Pachycara karenae, Anderson, Eric, 2012

Anderson, Eric, 2012, A new species of Pachycara Zugmayer (Teleostei: Zoarcidae) from off Monterey Bay, California, USA, with comments on two North Pacific Lycenchelys species, Zootaxa 3559, pp. 39-43 : 40-41

Pachycara karenae sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Holotype. CAS 233971 (male, 336 mm SL), off Monterey Bay, California, USA, 36°33.626'N, 122°42.601'W to 36°35.165'N, 122°44.880'W, otter trawl in 3100– 2780 m, R/V POINT SUR sta. Oct3000-4, 8 October 2009, Jeffrey C. Drazen and party.

Paratypes. CAS 233972 (male, 340 mm SL) and USNM 405384 (male, 362 mm SL), same collection as holotype.

Counts and measurements (holotype first, followed in parentheses by range of paratypes).– Vertebrae 24 + 68 = 92 (24 + 68); dorsal fin rays 90 (fin origin damaged); anal fin rays 68 (68– 69); caudal fin rays 10 (10–11); pectoral fin rays 18 (17–18); pelvic fin rays absent (absent); vomerine teeth 42 (25– 27); palatine teeth 34 (left)/39 (right) (21–33/26–32); gill rakers 2 + 13 (2 + 10-11); branchiostegal rays 7 (6–7); pseudobranchial filaments 4 (4). Following measurements as percent SL: head length 17.1 (15.4–17.7); head width 13.8 (10.1–11.9); head depth 18.4 (13.7–16.9); pectoral-fin length 11.3 (11.5–11.6); predorsal length 19.7 (19.6–20.3); preanal length 45.6 (43.1–44.4); body depth 25.1 (15.6–21.8); gill slit length 7.7 (6.7–7.4); caudal-fin length 3.0 (3.8–4.4). Following measurements in percent HL: head width 80.5 (65.7–67.2); head depth 107.8 (89.4–95.7); upper jaw length 48.3 (40.4–44.2); pectoral-fin length 65.9 (65.4–75.0); caudal-fin length 31.4 (21.6–28.8); snout length 19.9 (23.3–24.8); eye diameter 13.1 (13.1–13.3); gill slit length 44.8 (41.9–43.5); bony interorbital width 6.7 (7.3–9.1); fleshy interorbital width 37.7 (30.3–34.4); interpupillary width 48.3 (39.6–45.9). Pectoral base/length ratio: 54.8 (48.7–51.4).

Diagnosis. A species of Pachycara as defined by Anderson (1989, 1994), with the following combination of characters: vertebrae 24 + 68 = 92, pelvic fins absent, ventral lateral line originating immediately behind posteriormost postorbital pore, scales on nape and cheeks, branchiostegal rays 6–7, gill slit extending ventrally to half pectoral base height or slightly lower.

Description. Head ovoid, wider and deeper in holotype than in paratypes, snout steepest in larger paratype (USNM 405384). Scales cycloid, covering body (including abdomen), nape and cheeks dorsally; scales on unpaired fins to three-quarters their height or more posteriorly; scales in pectoral fin axil and on base. Eye small, rounded, not entering dorsal profile of head. Gill slit short, reaching ventrally to mid-pectoral base or just below it in paratype CAS 233972. Lobe at dorsal margin of gill slit squared-off and well developed. Pectoral-fin origin well below body midline, insertion on abdomen; posterior margin of fin evenly rounded, middle rays longest; ventralmost 6–7 rays thickened, tips slightly exserted.

Mouth subterminal, slightly oblique, upper jaw extending posteriorly to front edge or middle of eye. Epidermal prickles absent on head. Nostril tube not reaching upper lip. Oral valve reaching just posterior to anterior edge of vomer. Jaw teeth small, conical; dentary with five irregular rows anteriorly, blending into single posterior row; premaxilla with three anterior rows, blending into single posteror row. Vomerine teeth relatively numerous (see Discussion), in irregular ovoid patch. Palatine teeth in 3–4 anterior rows, blending into single posterior row.

Cephalic lateralis system with no variation in pore counts except for suborbitals. Two postorbital pores (numbers one and four of Anderson 1994). Suborbital pores 6 + 0 (both sides) in holotype, 7 + 0 (both sides) in CAS 233972, and 7 + 0 (left), 5 + 0 (right) in USNM 405384. Eight preoperculomandibular pores. Two anterior supraorbital (nasal) pores, one set mesial to nostril tube, the other set dorsoposteriorly. Interorbital and occipital pores absent. Body lateral line system with mediolateral branch originating just behind posterior postorbital pore and ventral branch originating about one eye diameter below mediolateral line on vertical through uppermost edge of gill slit. Ventral line coursing gently across abdomen, without steep bows ( Fig. 2 ). Faint dorsal lateral line detected in a few areas under dorsal fin base in CAS 233972 running from nape to near tail tip.

Dorsal fin origin damaged in paratypes, associated with vertebra four. Anal fin origin associated with vertebra 24 (ultimate precaudal), with no free pterygiophores inserted anterior to haemal spine of first caudal vertebra. Last dorsal ray associated with second to fourth preural vertebra, last anal ray associated with second preural vertebra. Caudal fin with two epural, four upper hypural and 4–5 lower hypural rays. Gill rakers short, dorsalmost (on epibranchial and upper ceratobranchial) acute, middle rakers bicuspid and lowermost 3–4 on ceratobranchial acute (see Anderson 1989, fig. 8). Pseudobranchial filaments long, simple. Branchiostegal rays 5 + 2 (both sides) in holotype and paratype CAS 233972, 4 + 2 (both sides) in paratype USNM 405384 (see Discussion).

Fresh coloration ( Fig. 1 ) of holotype uniformly dark chocolate brown, unpaired fins and peritoneum black, eye blue, orobranchial chamber dark brown. Paratype CAS 233972 uniformly black, paratype USNM 405384 as holotype but with numerous, small, pale white spots, some half an eye diameter in width, scattered over body and fins.

Etymology. Named to honor my inspiration and fellow marine biologist, my wife Karen Lona Anderson. Distribution. Known from a single lower bathyal (2780–3100 m) collection just north of the mouth of the Monterey Submarine Canyon, central California, USA.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Pachycara karenae, sp. nov., CAS 233971, holotype, 336 mm SL, off Monterey Bay, California, fresh from trawl.

FIGURE 2. Diagram showing lateral lines of Pachycara karenae, paratype, CAS 233972, 340 mm SL. Anteriormost neuromasts of dorsal line from right side (left side damaged). Neuromasts enlarged.