Paraliparis andriashevi Stein and Tompkins 1989

Stein, David L., 2012, Snailfishes (Family Liparidae) of the Ross Sea, Antarctica, and Closely Adjacent Waters 3285, Zootaxa 3285, pp. 1-120 : 36-38

Paraliparis andriashevi Stein and Tompkins 1989

Figs. 21, 22, 23

Paraliparis andriashevi Stein and Tompkins, 1989:4 , Figs. 5, 6; Stein & Andriashev 1990:237, Fig. 9; Andriashev 2003:228 Figs. 113–114.

Holotype. LACM 11467–2 , male, 198 mm TL, 181 mm SL, 72°26.5' S, 177°08.0' E, USNS Eltanin, Stn. 2121, 12 Feb. 1968, 1883– 1890 m.

Material Examined. Holotype. Paratype, LACM 11401–1 , male, ~ 144 mm SL, 74°38.5' S, 175°27' W , USNS Eltanin, Stn. 1929, 28 January 1967, 2212– 2306 m . Other material. NMNZ P.045477, male, 228 mm TL, 209 mm SL, 71°28.5' S, 179°04.8' W, Iselin Seamount, Ross Sea, F / V San Aotea II, Stn. OBS 2731/006, 3 January 2009, 1260– 1280 m. NMNZ P.045477/1, cleared and stained right pectoral girdle. NMNZ P.043693, male, 157 mm TL, 144 mm SL, 71°55.80' S, 173°18.08' E, NW edge of Mawson Bank, Ross Sea, R / V Tangaroa, Stn. IPY / CAML TAN 0802 /144, 23 February 2008, 1431– 1658 m. NMNZ P.043693/1, cleared and stained right pectoral girdle .

Comparative material. P. somovi Andriashev & Neelov 1979 . Paratype, ZIN 44101, 175 mm TL, 161 mm SL, 61°39' S, 55°39' W, SW Elephant Is., South Shetland Islands, FR/ V Prof. Mesyatsev, Trawl 21b, 4 February 1975, 750– 850 m. P. valentinae Andriashev & Neelov 1984 . Paratype, ZIN 46834, female, 207 mm SL, 68°02' S, 34°33' E, Cosmonaut Sea, R / V Volny Veter, Trawl 145, 23 February 1983, 950– 1100 m .

Diagnosis (modified from Stein & Tompkins 1989). V 60–64, D 55–58, A 50–52, C 9–10, P 24–25, pc 8–11. Teeth simple, short, stout, blunt, forming bands in both jaws. Mandibular pore pair closely set. Gill opening above pectoral fin, extending ventrally over about six fin rays. Dorsalmost pectoral fin ray level above posterior corner of upper jaw, pectoral fin notch shallow with greatly exserted lower fin rays. Radials four, rounded, unnotched. Anus below preopercle. Stomach and body completely pale.

Abbreviated description (including NMNZ specimens). Counts. V 60–64 (9–10+51–54), D 55–58, A 50– 52, C 9–10 (5/5 or 4/5+1), P 24–25, radials 4, pc 8–11, pores 2–6–7–1. Ratios. HL 20.1–22.2, HW ~12–14.9, sn 4.5–5.6, E 4.6–6.9, orbit 6.6–9.4, io 6.2–10.1, uj 8.0–10.6, go 7.2–8.3, bd 19.0–22.8, preD 23.6–25.6, preA 35.6– 37.0, aAf 17.3–21.6, UPL 15.4–16.2, LPL 10.2–12.2. In % HL: HW 61.7–73.1, sn 21.4–25.3, E 21.7–30.9, orbit 30.9–43.1, io 29.2–45.3, uj 37.4–48.3, go 32.2–38.8, preD 110.6–115.3, preA 166.6–168.0, aAf 81.1–100.9, UPL 71.9–76.9, LPL 45.9–56.9.

The NMNZ specimens fit the original description well, with the following additions and changes: Eye prominent, orbit large but not entering profile of head, about 1/3 HL. Gill opening 1/3 head or slightly more, reaching ventrally to about level of oral cleft, extending ventrally in front of as many as 7–8 rays, its lower margin vertical. Opercular flap well developed, triangular, its tip dividing gill opening about in half and barely reaching pectoral fin base; supported by long curved opercle, vertical dorsally and slightly curved so tip angles posteriorly at about 45°; exposed skin above it blackish, below, black streaked. Most pores missing, but chin pores closely set, smaller than remaining mandibular pores. Pectoral fin rays 24–25 (19+1–2+4), none rudimentary. Right pectoral girdle of both specimens with 4 (3+1) round unnotched radials, all almost round, dorsal pair largest, R4 smallest. Radial spacing increases ventrally, e.g. R1-R2<R2-R3<R3-R4. Scapula large, broad, hemicircular, without helve, its dorsal edge shallowly indented; coracoid with a short stout helve completely supported by a broad dorsal blade. Notch rays not well separated from upper and lower fin lobes. Dorsal fin insertion between vertebrae 4–6, anal fin insertion between vertebrae 10–11. Dorsal and anal fins deepest far caudally, about 71% SL posterior. Anus below anterior end of opercle. Pyloric caeca digitate, bluntly pointed, of similar lengths, longest ~29% HL.

Fresh color pink, tail blackish; black peritoneum clearly visible through body wall (Fig. 22). Color of body in alcohol pale rosy, head, distal part of upper pectoral fin lobes, and lower lobe rays brown, anal region blackish-brown. Peritoneum dark brown or black. Orobranchial cavity dusky, stomach and caeca pale.

Distribution. Known from the Ross Sea at depths of 1260-2306 m.

Comparisons. Paraliparis andriashevi could easily be confused with P. valentinae from the eastern Antarctic and is also similar to P. somovi from the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is similar to the former in pectoral girdle structure, counts and many proportions; however, P. andriashevi differs in pectoral girdle structure (scapular helve absent vs present), larger eye (5–7 vs 4–5% SL), shorter snout (4–5.6 vs 5.7–5.9), longer gill opening (7–8 vs about 6), longer lower pectoral fin lobe (10–12 vs 8–10), and a longer preanal fin length (36–37 vs 33–35). P. andriashevi is similar to the latter in counts and many proportions, but differs distinctly in scapula and coracoid structure (no helve on either vs clear helves on both), stomach color (pale vs black-veined), smaller eye (22–31 vs 30–34% HL), shorter snout (21–25 vs 27–35% HL), shorter preanal fin length (36–37 vs 36–41% SL), and longer gill opening (32–39 vs 27–33% HL).

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NIWA

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McMillan

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P

by specimen fresh of

Photograph

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SL

mm

144

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043693

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P

NMNZ

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andriashevi

Paraliparis

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22

FIGURE

Comments. The new specimens, collected not far from the locality of the types in shallower water (1260–1280 m and 1431–1658 vs 1883–2306 m), differ slightly from the type specimens in many characters, most of them proportional. The most important difference is probably the spacing between the radials. The types have equal radial spacing. Other differences include peritoneum color (black vs dark brown), pectoral fin ray spacing (notch rays not as well separated as in the types, but still clearly distinguishable). However, the important characters are the same (pectoral girdle structure, absence of a significant pectoral fin notch, tooth arrangement and shape, unusually long pyloric caeca, body color and general proportions, exserted lower pectoral fin rays, and others). The proportional differences are not unexpected, given the much greater size of NMNZ P.045477 (209 mm vs 181 and 144 mm SL) and the paucity of specimens. The many similarities (including collection location) support identification as P. andriashevi .