Coelorinchus asteroides Okamura, 1963

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 : 50-51

Coelorinchus asteroides Okamura, 1963

Coelorhynchus asteroides Okamura, 1963:21 , figs. 1–4 (holotype, FAKU 23801, 7 paratypes; off Owase, Mie Pref., Japan).— Okamura, 1970:189–192, pl. XLI, text-figs. 81, 82 (8 spec., s. Japan, 320–360 m).— Okamura in Masuda et al., 1984:98, pl. 83F. — Yatou in Okamura and Kitajima, 1984:235, 369 (5 spec., Okinawa Trough).

Caelorinchus asteroides : Chiou et al., 2004b:43, fig. 9 (2 spec., NE, SW Taiwan).

Coelorinchus asteroides : Shao et al., 2008: table 2 (3 spec., NET, SWT, 100–452 m) .

MATERIAL EXAMINED (8 spec.).— NET: ASIZP 61339 (1, 302 TL); Da-xi ; ASIZP 65658 (1, 250+ TL); Da-xi . SWT: ASIZP 61340 (1, 310 TL); Dong-gang ; ASIZP 62194 (2, 224–224 TL); Dong-gang ; ASIZP 65560 (1, 230+ TL); CD 140, 280– 452 m ; ASIZP 70617 (1, 159 TL); Dong-gang. Other specimens: ASIZP 68016 (1, 375 TL); Aurora, 909– 922 m.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.— 1D II, 7–9; P i15–i19; GR-I (inner) 5–7 (total); scales below midbase 1D. 3.0–4.5, below 2D. 4.0–5.5; pyl.caeca 40–50. Snout fairly broad, tipped with a slender sharp scute, length 39–46% HL, 1.3–1.5 times orbit, preoral length 32–35% HL; anterolateral margin of snout completely supported by bone; orbit 25–31% HL; upper jaw 22–29% HL. Nasal fossa naked ventrally; underside of head naked; median rostral series of scales 6–8, with spinules radiating in all directions; body scales with short, sharp lanceolate to triangular spinules in 4–11 slightly divergent rows, the median row strongest. Light organ group II, fossa narrow and short. Ground color grayish, silvery ventrally, abdomen bluish, paler anteriorly on chest; mouth dark, gill cavity blackish. Attains more than 390 mm TL.

DISTRIBUTION.— Geographically very confined; East China Sea from s. Japan to SCS off Taiwan, in 100–600 m.

REMARKS.— First recorded from Taiwan by Chiou et al. (2004b). Among the Taiwan members of the genus, C. asteroides is most likely to be confused with C. anatirostris , but it has fewer platelike scales on the median rostral ridge, and the spinule rows on these scales are arranged radially in all directions, compared to the lateral and posterior orientation of rows in C. anatirostris .