Record of Cardiapoda richardi from Kume Island

Cardiapoda known only two species from worldwide.

• Cardiapoda richardi Vayssiere, 1903
• Cardiapoda placenta  (Lesson, 1830)

Cardiapoda richardi

C. richardi is smaller species than C. placenta.; the tail is long like a filamentous; gill handle is shorter than C. placenta. ; gill number is eight; shell is not characterized at old literature but, actually they has a very thin shell. Retractable brown, membranous structure on the mid ventral surface of the tail. Lens of eye rests in a surrounded in a U-shaped retina. Japanese name is "Muchio-Zoukurage". "Muchio" mean tail shapes filamentous. "Zou" mean an elephant. "Kurage" mean a jellyfish.

About this individual

These pictures all took at Kume-Island Okinawa Japan. Size: about 35mm. This individual is female. Because egg strings is releasing from near the gill and Cardiapoda is known that fin sucker present only in males. Body is covered with many reddish pigment. There was a behavior to round the body. This is considered to be for defense. Brown membrane appeared only at that time. In normal posture the brown membrane is stored in the ventral surface of tail.

Egg strings is releasing from near the gill

Gill number is eight they has a very thin shell

Lens of eye rests in a surrounded in a U-shaped retina.

Retractable brown, membranous structure on the mid ventral surface of the tail.

normal posture, brown membrane is stored in the ventral surface of tail.

<<References>>

Cardiapoda richardi - Tree of Life Web Project 

Chihara, M. & Murano, M. eds. ,1997 An Illustrated Guide to Marine Plankton in Japan.  Description: xxxvi, 1574pp, Tokai University Press, Tokyo Japan. (in Japanese)

Ryo Minemizu et al ,2015 A Photographic Guide to the Jellyfishes of Japan. 360pp. Heibonsha, Tokyo Japan. (in Japanese)

Phylliroe bucephala is eating Rhizophysa eysenhardtii or R. filiformis

Phylliroe bucephala is eating Rhizophysa eysenhardtii Peron & Lesueur, 1807 or R. filiformis (Forskål, 1775)
P. bucephala is not so rare planktonic nudibranch. It's found at tropical and subtropical sea throughout the world. Especially, It's found many at the current-rip.

The body is thin and flat. The shape looks like a flounder fish. It has ability to bioluminescence.

Rhizophysa is kind of Siphonophorae jellyfish. They are known stocking strong poison to cnidocyte.

Phylliroe bucephala is eating Bathyphysa conifera or R. filiformis

Location: Kume-Island Okinawa Japan
Time & Date: 20:30, 05, Nov, 2016
Depth: 5m, Sea Temp: 25℃
Specimen Size: 40mm


*Phylliroe bucephala Lamarck, 1816
=Phylliroe bucephalum Peron & Lesueur, 1810

Japanese name"konoha-umiushi"
="konoha" mean leaf.
="umiushi" mean nudibranchs.


<<References>>

WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Phylliroe bucephala Lamarck, 1816

The Sea Slug Forum - Phylliroe bucephalum

Larva of Malacanthus brevirostris Guichenot, 1848

This larva is Malacanthus brevirostris Guichenot, 1848. Taken at Black Water Dive® in Kume island Okinawa Japan.

Total length is about 55mm, relatively large larva. Snout is short protrusion. Frequently to treading water. 

Color: Red horizontal stripes pattern on body. Caudal fin has yellow-green dye, the edge has been framed in white and that outside is transparent. The rim and the base of the dorsal and ventral fins has red and yellow-green spots.

Larva of Malacanthus brevirostris Guichenot, 1848　 TL:55mm

REFERENCES:
Nakabo, T. (ed.), 2013. Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the species, third edition. Tokai University Press, Kanagawa, Pp, 2428. (3-Volume Set)  (in Japanese).

Okiyama M. (ed), 2014. An Atlas of Early Stage Fishes in Japan Second Edition Tokai University Press, Japan. :Pp,1912. (in Japanese).

Larva of Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758) - (family:Zanclidae)

This is larva of Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758).
Total length about 50mm. I still have never encountered any more small size. They usually appear near the surface of water. The body is semi-transparent, it has appeared faintly black pattern. 3rd spine of dorsal fin is extended. Perceptible bumps of located above adult eye does not exist.

Larva of Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758) TL:50mm

Larva of Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758) TL:50mm

REFERENCES:
Nakabo, T. (ed.), 2013. Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the species, third edition. Tokai University Press, Kanagawa, Pp, 2428. (3-Volume Set)  (in Japanese).

Okiyama M. (ed), 2014. An Atlas of Early Stage Fishes in Japan Second Edition Tokai University Press, Japan. :Pp,1912. (in Japanese).

Brief report to Larva of Pseudochromis sp. (Perciformes, Pseudochromidae)

Somehow, larva of the Pseudochromidae has been no report so far at Japan. Pseudochromidae has been missing also at *Okiyama, 2014.

This photo was shooting at Iriomote Island of Okinawa to early June 2016.

TL; about 25mm. Depth about 3m.

Meristic Characters - D Ⅲ, 22; A Ⅲ 13; P¹ 17(this photo)

Pigment - This larva has orange pigment, it's dispersed throughout over the head and each scale, base of dorsal and anus fin, caudal fin base.

Study - Maybe, I'm thinking either species of Genus Pseudochromis from the Meristic character. Genus Pseudochromis are known six species of the following in sea of Japan. Above all, it seems to be one of the following two.

Pseudochromis tapeinosoma Bleeker, 1853 - (Japanese name : Katsuiro-nise suzume)
D Ⅲ, 21-23; A Ⅲ 12-14; P¹ 17-19; LLp 20-27+4-11; Pred.S 10-15. 

Pseudochromis cyanotaenia Bleeker, 1857 - (Japanese name : Ryukyu-nise suzume)
D Ⅲ, 21-23; A Ⅲ 12-14; P¹ 16-20; LLp 23-31+6-11; Pred.S 11-19.

According to the Jeffrey M. Leis & Brooke M. Carson-Ewart(ed.), 2004. Other, following species has similar Meristic characters in Pseudochromidae. but, both those are not been reported from Japan.

genus Assiculus
   Assiculus punctatus Richardson, 1846

genus Cypho
   Cypho purpurascens  (De Vis, 1884)
   Cypho zaps Gill, 2004

REFERENCES:
Jeffrey M. Leis & Brooke M. Carson-Ewart(ed.), 2004. The larvae of Indo-Pacific coastal fishes : an identification guide to marine fish larvae. Brill Academic Publication, London. Pp,850.  (second Revised).

Nakabo, T. (ed.), 2013. Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the species, third edition. Tokai University Press, Kanagawa, Pp, 2428. (3-Volume Set)  (in Japanese).

Okiyama M. (ed), 2014. An Atlas of Early Stage Fishes in Japan Second Edition Tokai University Press, Japan. :Pp,1912. (in Japanese).

FAMILY Details for Pseudochromidae - Dottybacks - FishBase
http://www.fishbase.org/summary/FamilySummary.php?ID=291

Juvenile of Polydactylus sp.(Family:Polynemidae)

This is a Juvenile of Polydactylus sp. It's a fish of Family Polynemidae. Polynemidae species is rare fish at Scuba Diving.  It inhabits the sandy bottom, sand, mud bottom of the bay. Sometimes entering the brackish water. and It's often observed around the beach. But, probably, they are doing "abortive migration" at Japanese sea. Because, Adult is not a lot in Japan.

Juvenile of Polydactylus  TL:50mm

Juvenile of Polydactylus   TL:50mm

Meristic Characters - D Ⅷ-Ⅰ,13; A Ⅲ, 12; P¹ 13+6; P² Ⅰ, 5; (This picture)

I could not getting the specimen of this species. In Japan so far, Polynemidae is known only 4 species from 2 genera of Eleutheronema and Polydactylus. I did think that it's Polydactylus sexfilis of these four from”Meristic Characters”, but there was a difference in the number of pectoral fine. Since the measurement of the pectoral fin is such from the image, it might not be accurate. It is very similar to the Polydactylus sexfilis, but perhaps It's a possibility other than known distribution and species. In recent years, the Polynemidae are known 8 genera 43 species in the world. Of these, have been known 21 species at the Polydactylus.

Polydactylus sexfilis (Valenciennes, 1831) - (Japanese name: Nanyo-agonashi)
D Ⅷ-Ⅰ,12-13; A Ⅲ, 11-12; P¹ 15-16+6; P² Ⅰ, 5;

Related species; (in Japan)

Eleutheronema tetradactylum (Shaw, 1804)  - (Japanese name: Minami-konoshiro)
D Ⅷ-Ⅰ,13-15; A Ⅲ, 14-16; P¹ 17-19+4; P² Ⅰ, 5;

Polydactylus plebeius (Broussonet, 1782) - (Japanese name: Tubame-konoshiro)
D Ⅷ-Ⅰ,12-13; A Ⅲ, 11-12; P¹ 15-18+5; P² Ⅰ, 5;

Polydactylus sextarius (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) - (Japanese name: Kataguro-konoshiro)
D Ⅷ-Ⅰ,12-13; A Ⅲ, 11-13; P¹ 13-15+6; P² Ⅰ, 5;

Pectoral filaments is very long and It reaches the anal fins.

Pectoral filaments 6

Pectoral soft rays does not branch

REFERENCES:
Motomura, H. 2004. Threadfins of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of polynemid species known to date. Family Polynemidae. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes. No. 3. Rome, FAO. 117 p., 151 figs, 6 pls.

Nakabo, T. (ed.), 2013. Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the species, third edition. Tokai University Press, Kanagawa, Pp, 2428. (in Japanese).

Fishbase.org
Family Polynemidae - Threadfins
Polydactylus sexfilis,  Sixfinger threadfin  : fisheries, aquaculture, gamefish, aquarium

Larva of Apolemichthys trimaculatus (Cuvier, 1831)

Taken at Kume-island Black Water Dive^® on from 28 to 31th july 2016. The larvae had many appeared at that week, but next week was very less. Depth of appearance of larvae was mainly from 8m to until surface.

Identification of Larvae of Pomacanthidae is very difficult because many species of the Meristic Characters are overlapping. Color of larvae are very similar both across species and genera. Of this time Identification was base on the color of advanced larvae.

Apolemichthys trimaculatus (Cuvier, 1831)

Larval stage, TL: about20mm

Most of the body is silver, dorsal is reddish brown.

Nape is slightly blacken.

Color of caudal peduncle is orange

Advanced larva

advanced larva, TL: about 22mm

Body yellowish, from nape to eye has dark pigment line and white framed eyespot on dorsal fin.

click to enlarge