Himantolophus macroceratoides Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988

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 : 281-282

Himantolophus macroceratoides Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988

Fig. 13

Himantolophus macroceratoides Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988:70 , figs. 31–32 (type locality: Equatorial Atlantic, 246–256 m). Pietsch, 2009:348.

Material. HUMZ 194477 (1, 95.5), st. 9, 8°19.1'S, 109°1.9'E – 8°18.9'S, 109°0.3'E, off Java, 814 m, 6 May 2005. Description. Dorsal-fin ray 5; pectoral-fin rays 15; anal-fin rays 4; caudal-fin rays 9. Head length 34% SL; head depth 44.2; head width 23.5; illicium 32.

Body short, compressed, profile oval in lateral view. Head very high, becoming gradually narrower posteriorly to caudal peduncle. Sphenotic spines less developed, directed upward. Papillae well developed on snout and chin. Seventy-four dermal spines on body and 3 on pectoral-fin base (left side missing). Numerous teeth on both jaws, in about 5 rows on each jaw, those in inner row longest, those on lower jaw longer than those on upper jaw. Vomerine teeth not detectable. Dermal spines covering distal three-fourths of illicial stem, entire esca and about one-eighth of distal escal appendage.

Esca with pair of extremely long distal appendages, length of distal appendage 148.2% SL (right side) and 150.9% SL (left side), respectively; length of posterior side branch on each distal escal appendage 7.6% and 6.9% SL, respectively; each side branch emerging at 45.1% and 43.1% of the appendage length, respectively, above base of each distal escal appendage; both side branches fusiform, lengths about 5 times its greatest diameter; diameter of escal bulb 10.3% SL.

Body mainly black, papillated areas of snout and chin paler; dorsal surface of head pale coinciding with illicium when fully laid back. Basal and distal portions of distal appendages and distal portion of side branches pale or transparent.

Distribution. Previously only known from two specimens collected in the eastern Atlantic and western Indian oceans. The specimen examined here represents the first record for the eastern Indian Ocean. The holotype was collected at a depth of 246–256 m, whereas the paratype was taken between 800–900 m; the Indonesia specimen was collected at a depth of 814 m.

Remarks. The Indian Ocean specimen is about intermediate in body size between the two types. Differences between the current specimens and the original description include: the distal appendages are considerably longer 148.2–150.9% SL (vs. 92–100% in Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988) and side branches on the distal appendages are somewhat shorter, 6.9–7.6% SL (vs. 9–10% SL).

Figures

FIGURE 13 Himantolophus macroceratoides Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988, HUMZ 194477, 95.5 mm SL, fresh.