FIRST TAIWANESE RECORDS OF THE LONG-BARBEL GOATFISH, PARUPENEUS MACRONEMUS (ACTINOPTERYGII: PERCIFORMES: MULLIDAE), WITH THE NORTHERNMOST RECORD IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN

In total, 31 species of genus Parupeneus are recognized, and 13 of these have been recorded from Taiwanese waters. Although the long-barbel goatfish, Parupeneus macronemus (Lacepède, 1801) has been previously known from western Pacific Ocean north to Philippines without voucher specimens, no records were reported from Taiwan. The main objective of this paper is to document the presence of P. macronemus in the waters of Taiwan. Two specimens (173.1 and 177.1 mm standard length) of long-barbel goatfish were collected from southern Taiwan on 2017. The morphology and fresh coloration of the collected specimens are herein described. The majority of the morphological characters agree well with previous descriptions of P. macronemus: e.g., total number of gill rakers 35–36; barbel length 83.1%–86.8% in head length; black stripe from eye along lateral line to anterior part of caudal peduncle; a roundish black blotch larger than eye on middle side of caudal peduncle; basal half of second dorsal fin black. Therefore the goatfish specimens from southern Taiwan are identified as Parupeneus macronemus. The presently described specimens represent the first record for Taiwan, as well as the northernmost record of this species in the Pacific Ocean. In addition, the presently described specimens constitute the first reliable record of the species in the north-western Pacific Ocean.


INTRODUCTION
The genus Parupeneus Bleeker, 1863, belonging to the family Mullidae which is known to accommodate currently 31 valid species (Fricke et al. 2018), and 13 of these, Parupeneus barberinoides (Bleeker, 1852) Two specimens of Parupeneus macronemus (Lacepède, 1801) were recently collected off Kenting, southern Taiwan. This species was previously recorded from north to Philippines in western Pacific, thus the present specimen represents the first Taiwanese record and the northernmost record of P. macronemus. Therefore, the morphology and fresh coloration of the collected specimens are herein described.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Counts and measurements follow Randall (2004 1934,1953), but now from Taiwan (presently reported study).

DISCUSSION
The majority of morphological characters of the presently described specimens are consistent with the diagnosis of Parupeneus macronemus given by Randall (2004): total gill rakers 35 or 36; barbel length 83.1% HL or 86.8% HL; eight dorsal-fin soft rays length 67.8% or 78.7% in last dorsal-fin soft rays length; body grey to greyish red dorsally, whitish pink ventrally; black stripe from eye along lateral line to anterior part of caudal peduncle; a roundish black blotch larger than eye on middle side of caudal peduncle; a faint white zone extending anterior to peduncle blotch below posterior part of second dorsal-fin base; barbels white; basal half of second dorsal fin black, the dark pigment continuing to end of last ray and adjacent membrane; outer part of fin with narrow pale blue and yellow 3-5 stripes; anal fin faint yellow with faint narrow pale blue 4-5 stripes.
Although P. macronemus is a distinctive species, this species is most similar to Parupeneus diagonalis Randall, 2004 which is distributed in the Indian Ocean among the congeners, sharing the black colouration of basal part of second dorsal fin (the black pigment extending to distal end of last membrane), and a single black stripe running on the body side. However, the former can clearly be distinguished from the latter by having a black stripe from upper end of gill opening following lateral line to caudal peduncle (vs. an oblique dark red to black stripe from upper end of gill opening to below rear base of second dorsal fin), a large black blotch on caudal peduncle (vs. no blotch), barbels long, 80.0%-90.9% HL (vs. not very long, 64.5%-74.1%), eight dorsal-fin soft rays length 62.5%-80.0% in last dorsal-fin soft rays length (vs. 83.3%-95.2%), and gill rakers 34-39 (vs. 29-31) (Randall 2004). Parupeneus macronemus most similar to P. barberinus in the congeners which distribute in the Pacific Ocean, sharing a single black stripe running on the body side. However, the former can clearly distinguish from the latter by having longer barbels 80.0%-90.9% HL (vs. 62.5%-71.4%), and second dorsal fin black with blackish basal part (vs. pale coloured) (Randall 2004).
Herre (1934) firstly recorded P. macronemus from Jolo in the Sulu Archipelago as a new record from Philippines on the basis of a specimen, but no data were given for the specimen other than the length of 150 mm. Herre (1953) added the localities of Mindanao, Negros, and Luzon for its distribution, but Randall (2004) mentioned that he could not find the Philippine specimens of this species in museums. However, he also indicated that the species is so distinctive, Herre's (1934Herre's ( , 1953 records are probably correct. After this report, no additional records are shown from the Philippines waters. Therefore, the previous northernmost record of P. macronemus was from Luzon, Philippines with uncertain reports, and has not been recorded from Taiwanese waters. Therefore, the presently described specimens, collected from southern Taiwan, represent the first record of P. macronemus from Taiwan, and it is undoubtedly the northernmost record of the species. In addition, our record from Taiwan shown that the species potentially distributes widely in the western Pacific.