Macrosmia phalacra Merrett, Sazonov and Shcherbachev, 1983

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 : 85-86

Macrosmia phalacra Merrett, Sazonov and Shcherbachev, 1983

Figures 15A–B .

Macrosmia phalacra Merrett, Sazonov and Shcherbachev, 1983:554 , figs. 1–2 (holotype, ZMMU P.15390, 31.5 mm HL, 217 mm TL; Ninety East Ridge, se. Indian Ocean, 17°04.8ʹS, 88°09.0ʹE, 1650–1660 m; paratype, BMNH 1980.12.31.2, 28.5 HL, 177+ TL; Canary Passage, e. North Atlantic).— Merrett and Iwamoto, 2000:767–768, fig. 25 (1 spec., 207+ TL; Vanuatu, 1160–1220 m).— Shao et al., 2008: table 2 (8 spec., Taiwan [ SCS], 1098–1293 m; first record from Taiwan).— Melo et al., 2010:35 (off Brazil).

MATERIAL EXAMINED (9 spec.).— SCS: ASIZP 66730 (1, 152+ TL) and ASIZP 66919 (3, 120+-145+ TL) and CAS 224493 (ex ASIZP 66919 )(2, 120+-178 TL), CD 322, 1098 m ; ASIZP 66775 (1, 150+ TL), CD 324, 1293 m. Other material. ASIZP 68275 (1, 128 TL), Aurora, 1262–1360 m .

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.— 1D II,9; P i20–i21; V 11–12; total GR-I (outer/inner) 8/10, GR-II 11/10; scales below mid-1D 4, below 2D 6, lateral line scales over distance equal to pre-1D length about 29. Snout length 28–33% HL; preoral 20–22%; interorbital 22–25%; posterior nostril about 16%; orbit 23–29%; suborbital 13–21; orbit-preopercle 45–48%; upper jaw 30–41%; barbel 21–26%. Snout blunt, high; upper jaw extends to below mid-orbit; orbit slightly less than snout length; suborbital region vertical and rounded; gill openings wide, extending forward to under posterior margin of orbit; scales small, deciduous, entirely absent on underside of head and above snout; pores of cephalic lateral-line system well developed. Coloration mostly black to dark brown. Attains about 220 mm TL.

DISTRIBUTION.— Originally described from the ne. Atlantic and se. Indian Ocean, and subsequently recorded off Vanuatu in the sw. Pacific and off Brazil in the sw. Atlantic, in 1060–1699 m. Our Taiwan specimens are the first from this area and were taken at depths of 1098–1293 m.

REMARKS.— Macrosmia phalacra is turning out to be much more widely distributed than thought when originally described. The lack of specimens from the area between the North Atlantic and e. Indian Ocean leaves a perplexing distributional gap, but it may simply represent a collecting artifact.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Macrosmia phalacra Merrett, Sazonov and Shcherbachev, 1983. A. ASIZP 66919, 145+ mm TL, fresh. B. CAS 224493, 178 mm TL, preserved.