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Introduction
Hemiramphus archipelagicus Collette &
Parin, 1978 (Beloniformes: Hemiramphidae)
is an Indo-Pacific fish species that is
distributed from the west coast of India to
western Polynesia; its range was once
thought to extend as far northwards as the
Philippines (Collette & Parin, 1978; Collette,
1999). However, a single halfbeak specimen
was recently collected from off the
southwestern coast of Taiwan and identified
as H. archipelagicus, thereby representing
the northernmost record for this species. It
furthermore represents the first record of H.
First record of Hemiramphus archipelagicus
(Beloniformes: Hemiramphidae) from Taiwan
Harutaka Hata1*, Keita Koeda2, Hsuan-Ching Ho2,3
and Hiroyuki Motomura4
1United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima
890-0065, Japan
2National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, 2 Houwan Rd., Checheng, Pingtung 944, Taiwan
3Graduate Institute of Marine Biology, National Dong-Hwa University, Pingtung 944, Taiwan
4Kagoshima University Museum, 1-21-30 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
＊Corresponding author. E-mail: k2795502@kadai.jp
Abstract
A single individual of the halfbeak Hemiramphus archipelagicus
Collette & Parin, 1978 (Hemiramphidae) was recently collected off the
southwestern coast of Taiwan, representing the first Taiwanese specimen and,
furthermore, the northernmost record of this species; it was previously
thought to only extend as far north as the Philippines. It is also the third
species of Hemiramphus recorded from Taiwan. A detailed description of this
specimen, as well as a key to Taiwanese Hemiramphus spp., have been
provided herein.
Key words: halfbeak, Hemiramphus archipelagicus, ichthyology, marine
biogeography, Taiwan, taxonomy
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Platax 15: 65-71, 2018
archipelagicus from Taiwan and only the
third Taiwanese species from the genus
Hemiramphus [alongside Hemiramphus far
(Forsskål, 1775) and Hemiramphus lutkei
Valenciennes, 1847] (Collette & Parin, 1978;
Collette & Su, 1986; Collette, 1999). This
new H. archipelagicus specimen is described
in detail below, and a key has been generated
for the three Taiwanese species of
Hemiramphus.
Materials and Methods
Methods for counts and proportional
measurements followed Collette & Su (1986).
All measurements, including standard length
(SL), were made with digital calipers to the
nearest 0.1 mm. Osteological characters,
including vertebral counts, were observed
from a radiograph. Curatorial procedures for
the specimens followed Motomura &
Ishikawa (2013). Institutional codes are as
follows: Kagoshima University Museum,
Kagoshima, Japan (KAUM) and National
Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium,
Pingtung, Taiwan (NMMB).
Results
Family Hemiramphidae
Hemiramphus Cuvier, 1816
Hemiramphus archipelagicus Collette &
Parin, 1978
New Taiwanese name: 島鱵 (Figure 1a)
Specimen examined. NMMB-P28580,
230.8 mm SL, off Ke-tzu-liao, Kaohsiung,
southwestern Taiwan (purchased at Ke-tzu-
liao Fish Market), 8 Feb. 2018.
Description of Taiwanese specimen.
Dorsal-fin rays 14; anal-fin rays 12;
pectoral-fin rays 12; pelvic-fin rays 6; gill
rakers on first gill arch 7+22=29; gill rakers
on second gill arch 4+16=20; pre-dorsal
scales 36; vertebrae 36+16=52. Morpho-
metrics (expressed as percentage of SL):
lower-jaw length 30.4; head length 21.7;
pectoral-fin length 16.6; distance between
anterior-most points of pectoral-fin insertion
and pelvic-fin insertion 46.6; distance
between anterior-most point of pelvic-fin
insertion to center of caudal-fin base 32.5;
dorsal-fin base 15.9; anal-fin base 10.3; snout
length 7.5; orbit diameter 5.0; bony
interorbital distance 5.3; upper-jaw length 5.5;
upper-jaw width 5.1; lower-jaw length 30.8;
body depth 16.1; body width 9.6 (59.6% of
body depth).
Body sub-cylindrical, cross-sectionally
shaped like an inverted triangle. Dorsal
profile rising slowly from snout tip to above
the pectoral-fin insertion, thereafter parallel
to body axis to dorsal-fin origin before
lowering slowly to uppermost caudal-fin
base. Both dorsal and ventral profile of lower
jaw straight. Ventral profile arch-like from
below snout tip to lower-most point of
caudal-fin base. Lower jaw anteriorly
elongated and depressed. Upper jaw
relatively long (length 107.8% of its width),
triangular in dorsal view; upper surface
scaleless. Dense, minute, conical teeth on
both jaws. Tongue and vomer without teeth.
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Platax 15: 65-71, 2018
Eye and iris round, located slightly above
body axis. Nostrils in oval-shaped nasal fossa.
No preorbital ridge. Posterior margins of
preopercle and opercle smooth. Gill rakers
long and slender. Pseudobranchial filaments
present. Body scales large, cycloid, thin, and
deciduous. Lateral line originating from
below pectoral-fin insertion, closely
following ventral profile and terminating on
lower caudal-fin base; ascending branch
terminating on lower-most point of
pectoral-fin insertion.
Uppermost point of pectoral-fin
insertion slightly posterior to posterior tip of
opercle, (lower than snout tip). Posterior tip
of pectoral fin not reaching pelvic-fin
insertion. Pelvic fin short and posterior to
mid-body length; posteriorly depressed fin
not reaching anus. Dorsal and anal fins
located on posterior-most quarter of body.
Anus slightly posterior to dorsal-fin origin.
Anal fin origin just below sixth dorsal-fin ray
origin. Posterior-most point of anal-fin base
slightly anterior to posterior-most point of
dorsal-fin base. Anal fin profile descending
from anal-fin origin to third anal-fin ray,
thereafter elevated to posterior tip of fin.
Caudal fin deeply forked.
Color when fresh. Lateral surface of
body uniformly whitish-silver, with a dark
Figure 1. Fresh specimens of three species of the genus Hemiramphus collected
from off Ke-tzu-liao, southwestern Taiwan (purchased at Ke-tzu-liao Fish
Market). A: Hemiramphus archipelagicus, NMMB-P28580, 230.8 mm SL.
B: Hemiramphus far, KAUM–I. 110314, 210.4 mm SL. C: Hemiramphus
lutkei, NMMB-P27853, 181.1 mm SL.
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Platax 15: 65-71, 2018
green dorsum. Lower jaw black with reddish
anterior tip. Pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins
translucent, with melanophores on fin rays.
Dorsal fin translucent; distal margin dark
green. Caudal fin pale green; posterior
margin blackish. Iris silver. Pupil black.
Distribution. Hemiramphus
archipelagi-cus is distributed in the
Indo-Pacific from the western coast of India,
eastwards to Polynesia, and northwards to
Taiwan (Collette & Parin, 1978; Collette,
1999; Matsunuma, 2013; Gaje, 2017; this
study).
Remarks. The Taiwanese specimen was
assignable to the genus Hemiramphus, as
defined by Collette & Parin (1978), Collette
& Su (1986), and Collette (1999), based on
the absence of scales on the upper jaw and
preorbital ridge. It also closely matched the
diagnostic features of H. archipelagicus
given by Collette & Parin (1978) and
Collette (1999), i.e., body without spots,
pectoral fin short (6.0 in SL (16.6% of SL)),
29 gill rakers on first gill arch, 36 predorsal
scales, and outer margin of dorsal fin dark.
Although Collette & Parin (1978) and
Collette (1999) gave the body width of H.
archipelagicus as 1.8 to 2 times (50.0–55.6%)
the body depth, the present specimen was
slightly broader (59.6% of depth). However,
the proportional values given by Collette &
Parin (1978) and Collette (1999) were based
on specimens 147–220 mm SL, smaller than
ours (230.8 mm SL); this relative difference
in length/depth ratio may, then, be simply
related to minor size differences in the
examined specimens.
Three species of Hemiramphus-viz. H.
archipelagicus, H. far (Forsskål, 1775), and
H. lutkei (Valenciennes, 1847) are known
from the northwestern Pacific (Collette &
Parin, 1978; Collette & Su, 1986; Collette,
1999; Aizawa & Doiuchi, 2013; Hata, 2017,
2018), the latter two having previously been
recorded in Taiwanese waters (Shen & Wu,
2011; Aizawa & Doiuchi, 2013; Chiang et al.,
2014). Lovejoy et al. (2004) suggested a
genetically close relationship between
Oxyporhamphus and Hemiramphus.
Although Fricke et al. (2014, 2018) and Shao
(2018) included Oxyporhamphus convexus
convexus (Weber & de Beaufort, 1922) in the
genus Hemiramphus, Aizawa & Doiuchi
(2013) and Tashiro (2018) chose not to due
to distinct morphological differences
between the two genera. Despite Aizawa and
Doiuchi (2013) indicating that future limits
of Obyporhamphus will be likely changed,
we follow their recognition of Hemiramphus.
Hemiramphus archipelagicus can be
distinguished from H. far (Figure 1b) in that
the latter possesses black vertical bars on the
body. H. archipelagicus can be distinguished
from H. lutkei (Figure 1c) in that the former
possesses fewer gill rakers on the first gill
arch (6-8+19-24=25-32 in H. archipelagicus
vs. 9-14 + 24-32=33-46 in H. lutkei), as well
as fewer predorsal scales (29-39, and usually
fewer than 37, vs. 35-43, and usually more
than 37, in H. lutkei) and a shorter pectoral
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Platax 15: 65-71, 2018
fin [5.8-6.8 times in SL (14.7-17.2% SL) vs.
4.5-5.4 times in SL (18.5-22.2% SL) in H.
lutkei: Collette & Parin, 1978; Collette & Su,
1986; Collette, 1999].
The northern limit of the distributional
range of H. archipelagicus was previously
thought to be the Philippines (Collette &
Parin, 1978; Collette & Su, 1986; Collette,
1999); this species had not been recorded
from Taiwanese waters, nor had it been
included in the most thorough, up-to-date
Taiwanese ichthyofaunal database (Shao,
2018). Therefore, the specimen described
herein represents the first record of H.
archipelagicus from Taiwan and, conse-
quently, the northernmost record of this
species.
Key to species within the genus
Hemiramphus recorded in Taiwan. The
genus is diagnosed by the following
characteristics: upper jaw without scales,
body not ribbon-like, vomer and tongue
without teeth, nasal papilla rounded, anterior
margin of upper jaw forming a prominent
triangular projection, pectoral fin shorter than
28% of the SL, and absence of preorbital
ridge. The following key is based on Collette
& Parin (1978), Collette & Su (1986), and
Colette (1999).
1a. Pectoral fins relatively long, 4.5 to
5.4 times in SL (18.5-22.2% SL; extending
past the anterior margin of the nasal fossa
when folded forwards); gill rakers on first gill
arch 33-46, usually more than 35; predorsal
scales 35-43, usually more than
37……….……………………..…..H. lutkei
1b. Pectoral fins short, 5.2 to 6.8 times
in SL (14.7-19.2% SL% SL; not reaching
anterior margin of nasal fossa when folded
forwards); gill rakers on first gill arch 25-36,
usually fewer than 34; predorsal scales 29-39,
usually fewer than 37 ………………..……2
2a. Dorsal fin without well-developed
anterior lobe, pigmented on distal margin;
adults without spots on side of body………...
……...……………………H. archipelagicus
2b. Dorsal fin with well-developed
anterior lobe, pigmented anteriorly; adults
with 3 to 9 (usually 4 to 6) short, dark,
vertical bars on side of body……….…H. far
Comparative material (Figures 1-3).
Hemiramphus far: KAUM–I. 110314, 210.4
mm SL, Ke-tzu-liao, Kaohsiung, south
-western Taiwan, 14 Dec. 2018 (Figure 1b).
Hemiramphus lutkei: NMMB-P27583, 181.1
mm SL, Ke-tzu-liao, Kaohsiung,
southwestern Taiwan, 9 Dec. 2017 (Figure
1c).
Acknowledgements
We are especially grateful to R.-R. Chen,
J.-T. Lin, J.-F. Huang, and A. Koeda
(NMMBA) for curatorial assistance, as well
as to G. Hardy (Ngunguru, New Zealand) for
proofreading the manuscript. This study was
supported in part by 1) a “Grant-in-Aid” of
research from the Japanese Society for the
Promotion of Science (JSPS; DC2: 29-6652),
2) the Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant
from the Japan Science Society (28-745 to
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Platax 15: 65-71, 2018
HH), 3) a JSPS “Overseas Research
Fellowship” (29-304 to KK), 4) JSPS
KAKENHI grants JP19770067, JP26241027,
JP24370041, JP23580259, and JP26450265
to HM, 5) a “Biological Properties of
Biodiversity Hotspots in Japan” project from
the National Museum of Nature and Science
(Tsukuba, Japan), 6) an “Establishment of
Research and Education Network on
Biodiversity and Its Conservation in the
Satsunan Islands” project (Kagoshima
University; adopted by the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and
Technology, Japan), and 7) the “Island
Research” project of Kagoshima University
(to HM).
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