Astronesthes gudrunae Parin & Borodulina, 2002

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 : 33

Astronesthes gudrunae Parin & Borodulina, 2002

( Fig. 8C )

Diagnosis. Astronesthes gudrunae differs from congeners by the AC with 1–2 elevated photophores; IV forming an arch below the pectoral-fin base; the presence of an aggregation of luminous tissue above the pectoral-fin, larger than eye and longitudinally oriented; three luminous spots on upper jaw, the first largest and anterior to orbit; IC 51–53; OA 32–33; PV 2 and 3 at the same level; chin barbel without a terminal bulb (Parin, Borodulina, 2002; Sutton et al., 2020).

Geographical distribution. Previous records of Astronesthes gudrunae are mostly restricted to the North Atlantic, south to 40º N , including the Caribbean Sea , with a single record in the eastern North Atlantic, at 22°1’N, 32°8’W (Parin, Borodulina, 2002, 2003; Judkins, Haedrich, 2018; Sutton et al., 2020) . Astronesthes gudrunae is reported for the first time in the Brazilian EEZ based on one specimen collected off Rocas Atoll, at 610 m depth ( Fig. 7B ), which also represents the southernmost record of the species known so far (about 3º S) .

Specimen examined. 1: NPM 4802, 1 (111 mm), AB2#53A.

Figures

FIGURE 7 | Records of species of Phosichthyidae (A), Astronesthinae (B, C), Chauliodontinae (D), Stomiinae (E), and Malacosteinae (F) collected during the ABRACOS expeditions off northeastern Brazil. Oceanic islands: RA, Rocas Atoll; FN, Fernando de Noronha Archipelago.

FIGURE 8 | A. Astronesthes atlantica, NPM 4019, 32 mm SL; B. Astronesthes gemmifer, NPM 4799, 146 mm SL; C. Astronesthes gudrunae, NPM 4802, 111 mm SL; D. Astronesthes richardsoni, NPM 3194, 71 mm SL; E. Astronesthes similus, NPM 4811, 75 mm SL. Scale bars = 10 mm.