New record of the Bluntnose scorpionfish, Neomerinthe erostris (Alcock 1896) (Teleostei: Scorpaenidae) from Mayotte, southwestern Indian Ocean

The Bluntnose scorpionfish Neomerinthe erostris is recorded for the first time from Mayotte, southwestern Indian Ocean, based on a specimen photographed in November 2022, at a depth of 115 m. The live colour pattern of this species is described for the first time.


Introduction
The scorpionfishes of the genus Neomerinthe Fowler 1935 are distributed in tropical and temperate seas in the Atlantic Ocean, Red Sea and Indo-West Pacific (east to Hawaiian Islands and French Polynesia). They inhabit benthic habitats, mostly dwelling on rocky or coral reefs. The genus includes a total of 14 valid species  (Tab. 1). It is characterised within the family Scorpaenidae by the dorsal rays XII, 9-11, the last split from the base; dorsal-fin spines short, usually less than 1/2 body depth; dorsal-fin membranes not incised nearly entire length of all spines; anal-fin rays normally III, 5; at least some pectoral-fin rays branched; pectoral fins rounded or elongate, but not strongly notched or bilobate; vertebrae 24 (rarely 23); scales on flank ctenoid, particularly above lateral line; scales on breast ctenoid or cycloid, small, but never absent; bones of cranium strongly or moderately ossified; occiput inclined, but flat or slightly convex, never concave; palatine teeth present on roof of mouth; lacrimal and suborbital bones (infraorbital bones 1 to 3) relatively narrow and usually somewhat convex laterally and usually strongly ossified; lacrimal bone with strong spines along ventral margin; ventral margin of lacrimal bone usually with numerous spines; lacrimal bone relatively immobile, strongly bound to the lateral-ethmoid; posterior lacrimal spine relatively strong, pointing postero-ventrally (not hooked forward); third infraorbital bone (suborbital 2) extends nearly straight posteriorly and relatively broadly connected to preopercle; skin at gill openings connected to each other or connected to isthmus only narrowly anteriorly, not broadly connected to isthmus; opercle with 2 distinct ridges that diverge at an acute angle, both usually strongly developed and bearing spines; lateral line normal, continuing onto or near base of caudal fin; lateral-line scales forming relatively complete tubes, that are sometimes buried; peritoneum pale; caudal peduncle at base of caudal fin without scattered large melanophore (Eschmeyer, 1969;Poss, 1999;Poss and Motomura, 2022;modified).
Species of the genus Neomerinthe were first discovered by Alcock (1896), who described two species, Ocean. This new record is reported and discussed in the present paper.

Materials and methods
On 11 Nov. 2022, a ca. 100 mm SL specimen of N. erostris was photographed by Gaby Barathieu in the mesophotic zone east of Mayotte at 12°52.964'S, 45°16.557'E, at a depth of 115 m. The specimen was photographed while diving, using a rebreather with trimix gas. The size of the specimen was estimated by the diver, according to his experience.
Collections are abbreviated according to .

Results
Neomerinthe erostris (Alcock 1896) Description Proportions shown in Table 2 are part of this description.
17 (left side), with 3 rd to 5 th rays branched, membranes strongly incised. Lateral lacrimal spine absent; anterior lacrimal spine simple, directed ventrally; posterior lacrimal spine simple, directed postero-ventrally;    Prepectoral length 42.5 Length of 1st dorsal-fin spine 6.6 6.9-12.9 Length of 2nd dorsal-fin spine 12.8 12.5-21.6 Length of 3rd dorsal-fin spine 18.9 16.8-25.5 Length of 4th dorsal-fin spine 18.5 17.3-23.7 Length of 5th dorsal-fin spine 15.4 16.6-21.6 Longest dorsal-fin ray 15.6 18.1-21.0 Length of 5th dorsal-fin ray 11.5 Length of last dorsal-fin ray 6.6 Pectoral-fin length 27.1 27.1-38.1  Table 2. Mayotte and along coral reef drop-offs (Mulochau et al., 2021). That depth record is not unusual for the species, which was previously reported from 52-505 m (Motomura et al., 2015). The preferred depth may be related to the water temperature; the depth of the Mayotte specimen is similar to that of the northwestern Madagascar and La Réunion specimens deposited at MNHN, which were collected at depths of 90-130 m.