Family | Scientific Name | Author | Year | Common Name |
Serranidae | Anthias nicholsi | Firth | 1933 | Yellowfin Bass |
All Anthias — Dorsal fin with 10 spines and 14 or 15 rays. Anal fin with 3 spines and 6-13 rays. Pectoral-fin rays 18-21. Most of upper edge of operculum free, not connected by skin to body. Caudal fin deeply forked. Head larger, its length contained 2.3-3.3 times in standard length. Preopercle without a large antrorse spine; middle opercle spine not reaching edge of operculum. Front nostrils variously shaped, but always closer to rear nostrils than to upper lip. Supramaxilla absent. Teeth fixed (not depressible). No scaly flap of skin joining upper part of pectoral-fin base to body. Soft dorsal and anal fins mostly naked (hence the rays are easy to count). Scales larger, the lateral scale series about the same number (39-55) as the lateral-line scales. Preopercle not expanded posteriorly, the serrae at the angle only slightly enlarged. Upper jaw moderately protrusile; jaw teeth distinct; vomer and palatines with teeth. Body depth 27-48% standard length. Posterior process of premaxilla broad and near tip of alveolar ramus. Scales 31-57 in lateral line. Total gill rakers 34-44. Branched caudal-fin rays 13. Maxilla and most or all of interorbital area naked. Maxilla scaly. Vomerine tooth patch triangular or V-shaped; tongue usually without teeth.
Anthias nicholsi
Unique Characters: Lateral line continuous, not interrupted. Lateral-line scales 31-34. Posterior border of anterior nostril produced into short flap, but never produced into long slender filament. 2 nostrils on each side of head close together, internarial distance 7-15 times in snout length. Body depth at first dorsal-fin spine 34-44% standard length; head length 34-40% standard. Length. Total gill rakers on first arch 38-44. Soft rays in anal fin 6-8 (usually 7).
Similar Species: Threadnose Bass Choranthias tenuis (= Anthias tenuis). Lateral line interrupted for short distance ventral to base of soft dorsal fin. Lateral-line scales 51-57. Posterior border of anterior nostril produced into slender filament that reaches or falls slightly short of orbit when reflected. 2 nostrils on each side of head fairly well separated, internarial distance 4-5 times in snout length. Body depth at first dorsal-fin spine 26-32% standard length; head length 28-32% standard length. Total gill rakers on first arch 34-39 (usually 35-37). Soft rays in anal fin 7-9 (almost always 8).
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