title: Northernmost record of a poorly known tuskfish, Choerodon margaritiferus (Perciformes: Labridae), from southern Japan, and first description of a female.
abstract: We describe 5 specimens of Choerodon margaritiferus Fowler and Bean, 1928 (94.5-107.0 mm standard length, 1 male and 4 females) collected near Okinawa Island, southern Japan. This is the northernmost record of this species and the first record of it in Japanese waters; until now, C. margaritiferus was recorded only from the western central Pacific. This species was originally described on the basis of 1 male specimen, and all additional specimens described in the literature were also male. Morphological characters of both sexes are described, and new diagnostic characters of the female are presented.
authors.affiliation: Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Ishikawa 888, Motobu, Okinawa 905-0206, Japan; Email: k-miyamoto@okichura.jp.
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.affiliation: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, 10th and Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20560-0159, USA; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Ai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nonaka
authors.affiliation: Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Ishikawa 888, Motobu, Okinawa 905-0206, Japan; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Shin-Ichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oka
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D005260:Female; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010473:Perciformes / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D010802:Phylogeny