Ventrifossa longibarbata Okamura, 1982

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 : 110-111

Ventrifossa longibarbata Okamura, 1982

Ventrifossa longibarbata Okamura in Okamura et al., 1982:157–159, pl. 94 (holotype BSKU 29494; Tosa Bay, Japan, 32°58.0ʹN, 133°32.0ʹE, 605 m; 4 paratypes, Tosa Bay, Suruga Bay, and Okinawa Trough, in 382–620 m).— Okamura in Masuda et al., 1984:94.— Okamura in Okamura and Kitajima, 1984:215, 361.— Iwamoto and Williams, 1999:228 (comparisons with V. nigrodorsalis et al.).— Chiou et al., 2004b:48, fig.20 (2 spec.; sw. Taiwan).

MATERIAL EXAMINED (45 spec.).— NET: ASIZP 65609 (1, 301 TL), CD 209, 508– 522 m ; ASIZP 70242 (1, 133 TL), Da-xi . SWT: ASIZP 61242 (1, 272 TL), Dong-gang ; ASIZP 61243 (2, 182–268 TL), Dong-gang and CAS 224884 [ex ASIZP 61243 ] (1, 238+ TL), Dong-gang ; ASIZP 64114 (5, 185–225+ TL) and ASIZP 66950 (5, 53–55 TL), CD 194, 507 m ; ASIZP 65532 (1, 290 TL) and ASIZP 65556 (1, 180 TL), CD 137, 316– 477 m ; ASIZP 65602 (1, 185 TL), CD 138, 441 m ; ASIZP 65629 (1, 155 TL), CD 233, 448– 526 m ; ASIZP 65537 (1, 260 TL), CD 133, 690– 748 m. SCS: ASIZP 66102 (1, 58 HL, 285+ TL), CP 315, 509 m ; ASIZP 66257 (1, 35.5 HL, 155+ TL) , ASIZP 66267 (1, 31.6 HL, 140+ TL), and ASIZP 66779 (7, 23–36 HL, 110+-180+ TL), CD 311, 516 m ; ASIZP 66948 (2, 150–210 TL), CD 136, 998– 1211 m ; ASIZP 66263 (1, 37 HL, 200+ TL), CD 310, 364 m ; ASIZP 66749 (3, 25–31 HL, 110+-170+ TL),) and ASIZP 66778 (2, 30–37 HL, 150+-160+ TL), CP 314, 506 m ; ASIZP 66777 (2, 145–145+ TL, 24–30 HL; CP 313, 513 m; ASIZP 66812 (2, 24–25.5 HL, 120+-130+ TL), OCP 317, 515 m ; ASIZP 66829 (2, 100+-130+ TL), CP 315, 509 m.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES (data from six Taiwan specimens).— 1D II,10–11; P i18–i21; V 8–9; total GR-I (lat/mesial) 10–12/15–17, GR-II 14–17/14–16; scale rows below midbase 1D 4.5–7.5, below 2D 5.0–6.5(9.0); lateral line scales over distance equal to predorsal length 37–41. Snout length 26–28% HL; preoral length 16–17%; interorbital 25–31%; orbit 29–36%; suborbital 12–14%; postorbital 42–48%; orbit to preopercle 41–46%; upper jaw 40–47%; barbel 28–39%; outer gill slit 26–28%. Color in life (from Okamura in Okamura et al., 1982:159) dark gray or swarthy dorsally, silvery on sides of head and body, black over gular region, lips, lower jaw, gill membranes, chest and ventrally on trunk; abdomen bluish under silvery reflections, suborbital region and ventral and posterior margin of gill cover blackish; mouth pale, gill cavities blackish posteriorly; leading edge of snout blackish; 1D with wide dusky to blackish midlateral section, but pale distally and along base; V black; P blackish; base of P silvery but with black distal edge and mesial lunate area. Attains at least 31 cm TL.

DISTRIBUTION.— From s. Japan to Taiwan ( SWT) and South China Sea in 382–1211 m.

REMARKS.— This species closely resembles V. garmani in general physiognomy but differs in having a slightly longer barbel (28–39% HL vs. 21–29%), a darker midlateral region of 1D, more pyloric caeca (about 70 vs. <53 fide Okamura 1970:77), slender scale spinules (vs. triangular), and possibly darker V (black vs. dusky or blackish) and P (which appears to be blackish in Okamura’s [in Okamura et al., 1982:156] photograph of the holotype vs. “light” in V. garmani [ Okamura, 1970:77]). The six Taiwan specimens from which the above measurements and counts were taken agree closely with the original description of V. longibarbata except for slight differences in interorbital width (25–31% HL cf. 21–26.5%), postorbital length (42–48% cf. 39–44%), P ray count (i18–i21 cf. i21–i26”), and scale rows (below 1D origin 7–12 cf. 12–14, below mid-base 1D 4.5–7.5 cf. 8.5–11.5, and below 2D origin 5.0–9.5 cf. 9.0–10.0). The 1D was also almost entirely dusky, with only faint trace of a midlateral stripe. Four additional examples taken off Kochi, Japan ( BSKU 12919, 12920, 12922, and 12923) were examined by TI many years ago; they agree well with the original description of the species.