Ventrifossa Gilbert and Hubbs, 1920

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 : 105-106

Genus Ventrifossa Gilbert and Hubbs, 1920

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.— BR 7. Head and body relatively compressed; gill membranes narrowly united over isthmus and under midorbit; snout blunt to pointed and moderately protruding beyond mouth; tubercular scale lacking on snout tip except in V. misakia ; no thickened modified scales on suborbital region; head uniformly and fully scaled except gular and BR membranes; upper jaws generally more than 40% HL (35–42% in V. misakia ), beset with long band of small teeth, outer series slightly enlarged; teeth on lower jaw all small, in one or two series to long narrow band; chin barbel usually well developed. Second spinous 1D ray smooth or finely serrated; V 8–10; no fin with greatly prolonged rays. Inner series GR-I 14–20 total. Periproct oval to teardrop shaped, connected anteriorly to small dermal window of light organ lying between V bases; anus much closer to V bases than to A origin. Pyloric caeca more than 30. Color often silvery along sides; lips usually black; leading edge of snout, suborbital shelf, dorsal snout ridges, gill and gular membranes usually black or blackish. (Adapted from Iwamoto and Graham, 2001:496.)

REMARKS.— There are more than 25 species in this genus; nine are here recorded from Taiwan. There are likely to be other species still undiscovered, especially in Indonesia and the Indian Ocean. Because of the often fragile nature of their integument and bones, smaller individuals of the genus are often severely damaged in capture. Features distinguishing species of Ventrifossa are often subtle, requiring relatively intact specimens, which add to the difficulties in their identification.