Physiculus Kaup, 1858

Pires, Alessandra M. A., Carvalho-Filho, Alfredo, Ferreira, Rômulo C. P., Viana, Danielle, Nunes, Diogo & Hazin, Fabio H. V., 2019, Review of the Brazilian species of Physiculus (Gadiformes: Moridae), with description of a new species from Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago, equatorial Atlantic, Zootaxa 4671 (1), pp. 67-80 : 69

Genus Physiculus Kaup

Physiculus Kaup, 1858: 88 . Type species: Physiculus dalwigki Kaup, 1858: 88 , by monotypy. The diagnosis and description of the genus follow Paulin (1989), Paulin & Matallanas (1990), Trunov (1991), and Shcherbachev (1993).

Diagnosis. Morid fishes with ventral light organ in advance of anus; chin barbel present; vomerine teeth absent.

Description. Morid fishes with elongated somewhat compressed body. Chin barbel present, eventually much reduced (as in P. microbarbata ). Two dorsal and one anal fin of uniform height, separated from the caudal fin that is slightly rounded to rounded (the new species herein described has the posterior border of the caudal fin often rounded, as well as P. maslowskii ). Snout broad, obtusely rounded, not projecting beyond mouth. Scales small, cycloid, covering entire body and head, extending or not onto snout, gular region, and fins. Ventral fins with outermost rays filamentous. Circular luminescent organ on midline of belly, connected to anus by a duct; this organ lies in body wall between ventral-fin bases and anus, it is externally obvious as a circular, scaleless, dermal fossa. Teeth in a brush-like band and variable: equal to sub-equal sized, or with outer ones slightly larger, or with distinct separation between larger and smaller teeth. No teeth on vomer.