Mataeocephalus Berg, 1898

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 : 87

Genus Mataeocephalus Berg, 1898

Mataeocephalus Berg, 1898:41 (replacement name for Coelocephalus Gilbert and Cramer, 1897 , preoccupied).

Coelocephalus Gilbert and Cramer, 1897:422 (non Agassiz, 1843) (type species Coelocephalus acipenserineus Gilbert and Cramer, 1897 , by monotypy.)

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.— BR 6 or 7; V 7–9; inner GR-I 6–8, none or few rudiments in outer series; pyl. caeca 8–20. Snout pointed, armed with two tubercular scutes at tip, underside fully scaled to entirely naked; snout protruding well beyond small, almost inferior mouth; upper jaws about 1 ⁄ 3 of HL; chin barbel short; suborbital ridge sharp, angular in cross section, strongly armed with modified scutelike scales. Gill slits restricted by membranes across upper and lower arms; gill membranes broadly attached to isthmus, restricting opercular opening; gular and BR membranes naked. Dentition in both jaws in broad short bands, outer premaxillary series slightly enlarged. Spinous ray of 1D with rudimentary or well-developed serrations. Periproct moderately large, located within middle one-third of space between V and A (but closer to A in one species), rudimentary light organ developed before anus.

REMARKS.— Sazonov et al. (2003) provided a comprehensive review of the genus and described two new species. They also removed Macrourus hyostomus Smith and Radcliffe, 1912 from either Coryphaenoides or Hyostomus and included it as a subgenus of Mataeocephalus . Six species, two of which are found in Taiwan waters, although two others ( M. adustus and M. accipenserinus ) could be expected, based on their presence in the SCS, and for the latter, in n. Philippine Islands.