Synchiropus grandoculis Fricke 2000

Andréfouët, Serge, Chen, Wei-Jen, Kinch, Jeff, Mana, Ralph, Russell, Barry C., Tully, Dean & White, William T., 2019, Checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean, with 810 new records, Zootaxa 4588 (1), pp. 1-360 : 265

Synchiropus grandoculis Fricke 2000 —Western Australian bigeye dragonet ( Fig. 126 )

Status at New Ireland. New record, based on NTUM 12140 (1 male, 76.8 mm SL, St. CP 4260-14, off Kavieng). Distribution and habitat. New Ireland: 2.— General distribution: off Rowley Shoals , Western Australia. Found on soft bottom, 351–800 m depth. Marine .

Remarks. This species was originally described from off Rowley Shoals, Western Australia at 351–420 m depth by Fricke (2000: 69). This is the first record from New Ireland Province and Papua New Guinea, which suggests that the species is more widespread. It is very surprising that it was collected at more than 800 m depth, which is among the deepest habitats of callionymid fishes ever recorded.

The live colouration of this species was observed for the first time ( Fig. 126 ).

Figures

FIGURE 126. Synchiropus grandoculis Fricke 2000, St. CP4260-14, off Kavieng, 800–1350 m depth (NTUM 12140) (photograph by Jhen-Nien Chen, taken immediately after collection).