Coelorinchus divergens Okamura and Yatou, 1984

Figures 5A–C.

Coelorincus divergens Okamura and Yatou in Okamura and Kitajima, 1984:236–239 (holotype, BSKU 26865, Okinawa Trough [ East China Sea] sw. of Kyushu, Japan, 1000 m; paratype, BSKU 33464, Okinawa Trough, 780–810 m).— Shao et al., 2008: table 2 (15 spec., NET, SCS, SWT, 646–1110 m; first record from Taiwan).

MATERIAL EXAMINED (17 spec.).— NET: ASIZP 64145 (1, 280+ TL), CP 235, 764 m; ASIZP 65575 (1, 286 TL), Da-xi; ASIZP 65577 (1, 245 TL), CP 196, 646– 787 m. SWT: ASIZP 63799 (1, 338 TL), CD 193, 821 m; ASIZP 65538 (1, 330 TL), CD 141, 985– 1110 m . SCS: ASIZP 66084 (1, 74 HL, 212+ TL), ASIZP 66788 (2, 260+-295+ TL), and ASIZP 66838 (1, 166+ TL), CD 321, 954 m; ASIZP 66752 (5, 225+-350+ TL) and CAS 224888, ex ASIZP 66752 (2, 323+-385+ TL), CD 320, 731 m. Other specimens: ASIZP 68052 (1, 398 TL), Aurora, 944–1004 m .

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.— 1D II, 7–8; P i17–i18; GR-I (inner) 8(total); scales below midbase 1D 4–5, below 2D 4.5–5.5; lateral line scales over distance equal to pre-1D length 30–31; pyl.caeca 9–11. Snout broadly spade-shaped (viewed dorsally), sharply pointed, length 38–45% HL, terminal scute relatively small but pointed, anterolateral margin snout incompletely supported by bone; orbit 24–28(32)% HL, 1.4– 1.8 in snout; interorbital 23–27%, postorbital 32–39%, orbit-preopercle 34–37%, upper jaw 26–31%, barbel 8–14%; preanal length 161–163%; height 1D 48–49%; length P 41–42%; isthmus to A 38–40%. Nasal fossa sparsely scaled anteroventrally; scales atop head with 2–5 crestlike rows of spinules in parallel to slightly divergent rows; scales on underside of head with broad, high spinules aligned in one (rarely 2) crestlike row; body scales large, thick, adherent, spinules in about 5 divergent ridgelike rows, middle row enlarged, spinule rows flanking middle row much lower, incomplete, not reaching scale margin. Light organ short, narrow, Group II. Ground color in alcohol brownish or grayish; fins dark or dusky; mouth, gill cavities, branchiostegal membranes, and jaws blackish. Attains at least 40 cm TL.

DISTRIBUTION.— Known from East China Sea, Taiwan, and South China Sea in 646–1110 m.

REMARKS.— Our specimens (as reported by Shao et al. 2008) represent the first record of the species from Taiwan and the South China Sea. According to Okamura and Yatou (in Okamura and Kitajima 1984) this species is very similar to C. parallelus Günther and C. kermadecus Jordan and Gilbert, but can be distinguished from the former in having 2–5 spinule rows (vs. single row) on scales atop head, slightly shorter snout (38–45% HL vs. 42–48% HL), and longer upper jaw (26–31% vs. 22–26%). Coelorinchus kermadecus differs from C. divergens in having 3–5 spinule rows (vs. 1 row) on scales on the underside of head, a longer snout (44–48% HL), and shorter upper jaw (23–26%).