Genus Leptachirus Randall, 2007

Museums

Regional Maps

• Leptachirus Randall, J.E. 2007. Leptachirus, a new soleid fish genus from New Guinea and northern Australia, with descriptions of eight new species. Records of the Western Australian Museum 24(1): 81-108 [82].

  Type species:

   Leptachirus alleni Randall, 2007 by original designation.

 

Introduction

Randall (2007) treated Australiian material identified as Aseraggodes klunzingeri as belonging to L. darwinensis, L. triramus and L. polylepis. He regarded L klunzingeri as of uncertain status from the mouth of the Meruke River in New Guinea.He reported that the holotype was lost. However, the species was based on a specimen and literature records of Klunzinger (1880) and Güntherr (1862). As a result several syntypes probablyt exist, including ZMA 109407 (figured specimen), mouth of Merauke River, Papua New Guinea; SMNS 2521 (also holotype of Achirus rautheri, now placed in the genus Pardachirus), Port Darwin; BMNH 1913.12.15.38-39 (now paratypes of L lonentz), East Indian Archipelago and possibly MNHP 1859-592, identified by Randall (2007) as Leptachirus lorentz. Because the syntypes represent at least two species, a lectotype needs to be selected to resolve the identity of the species. Larson et al. regarded L. polylepis as a junior synonym of L. darwinensis. Tentatively we follow these works and exclude Leptachirus klunzingeri from Australia. Extensive collections are identified as Aseraggodes klunzingeri in Australian museum collections. Few were examined by Randall (2007) and the identity cannot be confirmed for most of these records.

 

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

SOLEIDAE: Leptachirus klunzingeri (Weber, 1907) — Randall, J.E. 2007. Leptachirus, a new soleid fish genus from New Guinea and northern Australia, with descriptions of eight new species. Records of the Western Australian Museum 24(1): 81-108 [96] (restricted to figured specimen from New Guinea)

 

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NT, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), Victoria Bonaparte (VB)

IMCRA

Northeast Transition (19), Cape Province (20), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

Other Regions

Coral Sea Islands Territory, Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

General References

Günther, A. 1862. Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Museum. Catalogue of the Acanthopterygii Pharyngognathi and Anacanthini in the collection of the British Museum. London : British Museum Vol. 4 534 pp.

Klunzinger, C.B. 1880. Die von Müller'sche Sammlung australischer Fische in Stuttgart. Sitzungsberichte der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien 80(1): 325-430 pls 1-9

Larson, H.K., Williams, R.S. & Hammer, M.P. 2013. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Northern Territory, Australia. Zootaxa 3696(1): 1-293

Morgan, D.L., Allen, G.R., Pusey, B.J. & Burrows, D.W. 2011. A review of the freshwater fishes of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Zootaxa 2816: 1-64 [20]

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
	PLEURONECTOIDEI	14-Feb-2012	ADDED	Dr Dianne Bray (NMV) Dr Doug Hoese (AM) Dr Matthew Lockett (AM)