Mataeocephalus (Mataeocephalus) cristatus Sazonov, Shcherbachev and Iwamoto, 2003

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 : 88

Mataeocephalus (Mataeocephalus) cristatus Sazonov, Shcherbachev and Iwamoto, 2003

Figures 16A–C .

Mataeocephalus cristatus Sazonov, Shcherbachev and Iwamoto, 2003:290–291 , figs. 3–4 (holotype, 48 mm HL, 215 mm TL; ZMMU P.15345, Ninety East Ridge, 11°31ʹS, 88°55ʹE, 1600–1700 m; 19 paratypes, 152–271 mm TL; w. tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean, 1000–1720 m).— Shao et al., 2008: table 2 (2 spec., Taiwan [ SCS], 227–1010 m; first record from Taiwan).

MATERIAL EXAMINED (3 spec.).— SCS: ASIZP 66077 (1, 188 TL) and ASIZP 66912 (1, 216+ TL) , CD 322, 1098 m. SET: ASIZP 67386 (1, 52 HL, 262 TL) , CP 366, 1032 m.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.— BR 7; P i17–i21; V 7. Snout 35–41% HL, 1.4–2.0 times larger than orbit; orbit 21–25% HL, about equal to interorbital space; orbit to angle of preopercle 33–38% HL. Snout depressed, narrowly pointed in lateral view, broadly triangular in dorsal view, tipped with stout spiny scutes; mouth small, underslung, U-shaped; underside of head fully scaled; spinous second ray of 1D weakly serrated, slightly prolonged, its height usually 60–84% HL; body scales with needle-like spinules in 12–18 parallel rows, middle row slightly enlarged; window of light organ absent; periproct relatively small, about midway between V and A. Attains at least 271 mm TL.

DISTRIBUTION.— Broadly distributed in the w. tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean in 1000–1720 m. Our two specimens were collected from the South China Sea off Taiwan in 1032–1098 m.

REMARKS.— Shao et al. (2008: table 2) first recorded the species from Taiwan based on the current specimens. Mataeocephalus cristatus is quite distinct from M. hyostomus , its congener in Taiwan, which is classified in a separate subgenus. The two species can be distinguished by a combination of characters including BR 7 (vs. 6 in M. hyostomus ), V ray count (7 vs. 7–8, rarely 9, in M. hyostomus ), height of spinous 1D ray (<HL in M. cristatus , greatly elongated, 145–295% HL in M. hyostomus ), snout length (35–41% HL vs. 30–36%), orbit-preopercle (33–38% HL vs. 40–44%), and length upper jaw (20–27% HL vs. 28–31%). Mataeocephalus accipenserinus and M. adustus are distinguished from M. cristatus by their naked underside of snout. (Mostly adapted from Sazonov et al., 2003.)

Figures

FIGURE 16. Mataeocephalus (Mataeocephalus) cristatus Sazonov, Shcherbachev and Iwamoto, 2003, ASIZP 66386, 262 mm TL. A. lateral view. B. dorsal view of head.