Sains Malaysiana 53(8)(2024): 1741-1747

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2024-5308-02

Malaysia’s First Record of the Elusive Scaleless Spiny WaspfishAblabys gymnothoraxChungthanawong & Motomura 2018 (Perciformes, Synanceiidae, Tetraroginae)

(Rekod Pertama Malaysia untuk Ikan Depu Berduri Tanpa Sisik Jarang Dijumpai Ablabys gymnothorax Chungthanawong & Motomura 2018 (Perciformes, Synanceiidae, Tetraroginae))

DANIAL HARIZ ZAINAL ABIDIN¹, SITI AZIZAH MOHD. NOR², YING GIAT SEAH^3,4, MOHD SHAROL ALI³, NUR ATHIRAH ABDUL LATIFF³, ROXANNE A. CABEBE-BARNUEVO⁵, HIROYUKI MOTOMURA⁶ & TUN NURUL AIMI MAT JAAFAR^3,*

¹Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

²Institute of Climate Adaptation and Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

³Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

⁴South China Sea Repository & Reference Centre, Institute Oceanography and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

⁵The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan

⁶The Kagoshima University Museum, 1-21-30 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890‑0065, Japan

Received: 5 January 2024/Accepted: 2 July 2024

Abstract

We document the first record of the Scaleless Spiny Waspfish, Ablabys gymnothorax Chungthanawong & Motomura 2018 (Perciformes, Synanceiidae, Tetraroginae), from the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. This species was previously documented in Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Two specimens were collected with one was trawled from the South China Sea Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) during a bottom trawl survey and the other was collected at Kuantan fish landing port, Pahang. These findings not only document the first country record but also suggest A. gymnothorax manifests a broader geographic distribution across the Indo-Pacific than previously recognized. Diagnostic characters are provided for both documented individuals, alongside detailed morphometric and meristic data.

Keywords: Distribution; marine fish; new record; range extension; South China Sea

Abstrak

Kami mendokumenkan rekod pertama bagi Ikan Depu Berduri Tanpa Sisik, Ablabys gymnothorax Chungthanawong & Motomura 2018 (Perciformes, Synanceiidae, Tetraroginae) dari pantai timur Semenanjung Malaysia. Spesies ini sebelumnya didokumenkan di Jepun, Taiwan dan Vietnam. Dua spesimen telah diperoleh dengan satu dipukat dari Zon Ekonomi Eksklusif Laut China Selatan (ZEE) semasa peninjauan pukat tunda dasar dan satu lagi diperoleh di pelabuhan pendaratan ikan yang terletak di Kuantan, Pahang. Penemuan ini bukan sahaja mencatatkan rekod negara pertama tetapi juga menunjukkan A. gymnothorax mempunyai taburan geografi yang lebih luas di seluruh Indo-Pasifik berbanding rekod taburan terdahulu. Ciri diagnostik untuk kedua-dua individu yang didokumenkan diberikan bersama dengan data morfometrik dan meristik yang terperinci.

Kata kunci: Ikan marin; Laut China Selatan; pelunjuran julat; rekod baharu; taburan

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*Corresponding author; email: tun_aimi@umt.edu.my