Melanocetus johnsonii Günther, 1864

Ho, Hsuan-Ching, Kawai, Toshio & Amaoka, Kunio, 2016, Records of deep-sea anglerfishes (Lophiiformes: Ceratioidei) from Indonesia, with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 4121 (3), pp. 267-294 : 269-270

Melanocetus johnsonii Günther, 1864

Fig. 3

Melanocetus johnsonii Günther, 1864:302 , pl. 25 (type locality: Sea of Madeira, eastern Atlantic). Pietsch, 2009:361.

Material. HUMZ 190769 (1, 29.3), st. 26, 5°29.11'N, 94°1.47'E, 5°27.49'N, 94°1.52'E, 347–361 m, off Sumatra, 13 Oct. 2004.

Description. Dorsal-fin rays 14; pectoral-fin rays 19 or 20; anal-fin rays 4; caudal-fin rays 9. Vomerine teeth 1 (1, 0). Head length 44.4% SL; head depth 87; head width 39.2; illicial length 37.9; upper jaw length 60.4; lower jaw length 65.5.

Body short, globular, rounded in lateral view. Head very deep. Mouth gape large, upturned. Sphenotic spines well developed. Eye small. Illicium moderately long. Esca simple bulb, with a small crest. Fang-like teeth on both jaws, arranged in about 3 or 4 rows, gradually becoming 1 row posteriorly. Body uniformly black; all fins with transparent distal margin and inter-radial membranes.

Distribution. Widespread in all three major oceans.

Remarks. Pietsch (2009) mentioned that the majority of his specimens were collected shallower than 1000 meters. The Indonesian specimen was collected from a relatively shallow range of only 347– 361 m.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Melanocetus johnsonii Günther, 1864, HUMZ 190769, 29.3 mm SL, preserved.