Hymenocephalus striatissimus striatissimus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1904

Iwamoto, Tomio, Nakayama, Naohide, Shao, Kwang-Tsao & Table, Hsuan-Ching Ho, 2015, Synopsis of the Grenadier Fishes (Gadiformes; Teleostei) of Taiwan, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 62 (3), pp. 31-126 : 77-78

Hymenocephalus striatissimus striatissimus Jordan and Gilbert, 1904

Hymenocephalus striatissimus Jordan and Gilbert, 1904:612–613, text-fig. p. 613 (holotype, USNM 50934. Suruga Bay, Japan, 167 fm [305 m]; paratype, CAS-SU 8549 [1]).— Gilbert and Hubbs, 1916:187–188 (22 spec., Pacific coast s. Japan and East China Sea; 360–543 m).— Yatou in Okamura et al., 1982:143, 346, fig. 86 (p. 142) (7 spec., 101–194.5 mm TL; East China Sea [Okinawa Trough], 300–555 m).— Okamura in Masuda et al., 1984:93, pl. 80–E (compiled).— Okamura in Okamura and Kitajima, 1984:199, 358, fig. 141 (p. 198) (25 spec., 148–180 mm TL; Kyushu-Palau Ridge, 425–570 m).— Shen et al., 1993:171 (descr.).— Chiou et al., 2004b:37, 47 (in key, list).

Hymenocephalus striatissimus striatissimus : Gilbert and Hubbs, 1920:529–530 (32 spec., South China Sea off Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Luzon, Philippines; 380–494 m; 3 subspecies recognized, including one new [H. s. aeger]).— Okamura, 1970:48–50, pl. XV (90 spec., 115–200 mm TL; Pacific coast s. Japan and East China Sea off Kagoshima Prefecture; 300–540 m; new subspecies described [H. s. hachijoensis]).— Shao et al., 2008: table 2 (34 spec., Taiwan [ NET, ET, SCS], 100–1188 m).

MATERIAL EXAMINED (42 spec.).— NET: ASIZP 57973 (1, 206 TL), Nan-fang-ao ; ASIZP 61233 (1, 184 TL), Nan-fang-ao ; ASIZP 61234 (13, 112–162 TL), Da-xi ; ASIZP 64247 (1, 110+ TL), CP 234, 547 m ; ASIZP 65564 (1, 125 TL), CP 124, 1129–1165 m ; ASIZP 65635 (1, 207 TL), CD 209, 508– 522 m ; ASIZP 70731 (1, 115 TL), Da-xi . ET: ASIZP 65524 (8, 145–200 TL) , ASIZP 65528 (2, 160–170 TL) , ASIZP 65536 (1, 161 TL) , ASIZP 65600 (1, 162+ TL), and ASIZP 65619 (1, 172 TL), CD 210, 445– 1185 m ; ASIZP 65553 (1, 93+ TL), CD 199, 1134–1188 m . SCS: ASIZP 65677 (1, 140 TL), CD 311, 516 m ; ASIZP 66834 (1, 117 TL), CP 314, 506 m. Other locality: ASIZP 67873 (1, 142 TL), Aurora, 506–542 m ; ASIZP 67972 (1, 90 TL), Aurora, 507–540 m ; ASIZP 68189 (1, 117 TL), Aurora, 431–442 m ; ASIZP 68414 (4, 70–110 TL), Aurora, 507– 540 m.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.— 1D II 8–10; P i11–i16; V 8 (rarely 7 or 9); inner GR-I 16–22 total; pyl. caeca 10–17. Orbit circular, large 34–45% HL, 0.9–1.0 into postorbital; upper jaw 48–59%. Head deep, length about 6–7 in TL; body depth about 8–9 in TL. Snout bluntly rounded but with short terminal point, barely projecting beyond mouth. Upper jaw extends to vertical through posterior margin of orbit. Barbel about 1 ⁄ 3 orbit. Attains about 200 mm TL.

DISTRIBUTION.— South China Sea off Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Luzon, Philippines, and ne. Taiwan, in 445–1188 m , but mostly between about 300 and 550 m.

REMARKS.— Gilbert and Hubbs (1920) recognized three subspecies of this species: H. striatissimus striatissimus , H. striatissimus aeger , and H. striatissimus torvus . The last was originally described as a full species by Smith and Radcliffe (in Radcliffe 1912). Okamura (1970:50–54) described H. s. hachijoensis from two specimens taken off Hachijo, a group of remote islands about 180 nautical miles s. of Tokyo; Okamura in Masuda et al. (1984:93) elevated the taxon to full species. Sazonov (1994:101–102) later recorded two additional specimens from the Northwest Pacific Ridge (Emperor seamounts) and one from the Kyushu-Palau Ridge. It is distinguished from H. s. striatissimus by “the longer barbel, the larger head, the smaller eye, and the lower snout” ( Okamura 1970:53).