Mephisto albomaculosus Matsuura, Psomadakis, and Mya Than Tun 2018

Bemis, Katherine E., Tyler, James C., Psomadakis, Peter N., Ferris, Lauren Newell & Kumar, Appukuttannair Biju, 2020, Review of the Indian Ocean spikefish genus Mephisto (Tetraodontiformes Triacanthodidae), Zootaxa 4802 (1), pp. 82-98 : 94-95

Mephisto albomaculosus Matsuura, Psomadakis, and Mya Than Tun 2018

White Spotted Spikefish

Mephisto albomaculosus Matsuura, Psomadakis, and Mya Than Tun 2018: 30–33 : (original description; described from a single specimen, holotype: NSMT-P 132271; type locality: eastern Bay of Bengal , Andaman Sea , off Tanin- tharyi coast, southern Myanmar, Indian Ocean, 10°21.85′N, 96°44.83′E, R/ V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen Station 170, 379 m, 28 May 2015; etymology: refers to the white markings on the head and body; comparison of M. albomaculosus with M. fraserbrunneri ).

Material. Known only from the holotype ( Matsuura et al., 2018) and one photographed individual, presumed to be conspecific with the holotype, that was not retained ( Fig. 1E, F ).

Diagnosis. A species of Mephisto with prominent white, rounded (more-or-less circular to oval) markings that are up to as large as the pupil diameter and located on the lower half of the body ( Fig. 1E, F ). Pelvic width 7.8% in SL; pelvic width into pelvic length 4.0 times; gill rakers 15; pseudobranch lamellae 16 ( Matsuura et al., 2018).

Description. See Matsuura et al. (2018:31).

Geographic and depth distribution. The holotype of Mephisto albomaculosus is from the Andaman Sea off Myanmar at 376– 379 m. The photograph of the referred specimen of M. cf. albomaculosus (specimen not retained) was collected in the Bay of Bengal at 74– 75 m.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Color photographs of Mephisto. See Table 1 for collection localities. A. Mephisto fraserbrunneri, University of Kerala DABFUK/FI/301, 64.5 mm SL. Photograph by A. Biju Kumar. B. Mephisto fraserbrunneri, University of Kerala DAB- FUK/FI/303, 64.2 mm SL. Photograph by A. Biju Kumar. C. Mephisto cf. fraserbrunneri, specimen not retained, est. 54 mm SL. Photograph by Oddgeir Alvheim. D. Mephisto cf. fraserbrunneri, specimen not retained, est. 89 mm SL. Photograph by Tom Williams. E. Mephisto albomaculosus, holotype, NSMT-P 132271, 94.4 mm SL. Photograph by Oddgeir Alvheim, from Matsuura et al. (2018), photograph reprinted with permission from the Ichthyological Society of Japan. F. Mephisto cf. albomaculosus, specimen not retained, est. 94 mm SL. Photograph by Oddgeir Alvheim, from Matsuura et al. (2018), photograph reprinted with permission from the Ichthyological Society of Japan.