Pseudochromis sankeyi Lubbock

Overview & Synopsis

Pseudochromis sankeyi LubbockSchooling Dottyback Figure 9Pseudochromis sankeyi Lubbock, 1975: 145, pl. 2, fig. d (type locality: Massawa, Ethiopia, Red Sea); Gill, 2004: 169, fig. 42, pl. 11I (description, synonymy, distribution, colour photo).Gill (2004) recorded P. sankeyi from the southern Red Sea, Golfe de Tadjoura (Djibouti) and Yemeni coast of the northern Gulf of Aden. We record it from the Socotra Archipelago on the basis of six specimens from Socotra Island. The specimens agree well with those from other localities.Pseudochromis sankeyi was visually recorded from four additional sites in 1999-2000, including two records from Abd al-Kuri Island (including the rock islets of Kal Farun north of it). The species thus appears to occur throughout the entire archipelago, although it has not been recorded from Darsa and Semha, which are situated between Socotra and Abd al-Kuri. The species was rarely observed, despite its conspicuous colour pattern and ready visual identification. It was also rarely observed during subsequent surveys in 2009-2011 by H. Pulch, T. Alpermann and U. Zajonz. It was mainly recorded from the north coasts from hard coral communities including those dominated by Millepora and Porites, and encrusting and massive Agariciidae, Pectiniidae, and Mussidae, as well as from mixed communities of macroalgae and hard corals on rock platform and mixed encrusting communities on exposed rock platform, and a near vertical rocky drop off. Its depth range on Socotra (5–42 m) is wider than that of most other species.Material examined. SMF 29215, 4: 43.2–62.1 mm SL, Socotra Archipelago, Socotra Island, Ditimri, W of Rhiy di-Adho, 12o37'21"N 54o17'17"E, reef slope with rich coral diversity on rock (biotope code 6.9.1), 15–20 m, U. Zajonz & M. Apel 3 April 1999 (ST-148); SMF 29238, 2: 39.1–54.0 mm SL, Socotra Archipelago, NE coast of Socotra Island, Roosh Protected Area, 12°37’13”N 54°21’14”E, biotope code 6.6.2, 15– 18 m, U. Zajonz & M. Ismail, 14 April 2000 (ST-733); SMF 29214, 9: 30.6–50.6 mm SL, Socotra Archipelago, NE coast of Socotra Island, Roosh-Siqarah Protected Area, 12°37’14” N 54°21’05” E, biotope code S6.4.1, 11–17 m, U. Zajonz, 25 March 1999 (ST-106); SMF 29236, 1: 40.0 mm SL, Socotra Archipelago, N coast of Socotra Island, deep bedrock canyon with vertical drop-off near Ditimri, 35–42 m, U. Zajonz, 11 April 2000 (ST-730).