Sternoptyx pseudodiaphana Borodulina, 1977

Villarins, Bárbara T., Dario, Fabio Di, Eduardo, Leandro N., Lucena-Frédou, Flávia, Bertrand, Arnaud, Prokofiev, Artem M. & Mincarone, Michael M., 2022, Deep-sea dragonfishes (Teleostei: Stomiiformes) collected from off northeastern Brazil, with a review of the species reported from the Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone, Neotropical Ichthyology (e 220004) 20 (2), pp. 1-78 : 24

Sternoptyx pseudodiaphana Borodulina, 1977

( Fig. 5I )

Diagnosis. Sternoptyx pseudodiaphana differs from congeners by the SAN slightly elevated; body depth approximately equal to SL; SAN photophore height 33–50% body depth; posterior ACB photophore adjacent to or adjoining the anal-fin base; 9–13 dorsal-fin rays, usually 11 or 12; 30–32 vertebrae, rarely 29 (Borodulina, 1978; Badcock, Baird, 1980; Lima et al., 2011; Harold et al., 2015).

Geographical distribution. Circumglobal in the Southern Hemisphere to 50º S, with a few records in the North Atlantic, between 15ºN and 20ºN (Badcock, Baird, 1980; Pequeño, 1989; Lima et al., 2011; Harold et al, 2015; Judkins, Haedrich, 2018; Sutton et al., 2020). In the western Atlantic , the species was reported off Brazil, in Rio Grande do Norte and Rio de Janeiro States , and near the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago (Costa, Mincarone, 2010; Lima et al., 2011; Lins Oliveira et al., 2015; Judkins, Haedrich, 2018). Sternoptyx pseudodiaphana is reported here based on specimens collected between depths of 822 and 984 m off the Rocas Atoll and Fernando de Noronha Archipelago ( Fig. 3F ) .

Specimens examined. 3 (42–59 mm SL): NPM 4166, 1 (59 mm), AB2#52A; NPM 4467, 2

(42–46 mm), AB2#44A.

Figures

FIGURE 3 | Records of species of Diplophidae (A), Gonostomatidae (B, C) and Sternoptychidae (D, E, F) collected during the ABRACOS expeditions off northeastern Brazil. Oceanic islands: RA, Rocas Atoll; FN, Fernando de Noronha Archipelago.

FIGURE 5 | A. Valenciennellus tripunctulatus, NPM 3301, 29 mm SL; B. Argyropelecus aculeatus, NPM 4133, 82 mm SL; C. Argyropelecus affinis, NPM 4089, 53 mm SL; D. Argyropelecus gigas, NPM 4090, 88 mm SL; E. Argyropelecus hemigymnus, NPM 3203, 26 mm SL; F. Argyropelecus sladeni, NPM 4102, 60 mm SL; G. Sternoptyx diaphana, NPM 4160, 28 mm SL; H. Sternoptyx pseudobscura, NPM 4103, 51 mm SL; I. Sternoptyx pseudodiaphana, NPM 4160, 59 mm SL. Scale bars = 10 mm.