Rudie Hermann Kuiter, Aquatic Photographics, Australien
Info
Melanophorichthys parvipsittus occurs endemically along the coast of St. Leonards in Port Phillip, Victoria and Tasmania, specimens have been collected from Port Phillip in Victoria and Great Oyster Bay in Tasmania, where this species of shield was observed in symbiosis with seagrass and macroalgae.
The type locality is a seagrass bed at 4-5 meters depth at the coast of St. Leonards, Port Phillip, a large bay on the south coast of Australia, where the metropolis of Melbourne (Victoria) is located.
Underwater photographs suggest that this species is widespread in large parts of Port Phillip.
Melanophorichthys parvipsittus is most often photographed on seagrass stems, but also on green macroalgae.
Melanophorichthys parvipsittus and Melanophorichthys posidonus occur in sympatry in Port Phillip and probably elsewhere in Australian coastal waters .
The dorsal surface of the head and body are transparent, allowing the brain, back of the skull, spine and spinal cord to be visible through the skin in dorsal view in front of the origin of the dorsal fin.
The color pattern of the species is sexually dichromatic in life.
Males:
In males, the upper transparent part of the body is translucent green, the lower part light to bright green.
Irregular, iridescent blue markings (probably formed by iridophores) extend over much of the side of the body, most noticeably on the rear half of the body.
Some scattered iridescent blue markings are located on the ventral side in front of the anus and on the dorsal side in front of and around the base of the dorsal fin.
The lower half of the body is covered with tiny dark brown to black melanophores and tiny red to brown spots (probably erythrophors).
The dorsal fin is canary yellow with a bright white to iridescent blue stripe down the center.
A prominent dark red to purple marking is located ventral to the bright white to iridescent blue stripe over the base of the rear five to six rays.
The anal fin is bright yellow with bright white to iridescent blue markings above the base of the rays, forming an irregular stripe across the lower part of the fin.
The caudal fin is also bright yellow with scattered irregular light white to iridescent blue markings above the base and in the center.
A distal margin of the fin is outlined in darker yellow tone or light brown, the pectoral fins are hyaline.
The tip of the snout and lips are covered with tiny red or brown spots (probably erythrophores).
Females.
In females, the upper transparent part of the body is translucent green, the lower part (ventral to the transparent area) is a lighter green.
The lower part of the body has a dense stripe consisting of tiny dark red to dark brown spots, probably formed by erythrophors and a few melanophores (based on the examination of material preserved in alcohol.
The lower part of the head and body are marked with irregular light-colored to iridescent blue markings that form irregular stripes along the ventral margin of the dense strip of tiny dark red to brown spots along the lower part of the body.
The dorsal surface in front of the origin of the dorsal fin is equipped with a row of 8–10 thin bars consisting of tiny red to brown spots (probably erythrophores) along the dorsal midline in front of the origin of the dorsal fin.
The dorsal surface behind the base of the dorsal fin shows a series of semi-transparent spots that result from the expansion of the lateral pigment pattern onto the dorsal surface and often connect across the midline.
The dorsal, anal and pectoral fins are hyaline, while the caudal fin has a faint yellow mark at the base and in the middle.
The base of the pectoral fin shows a large accumulation of red to brown spots, which probably represent erythrophores.
The dorsal surface of the head is marked with small irregular light white to iridescent blue markings, while the lateral surface of the head and muzzle are marked with dark red to brown spots (probably erythrophores), which form a faint stripe through the eye.
Etymology. The epithet is derived from the name of the Australian endemic parrot genus Parvipsitta Mathews, 1916, in reference to the bright color of the males in life.
We are grateful to Hermann H. Kuiter, Australia, for the photos of Melanophorichthys parvipsittus.
The type locality is a seagrass bed at 4-5 meters depth at the coast of St. Leonards, Port Phillip, a large bay on the south coast of Australia, where the metropolis of Melbourne (Victoria) is located.
Underwater photographs suggest that this species is widespread in large parts of Port Phillip.
Melanophorichthys parvipsittus is most often photographed on seagrass stems, but also on green macroalgae.
Melanophorichthys parvipsittus and Melanophorichthys posidonus occur in sympatry in Port Phillip and probably elsewhere in Australian coastal waters .
The dorsal surface of the head and body are transparent, allowing the brain, back of the skull, spine and spinal cord to be visible through the skin in dorsal view in front of the origin of the dorsal fin.
The color pattern of the species is sexually dichromatic in life.
Males:
In males, the upper transparent part of the body is translucent green, the lower part light to bright green.
Irregular, iridescent blue markings (probably formed by iridophores) extend over much of the side of the body, most noticeably on the rear half of the body.
Some scattered iridescent blue markings are located on the ventral side in front of the anus and on the dorsal side in front of and around the base of the dorsal fin.
The lower half of the body is covered with tiny dark brown to black melanophores and tiny red to brown spots (probably erythrophors).
The dorsal fin is canary yellow with a bright white to iridescent blue stripe down the center.
A prominent dark red to purple marking is located ventral to the bright white to iridescent blue stripe over the base of the rear five to six rays.
The anal fin is bright yellow with bright white to iridescent blue markings above the base of the rays, forming an irregular stripe across the lower part of the fin.
The caudal fin is also bright yellow with scattered irregular light white to iridescent blue markings above the base and in the center.
A distal margin of the fin is outlined in darker yellow tone or light brown, the pectoral fins are hyaline.
The tip of the snout and lips are covered with tiny red or brown spots (probably erythrophores).
Females.
In females, the upper transparent part of the body is translucent green, the lower part (ventral to the transparent area) is a lighter green.
The lower part of the body has a dense stripe consisting of tiny dark red to dark brown spots, probably formed by erythrophors and a few melanophores (based on the examination of material preserved in alcohol.
The lower part of the head and body are marked with irregular light-colored to iridescent blue markings that form irregular stripes along the ventral margin of the dense strip of tiny dark red to brown spots along the lower part of the body.
The dorsal surface in front of the origin of the dorsal fin is equipped with a row of 8–10 thin bars consisting of tiny red to brown spots (probably erythrophores) along the dorsal midline in front of the origin of the dorsal fin.
The dorsal surface behind the base of the dorsal fin shows a series of semi-transparent spots that result from the expansion of the lateral pigment pattern onto the dorsal surface and often connect across the midline.
The dorsal, anal and pectoral fins are hyaline, while the caudal fin has a faint yellow mark at the base and in the middle.
The base of the pectoral fin shows a large accumulation of red to brown spots, which probably represent erythrophores.
The dorsal surface of the head is marked with small irregular light white to iridescent blue markings, while the lateral surface of the head and muzzle are marked with dark red to brown spots (probably erythrophores), which form a faint stripe through the eye.
Etymology. The epithet is derived from the name of the Australian endemic parrot genus Parvipsitta Mathews, 1916, in reference to the bright color of the males in life.
We are grateful to Hermann H. Kuiter, Australia, for the photos of Melanophorichthys parvipsittus.
