Himantolophus danae Regan & Trewavas, 1932

Ho, Hsuan-Ching, Kawai, Toshio & Amaoka, Kunio, 2016, Records of deep-sea anglerfishes (Lophiiformes: Ceratioidei) from Indonesia, with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 4121 (3), pp. 267-294 : 278-279

Himantolophus danae Regan & Trewavas, 1932

Fig. 10

Himantolophus danae Regan & Trewavas, 1932:60 , pl. 1, figs. 2, 87–88B (type locality: South China Sea, ca. 350 m). Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988:42. Pietsch, 2009:337.

Material. HUMZ 194700 (1, 45.4), st. 61, 5°53.8'S, 102°41.7'E – 5°54.2'S, 102°43.2'E, 844–856 m, off Sumatra, 1 Jun. 2005.

Description. Dorsal-fin rays 5; pectoral-fin rays 17; anal-fin rays 4; caudal-fin rays 9. Head length 44.1% SL; head depth 55.7; head width 22.7; illicial length 34.3; escal width 7.0; upper jaw length 34.4.

Body short, globular anteriorly, compressed posteriorly, somewhat triangular in lateral view. Sphenotic spines well developed, directed upward. Some dark papillae on snout and chin. Twenty-five dermal spines on body, 2 or 3 on each pectoral-fin base. Teeth numerous, in about 4–5 rows, those on lower jaws larger than those on upper jaws. Vomerine teeth not detectable. Low and small dermal spines on distal half of illicial stem, esca and all appendages, including distal lobes and distal papillae.

Esca with single anterior appendage, length 24.9% SL, bifurcated distally, one branch longer than other, no short side branches; distal appendage very short, length 2.9% SL, each with two bud-like side branches; single simple posterior appendage, length 22.5% SL; two pairs of appendages posteriorly at base of esca, those on upper pairs bifurcated asymetrically, its total length 29.5% SL, one branch longer than other, those on lower pair slightly shorter and thinner, length 21.1% SL, both simple. Distal papillae paired, short and simple. Anterior pair of escal lobes with broad bases, prolongated into filaments distally, length 4.4% SL.

Body uniformly brownish gray; all fins lightly pigmented; upper portion of illicial stem and esca paler, all appendages darker.

Distribution. Previously only known from the central South China Sea at a depth ca. 350 m. Our specimen collected from off Sumatra at a depth of 844–856 m represents the second overall record, as well as first record in the eastern Indian Ocean.

Remarks. The species was previously only known from the 39 mm SL holotype. The specimen is slightly larger than the holotype and has the following differences: a shorter illicium, its length 34.3% SL (vs. 48% SL in holotype); no side branches on the anterior escal appendage; and only two pairs of appendages at the escal base (vs. 3 pairs).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Himantolophus danae Regan & Trewavas, 1932, HUMZ 194700, 45.4 mm SL, fresh.