The genusForsterygionWhitley & Phillipps, 1939 (Pisces: Tripterygiidae) in New Zealand and Australia, with descriptions of two new species

Abstract

The tripterygiid fish genus Forsterygion Whitley & Phillipps, 1939, is redescribed, and comprises four species; F. varium Schneider (In Bloch and Schneider, 1801), F. malcolmi Hardy, 1987, F. bathytaton n.sp. and F. lapillum n.sp. F. multistriatum Scott, 1977 is reduced to the synonymy of F. varium, and F. gymnotum Scott, 1977 is considered to have been incorrectly included within Forsterygion. Forsterygion species can be distinguished from all other tripterygiids in possessing the unique combination of a discontinuous lateral line, a highly serrated posterodorsal margin on the post-temporal bone, and 5–7 first dorsal fin spines. They include both shallow and deepwater species, F. bathytaton n.sp. having been trawled from almost 200m depth, the deepest record for the family. F. varium is found in both New Zealand and southeastern Australia (Tasmania); the remaining species are New Zealand endemics.