specimen was compared with the data of type series shown by Randall and Eschmeyer (2001). Curatorial procedures for the specimen followed Motomura and Ishikawa (2013).

RESULTS
Family  1); body not obviously deep, its depth deepest at origin of dorsal fin, greatly shallower than head length; caudal peduncle moderately deep, its depth more than 1/3 of body depth; body covered by numerous tentacles usually in same size or smaller than body scales. Head large, posterior margin of opercle reaching vertical line drawn through third dorsalfin spine base; head covered by numerous tentacles variable size and shape; about 1/2 of eye extending above dorsal outline of head; interorbital space V-shaped and deep, its maximum depth about 3.1 times in orbit diameter. Anterior nostril lateral to base of nasal spine; posterior nostril at edge of preocular, slightly below level of lower edge of orbit. Mouth large, posterior end of maxilla extending below posterior edge of orbit; lower jaw pointed, strongly projecting from upper jaw; gape of mouth oblique, forming an angle of about 35° to horizontal axis of head; bands of slender, conical inwardly curved teeth in about 15 and 17 rows at anterior margin of upper and lower jaws, respectively, narrowing posteriorly; vomer with small, close-set, conical teeth in roughly 5 rows, forming V-shaped patch; no palatine teeth. Tongue thick and broadly rounded. Spines of head not serrate; interorbital ridges ending at anterior edge of occipital pit; postocular spines slightly canted laterally; tympanic spines about equal in length to postocular spines, its base joined by low ridge reaching to postocular spines; no extra spine anterior to tympanic spines; median ridge posteriorly on snout, commencing between posterior nostrils and entering anterior third of interorbital space; occipital pit shallow, anterior edge an inward V-shaped extension of interorbital (Fig. 2), sides with low ridge between tympanic and parietal spines, and posterior edge distinct though well rounded transverse ridge; deep suborbital pit, deepest below anterior margin of orbit, and continuing above prominent bony tubercle on lacrimal to posterior nostril; parietal spine simple, its anterior base curving into occipital pit; nuchal spine simple, base connected to parietal spine base; sphenotic with two simple spines; pterotic spine with single point, located below parietal spine; upper posttemporal spine with single point, directed dorsally, smaller in size than lower posttemporal spine; lower posttemporal spine with single point, its base length slightly greater than that of pterotic spine; supracleithral spine with single point, flattened; opercular spines not divided; cleithral spine angling upward at about 45° covered by skin except for tip; lateral lacrimal spine short and more erect than suborbital spines; suborbital ridge with 3 spines; preopercle with 5 spines, ventral 2 only slightly protruding; anterior lacrimal spine facing forward and short, its tip not reaching dorsal edge of upper lip; posterior lacrimal spine slightly longer, broad and blunt, angling ventroposteriorly, not reaching edge of upper lip, associated with long fimbriate flap of tentacle, and linked posteriorly to head with fringed skin. Scales ctenoid on most of body, becoming cycloid on abdomen, chest, and lower pre-pectoral-fin region; cycloid scales small, especially those of pre-pelvic-fin region; ctenoid scales on preopercle behind eye and on opercle between pterotic spine and membrane posterior to spines; no scales between opercular spines; no scale on fins except basally on caudal and pectoral fins; lateral line complete, first 2 scales with bony ridge. Origin of dorsal fin above supracleithral spine; third dorsal-fin spine longest; penultimate dorsal-fin spine half in length of last spine; all of dorsal-fin soft rays branched; third soft ray longest; basal half of last dorsal-fin soft ray connected by membrane to caudal peduncle; origin of anal fin below origin on third soft ray of dorsal fin; second anal fin longer than third; all of anal-fin soft rays branched; first soft ray longest; pectoral fin rounded, eighth ray longest; lower 11 rays unbranched and thicker than upper rays; second soft ray longest in pelvic-fin rays; basal 1/3 of last pelvic-fin soft ray connected by membrane to abdomen; caudal fin rounded; uppermost and lowermost rays unbranched. Fresh coloration. Body and head mottled dark red to brown with orange ventrally; eye-sized yellowish patches on body and head; numerous blue spots at dorsal, cheek, and below eye; tentacles on head and dorsal on dorsal half of body pink with whitish margin; faint whitish blotches on ventral side of head; tentacles on ventral half of body faint orange; dorsal fin dark red with whitish and yellowish wave pattern; anal, pelvic, and caudal fins reddish orange with white brick-wall patterns; pectoral fin reddish orange with white striped unbranched rays; eye-sized black blotch at upper part of pectoral-fin axil; middle of caudal fin yellowish. Distribution. Scorpaenopsis orientalis is currently known only from eastern Kyushu (Meitsu, Nango, Miyazaki Prefecture), the Osumi Islands (Iou-jima Island), and the Ogasawara Islands (Ani and Ototo islands) in southern Japan (Randall and Eschmeyer 2001, Motomura et al. 2004, Motomura 2013, and Kenting, Pingtung in southern Taiwan (this study). Remarks. Selected morphological characters of the present specimen from Taiwan are as follows: pectoral-fin rays 18 on each side of body; scale rows in longitudinal series 57; about one-half of eye projecting above dorsal profile of head; interorbital median ridge well developed; interorbital space V-shaped and deep; interorbital width less than orbit diameter; posterior edge of occipital pit distinct; suborbital ridge with 3 spines; posterior lacrimal spine longer than anterior spine; upper opercular spine with single tip; no scales between opercular spines; third dorsal-fin spine longest; snout relatively long and narrow in dorsal view, its length 35.3% of HL; orbit diameter 19.0% of HL. These characters agree well with the diagnosis of S. orientalis given by Randall and Eschmeyer (2001) and Motomura et al. (2004).
Scorpaenopsis orientalis was originally described by Randall and Eschmeyer (2001) on the basis of nine specimens from the east coast of Kyushu and the Ogasawara Islands in Japan. Motomura et al. (2004) reexamined all type specimens of S. orientalis and Motomura (2013) recorded six specimens and an underwater   photograph of the species from Iou-jima Island in the Osumi Islands, Japan. No additional specimens have been reported since Motomura (2013). Therefore, the present specimen represents the first record of S. orientalis from Taiwan and the southernmost record for the species. This study suggests that S. orientalis may have a widespread distribution in East Asian warm waters.