Kumba japonica ( Matsubara, 1943 )

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

Kumba japonica ( Matsubara, 1943)

Lionurus japonicus Matsubara, 1943:149, fig. 9 (holotype, FAKU 1951; Kumano-Nada, Japan [not seen in 2007]; 1 paratype, FAKU 1938 [not seen in 2007]).

Nezumia japonicus : Okamura, 1970:88–91, pl. XIX, text-fig. 39 (5 spec., 135–157 mm TL; s. Japan).

Ventrifossa japonica : Okamura in Okamura et al., 1982:147, 349 (10 spec.; s. Japan and Kyushu-Palau Ridge, 550–710 m).— Okamura in Masuda et al., 1984:94, pl. 81–F (compiled).— Nakabo, 2002:421 (compiled).

Kumba japonica : Iwamoto and Sazonov, 1994:231.— Chiou et al., 2004b:45, fig.14 (2 spec.; sw. Taiwan).— Shao et al., 2008: table 2 (3 spec.; Taiwan [ NET, SWT], 100–600 m) .

MATERIAL EXAMINED (10 spec.).— NET: ASIZP 66371 (1, 93 TL) , Nan-fang-ao; ASZIP 66941 (1, 140 TL) , CD 210, 445+ 1185 m; ASIZP 70681 (1, 163 TL) , Da-xi. SWT: ASIZP 61240 (1, 162 TL) , Dong-gang; ASIZP 61241 (1, 156 TL) , Dong-gang. Other materials: Japan: NSMT- P 58943 (1, 15.8 HL, 115 TL), 65441 (1, 17.4 HL, 113 TL), 65731 (1, 15.2 HL, 110 TL), 65733 (1, 16.0 HL, 99+ TL), 91535 (1, 16.4 HL, 111 TL).

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.— 1D II 8–11; P i16–i22; V 9–12; inner GR-I 12–14 total; pyl. caeca 40–52. Snout 21–30% HL; preoral 16–22%; internasal width 17–21%; orbit 36–43%; interorbital 22–28%; upper jaw 37–40%; barbel 18–27%; outer gill slit 17–24%; pre-A 142–155%; isthmus to A 78–96%; body depth 63–89%; height 1D 83–88%; 1D-2D interspace 63–86%; length outer V ray 89–171%. Snout bluntly pointed, relatively high, much shorter than orbit diameter; suborbital ridge prominent; upper jaw extends to below posterior ½ to ¼ of orbit; barbel about twothirds of orbit. Underside of head entirely naked; naked areas dorsally on snout extend only to transverse line crossing lateral snout angles; pores on mandible large and prominent. V origin under posterior margin of operculum; P origin slightly in advance of 1D origin; A origin behind 1D. Anus located about midway between A origin and inner V bases; ADW rather large, at or slightly ahead of line connecting inner V bases. Spinules on scales short, conical, aligned in 5–8 parallel crestlike rows. Spinous second ray of 1D sparsely serrated. Three small black blotches above mid-length of A. Species small, probably not attaining more than 170 mm TL.

DISTRIBUTION.— Southern Japan, Kyushu-Palau Ridge, and Taiwan, 550–710 m ( Taiwan records from 100 to 600 m).

REMARKS.— The generic placement of this enigmatic species has been problemmatic; its previous allocation to three different genera reflects this. One of the current authors ( HCH) visited the FAKU collections in Maizuru in 2007 but was unable to locate the type specimens of this species. The three small black blotches (faint in some specimens) above the A fin are unique and highly characteristic of this species .