Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) >
Latilidae (Deepwater tilefishes)
Etymology: Branchiostegus: Greek, brangchia = gills + Greek, stego = roof, to cover (Ref. 45335); saitoi: A new species of Branchiostegus was first caught off Batangas Laiya, Philippines in 2009, photographed and eaten. Two years passed before two more specimens were caught by J. Saito, an amateur angler from Japan in April, 2011. Without J. Saito’s considerable efforts and interest, this species would have remained unknown. The new species is herein named in his honor (Ref. 89848).
Eponymy: Jiro Saito is a Japanese amateur angler who caught specimens of this fish in the Philippines (2009 & 2011) and sent frozen examples to the junior author, Yukio Iwatsuki. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 210 - 220 m (Ref. 89848). Tropical; 14°N - 13°N, 121°E - 122°E
Pacific Ocean: possible endemic to the Philippines.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 32.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 89848)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 12; Vertebrae: 24. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: great body depth (28-29% SL; vs. the usual 27% SL); longer head length 30-31% SL (vs. usual 28%),: head profile oblique, about 130 degree angle (vs. usual 95-130 degrees); head depth 26-27% SL (vs. usual 26% SL); eyes high on head, interorbital width 31-34% HL; small orbital diameter 24–25% HL, only B. sawakinensis and B. albus with small orbital diameters, 23-24% HL) long predorsal length 35% SL (vs. usual 30-32% SL, rarely 33-34% SL), deep body 28-29% SL (vs. usual 24-27%, rarely, only in B. japonicus and B. semifasciatus, 28-29% SL); wide body 14-15% SL (vs. usual 11-13% SL); number of first arch gill rakers low 18 + 1 rudimentary (vs. most other species 18-24, modally 19-22) (Ref. 89848).
This species inhabits burrows as do other tilefishes (Ref. 89848).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Dooley, J.K. and Y. Iwatsuki, 2012. A new species of deepwater tilefish (Percoidea: Branchiostegidae) from the Philippines, with a brief discussion of the status of tilefish systematics. Zootaxa 3249:31-38. (Ref. 89848)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00708 (0.00294 - 0.01707), b=3.07 (2.86 - 3.28), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.6 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (30 of 100).
