Revision of southern African species of the anglerfish genus Chaunax (Lophiiformes: Chaunacidae), with descriptions of three new species
Author
Ho, Hsuan-Ching
Author
Ma, Wen-Chun
text
Zootaxa
2016
4144
2
175
194
journal article
38460
10.11646/zootaxa.4144.2.2
6d3dae45-756e-4254-ad92-fda051e93c5e
1175-5326
259081
39BEEF12-011C-48E8-9C38-5476922F5845
Chaunax apus
Lloyd, 1909
Tables 2
–4
Chaunax apus
Lloyd, 1909
:169
(type locality: Bay of Bengal, off Akyab coast, Myanmar, Investigator station 379, 530 fathoms [
969 m
]).
Caruso, 1989
:160
;
Ho & Last, 2013
:444
; Ho
et al
., 2015:307.
Material
examined.
Madagascar
:
MNHN
1977-0030
(1 of 2, 119),
22°17'9.6"S
,
43°4'1.2"E
,
450 m
,
29 Nov. 1973
. MNHN 1977-0031 (1, 110.7), 22°16'8.4"S, 43°7'8.4"E,
195–200 m
,
1 Dec. 1973
. MNHN 1977-0040 (2, 194–195), 22°13'4.8"S, 43°1'58.8"E,
670–710 m
,
2 Dec. 1973
. MNHN 1977-0045 (3,66.5–117.2), 12°44'6"S, 48°10'4.8"E,
563–570 m
,
5 Mar. 1971
. SAIAB 31339 (1, 88.7), 12°28'S, 48°09'E, off Nosy-Be,
700–710 m
,
12 Nov. 1988
.
South Africa
:
SAIAB
2727
(1, 142),
33°03'S
,
18°00'E
, off
Saldanha Bay
,
Western Cape
,
16 Oct. 1972
.
SAIAB
4712
(1, 152), off
Durban
,
KwaZulu-Natal
,
Sep. 1967
.
SAIAB
10637
(1, 85.0),
27°44.4'S
,
32°42.8'E
, NE of
Cape
Vidal,
400–450 m
,
26 May 1975
.
SAIAB
44919
(1, 111), West of
Saldanha Bay
,
Western Cape
,
440 m
,
10 Sep. 1994
.
Kenya
:
SAIAB
13789
(1, 96.1),
4°22'S
,
39°42'E
, off
Shimoni
,
380 m
,
9 Dec. 1980
.
SAIAB
14043
(2, 106–234),
4°17'S
,
40°07'E
, off
Mombasa
,
687–750 m
,
10 Dec. 1980
.
SAIAB
14071
(1, 67.2),
3°04'S
,
40°25'E
, off
Malindi
,
280 m
,
17 Dec. 1980
.
Mozambique
:
SAIAB
82130
(1, 253),
21°52'S
,
35°48.6'E
,
742–758 m
,
17 Oct. 2007
.
Diagnosis
. A species of
C. abei
-species group with uniform pinkish color when fresh, creamy white when preserved; dermal spinules slender and curved; escal cirri colorless or with light brown tips; gill rakers on second gill arch; GR ii=11 or 12; and lateral-line neuromasts: BD=3, GH=13–17, BI=33–38, 3–5 (usually 5) on caudal-fin base.
Distribution.
This species is most likely widespread in Indo-west Pacific and appear to be abundant (unpub. data). Specimens were collected from a broad range in western Indian Ocean at depths
195–
969 m
.
Remarks
.
Ho & Last (2013)
discussed the validity of this species, being the first species described in the
C. abei
-species group, and is considered a valid species.
Although this seems to be a common species found in Indo-west Pacific Ocean, we have observed several geographic populations in different regions. This species is thus currently recognized as a probable species complex, but more investigation is needed. It can be separated from two
New Zealand
species,
C. russatus
and
C. mulleus
, by mainly having 3 spines on each side of neuromast (vs. 1); 12 rakers on second gill arch (vs. 14 or 15); and pale gill arch and gill chamber (vs. grayish).