Kumba punctulata Iwamoto and Sazonov, 1994

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 : 80-82

Kumba punctulata Iwamoto and Sazonov, 1994

Figures 13A–B .

Kumba punctulata Iwamoto and Sazonov, 1994:233–234 , figs. 6–7 (holotype, MNHN 1994–0034; off New Caledonia, 20°54ʹS, 168°21ʹ02ʺE, 530 m; 1 paratype, ZMMU P.17762 (13.4 HL, 89+ TL; Bismark Sea off New Guinea, 5°20.9ʹS, 146°16ʹE; 0–1000 m).— Iwamoto and Merrett, 1997:526, fig. 23 (holotype listed from New Caledonia).— Merrett and Iwamoto, 2000:764 (3 spec.; Vanuatu, 541–577 m).— Shao et al., 2008: table 2 (17 spec.; Taiwan [ SCS], 509–516 m. first record for Taiwan).

MATERIAL EXAMINED (17 spec.).— SCS: ASIZP 66816 (4, 90+-131 TL), CP 315, 509 m ; ASIZP 66861 (1, 95 TL) and ASIZP 66891 (3, 82+-128 TL), OCP 313, 513 m ; ASIZP 66877 (2, 105+-118+ TL), CP 314, 506 m ; ASIZP 66902 (3, 105–107+ TL), CP 316, 514 m ; ASIZP 66942 (1, 90+ TL), CD 311, 516 m ; ASIZP 66943 (3, 83+-103+ TL), OCP 317, 515 m.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.— 1D II 9–11; P i18–i22; V 9–10 (rarely 11); inner GR-I 12–13 total. Snout 20–29% HL; orbit 37–43%; interorbital (25)28–35%; upper jaw 40–51%; barbel 13–20%. Snout bluntly pointed, relatively high, much shorter than orbit diameter; suborbital ridge relatively flat, not sharply angular in cross section; upper jaw extends to below of middle one-third orbit; barbel about 1.4–2.2 times into snout length. Underside of head entirely naked; naked areas dorsally on snout extend only to transverse line connecting lateral snout angles. Spinules on scales short, conical, aligned in 5–8 parallel crest-like rows. Spinous second ray of 1D sparsely serrated. Origin of V under opercle, A origin under anterior half of 1D. A small species, probably not attaining more than 150 mm TL.

DISTRIBUTION.— Known from relatively few captures off Vanuatu and New Caledonia in sw. Pacific , but numerous specimens were collected in six trawls from the South China Sea off Taiwan in 509–516 m.

REMARKS.— Our Taiwan specimens (as listed by Shao et al., 2008: table 2) represent the first record of the species from this region and from the nw. Pacific.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Kumba punctulata Iwamoto and Sazonov, 1994.A.ASIZP 66877, 1 of 2, 105 mm TL fresh. B. ASIZP 66816, 1 of 4, 131 mm TL, preserved.