Hymenocephalus striatissimus striatissimus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1904

Iwamoto, Tomio, Nakayama, Naohide, Shao, Kwang-Tsao & Table, Hsuan-Ching Ho, 2015, Synopsis of the Grenadier Fishes (Gadiformes; Teleostei) of Taiwan, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 62 (3), pp. 31-126 : 77-78

Hymenocephalus striatissimus striatissimus Jordan and Gilbert, 1904

Hymenocephalus striatissimus Jordan and Gilbert, 1904:612–613, text-fig. p. 613 (holotype, USNM 50934. Suruga Bay, Japan, 167 fm [305 m]; paratype, CAS-SU 8549 [1]).— Gilbert and Hubbs, 1916:187–188 (22 spec., Pacific coast s. Japan and East China Sea; 360–543 m).— Yatou in Okamura et al., 1982:143, 346, fig. 86 (p. 142) (7 spec., 101–194.5 mm TL; East China Sea [Okinawa Trough], 300–555 m).— Okamura in Masuda et al., 1984:93, pl. 80–E (compiled).— Okamura in Okamura and Kitajima, 1984:199, 358, fig. 141 (p. 198) (25 spec., 148–180 mm TL; Kyushu-Palau Ridge, 425–570 m).— Shen et al., 1993:171 (descr.).— Chiou et al., 2004b:37, 47 (in key, list).

Hymenocephalus striatissimus striatissimus : Gilbert and Hubbs, 1920:529–530 (32 spec., South China Sea off Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Luzon, Philippines; 380–494 m; 3 subspecies recognized, including one new [H. s. aeger]).— Okamura, 1970:48–50, pl. XV (90 spec., 115–200 mm TL; Pacific coast s. Japan and East China Sea off Kagoshima Prefecture; 300–540 m; new subspecies described [H. s. hachijoensis]).— Shao et al., 2008: table 2 (34 spec., Taiwan [ NET, ET, SCS], 100–1188 m).

MATERIAL EXAMINED (42 spec.).— NET: ASIZP 57973 (1, 206 TL), Nan-fang-ao ; ASIZP 61233 (1, 184 TL), Nan-fang-ao ; ASIZP 61234 (13, 112–162 TL), Da-xi ; ASIZP 64247 (1, 110+ TL), CP 234, 547 m ; ASIZP 65564 (1, 125 TL), CP 124, 1129–1165 m ; ASIZP 65635 (1, 207 TL), CD 209, 508– 522 m ; ASIZP 70731 (1, 115 TL), Da-xi . ET: ASIZP 65524 (8, 145–200 TL) , ASIZP 65528 (2, 160–170 TL) , ASIZP 65536 (1, 161 TL) , ASIZP 65600 (1, 162+ TL), and ASIZP 65619 (1, 172 TL), CD 210, 445– 1185 m ; ASIZP 65553 (1, 93+ TL), CD 199, 1134–1188 m . SCS: ASIZP 65677 (1, 140 TL), CD 311, 516 m ; ASIZP 66834 (1, 117 TL), CP 314, 506 m. Other locality: ASIZP 67873 (1, 142 TL), Aurora, 506–542 m ; ASIZP 67972 (1, 90 TL), Aurora, 507–540 m ; ASIZP 68189 (1, 117 TL), Aurora, 431–442 m ; ASIZP 68414 (4, 70–110 TL), Aurora, 507– 540 m.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.— 1D II 8–10; P i11–i16; V 8 (rarely 7 or 9); inner GR-I 16–22 total; pyl. caeca 10–17. Orbit circular, large 34–45% HL, 0.9–1.0 into postorbital; upper jaw 48–59%. Head deep, length about 6–7 in TL; body depth about 8–9 in TL. Snout bluntly rounded but with short terminal point, barely projecting beyond mouth. Upper jaw extends to vertical through posterior margin of orbit. Barbel about 1 ⁄ 3 orbit. Attains about 200 mm TL.

DISTRIBUTION.— South China Sea off Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Luzon, Philippines, and ne. Taiwan, in 445–1188 m, but mostly between about 300 and 550 m.

REMARKS.— Gilbert and Hubbs (1920) recognized three subspecies of this species: H. striatissimus striatissimus , H. striatissimus aeger , and H. striatissimus torvus . The last was originally described as a full species by Smith and Radcliffe (in Radcliffe 1912). Okamura (1970:50–54) described H. s. hachijoensis from two specimens taken off Hachijo, a group of remote islands about 180 nautical miles s. of Tokyo; Okamura in Masuda et al. (1984:93) elevated the taxon to full species. Sazonov (1994:101–102) later recorded two additional specimens from the Northwest Pacific Ridge (Emperor seamounts) and one from the Kyushu-Palau Ridge. It is distinguished from H. s. striatissimus by “the longer barbel, the larger head, the smaller eye, and the lower snout” ( Okamura 1970:53).