Rhabdamia spilota Allen Kuiter 1994 (Apogonidae), a poorly known cardinalfish previously known only from the Philippines, Indonesia and the Red Sea, is redescribed on the basis of 70 specimens (20.9-61.2 mm standard length) (including types), from the Indo-West Pacific (Red Sea, Andaman Sea, Japan, South China Sea, the Philippines, Indonesia, New Caledonia, and Australia). Because most reports of the similar species R. gracilis (Bleeker 1856), following its original description, were based on misidentifications, R. gracilis is also redescribed (based on 98 Indo-West Pacific specimens from Seychelles, Maldives, Andaman Sea, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Caledonia, and Australia, 27.9-59.3 mm standard length); a lectotype is designated for it. Rhabdamia spilota differs from R. gracilis in having 27-33 (mode 30-31) developed gill rakers [vs. 22-27 (mode 24) in the latter], 27-33 (30) gill rakers including rudiments [vs. 23-27 (24-25)], a black stripe from the jaw tips to the anterior margin of the orbit (vs. black pigments only at snout and tip of lower jaw), 3-6 reddish brown to blackish blotches on the opercle and anterior of body (vs. blotches absent), and indistinct black pigment restricted to caudal fin outer margins (vs. pigment scattered over entire fin). Rhabdamia gracilis exhibits sexual dichromatism, female specimens larger than 41.3 mm SL having one or two black stripes on the lateral surface of the body; the stripes are absent in males and smaller females. No evidence of sexual dichromatism was found in R. spilota.
Examination of numerous specimens characterised by predorsal scute, long maxilla, indented preopercle and pelvic scute lacking a spine and previously identified as Stolephorusbengalensis (Dutt & Babu Rao, 1959) or Stolephorusinsularis Hardenberg, 1933, revealed four distinct species, true S.bengalensis (distributed from the Bay of Bengal to Pakistan) and three new species, viz., Stolephoruseldorado sp. nov. (Taiwan to Java, Indonesia), Stolephorusdiabolus sp. nov. (Strait of Malacca, from Penang , Malaysia, to Singapore) and Stolephoruseclipsis sp. nov. (Bintan Island, Riau Archipelago, Indonesia). Characters separating the four species include numbers of gill rakers on each gill arch and vertebrae and pelvic fin and dorsal-fin ray lengths. Two molecular markers (mitochondrial cytochrome b and cytochrome oxidase I genes) demonstrated the distinction of three of the species examined morphologically and enabled a reconstruction of their phylogenetic relationships. Each species was genetically divergent from the others by 3.5%-7.7% mean uncorrected distance in the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene.
The Bengal Spined Anchovy, Stolephorus taurus sp. nov. is described from 21 specimens from the northern Bay of Bengal. The new species closely resembles Stolephorus dubiosus Wongratana, 1983, which is redescribed. Both species have a predorsal scute, spine on the pelvic scute, long maxilla posteriorly slightly short of or just reaching the posterior margin of the opercle, 25 or more gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch, and double black lines on the dorsum posterior to the dorsal fin. However, the new species differs from S. dubiosus in having a longer pelvic fin with the posterior tip of the depressed fin beyond vertical through the dorsal-fin origin (vs. usually not reaching to vertical through dorsal-fin origin), longer pectoral fin, second dorsal-and third dorsal-fin rays, second anal-and third anal-fin rays, and greater interorbital width. Stolephorus taurus sp. nov. is closely related to Stolephorus baganensis Delsman, 1931 and S. dubiosus, although at least 2% mean p-distance divergence in the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene separates each of the three species. A phylogenetic reconstruction of the evolution of the number of prepelvic scutes within Stolephorus indicated that having six scutes was the most likely ancestral condition in the genus, and was later reduced in the evolution of Stolephorus to five or four scutes. One such reduction occurred recently in the lineage of Stolephorus taurus sp. nov.
The burden of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and diabetes in Asia is projected to increase. Asia also has the highest incidence and prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the world. Therefore, most Asian patients with PAD might have diabetic PAD or ESRD-related PAD. Given these pandemic conditions, critical limb ischemia (CLI) with diabetes or ESRD, the most advanced and challenging subset of PAD, is an emerging public health issue in Asian countries. Given that diabetic and ESRD-related CLI have complex pathophysiology that involve arterial insufficiency, bacterial infection, neuropathy, and foot deformity, a coordinated approach that involves endovascular therapy and wound care is vital. Recently, there is increasing interaction among cardiologists, vascular surgeons, radiologists, orthopedic surgeons, and plastic surgeons beyond specialty and country boundaries in Asia. This article is intended to share practical Asian multidisciplinary consensus statement on the collaboration between endovascular therapy and wound care for CLI.