Malthopsis asperata, Ho, Hsuan-Ching, Roberts, Clive D. & Shao, Kwang-Tsao, 2013

Ho, Hsuan-Ching, Roberts, Clive D. & Shao, Kwang-Tsao, 2013, Revision of batfishes (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae) of New Zealand and adjacent waters, with description of two new species of the genus Malthopsis, Zootaxa 3626 (1), pp. 188-200 : 189-191

Malthopsis asperata sp. nov.

New English name: Roughspine batfish Figs. 1 A–D, 2A–D; Tables 1

Malthopisis sp. A. Roberts et al., 2009: 532 (listed).

Holotype. NMNZ P.035177 (65.4 mm SL), R/V Tangaroa I, NZOI stn. K839, 30°15.4'S, 178°24'E, off McCauley Island, Kermadec Ridge, New Zealand, 290 m, Jul. 1974.

Paratypes. 6 specimens, 31.6–50.2 mm SL. CSIRO H7368-01 (former NMNZ P.029084, 1, 45.8), N.O. Alis, Beryx 11, stn. 24, 24°43.8'S, 168°7.525'E, Kaiyo Maru Seamount, New Caledonia, 260–280 m, beam trawl, 17 Oct. 1992, coll. C. Roberts & C. Paulin. MNHN 2012-0215 (former NMNZ P.029016, 1, 50.2) and NMMB- P10458 (1, 48.9, out of NMNZ P.029381), N.O. Alis, Beryx 11, stn. 17, 24°48.2'S, 168°8.85'E, Kaiyo Maru Seamount, New Caledonia, 250–270 m, beam trawl, 16 Oct. 1992, coll. C. Roberts & C. Paulin. NMNZ P.029020 (1, 58.4), N.O. Alis, Beryx 11, stn. 22, 24°44.7'S, 168°6.65'E, Kaiyo Maru Seamount, New Caledonia, 490–510 m, beam trawl, 17 Oct. 1992, coll. C. Roberts & C. Paulin. NMNZ P.029096 (1, 45.1), N.O. Alis, Beryx 11, stn. 16, 24°47.01'S, 168°8.755'E, Kaiyo Maru Seamount, New Caledonia, 240-250 m, beam trawl, 16 Oct. 1992, coll. C. Roberts & C. Paulin. NMNZ P.035195 (1, 31.2), R/V Tangaroa I, NZOI stn. K828, 28°35.4'S, 177°50.7'E, Kermadec Ridge, New Zealand, 440 m, Jul. 1974.

Diagnosis. A member of Malthopsis unique in having stout principal bucklers with prominent spines. It also differs from congeners in the combination of characters: 5–6 dorsal-fin rays; 12 pectoral-fin rays; ventral surface covered by small bucklers and minute prickles; subopercular buckler bearing 3 small spinelets, 1 directed forward, 1 directed outward and 1 directed backward, and a few blunt spinelets on its margin; interspaces of principal bucklers covered by small buckler and prickles; and rostral spine pointed, directed forward and upward.

Description. Morphometric and meristic data are provided in Table 1.

Body depressed, disc markedly triangular in dorsal view, cranium elevated above the level of general surface of other part of disc ( Fig. 2 B); caudal peduncle semi-cylindrical, flattened on ventral surface, tapering posteriorly; rostral spine relatively long (7.1–9.8% SL, mean=8.0% SL), conical and pointed, directed rather upward than forward, usually more than 45° ( Figs. 1 B, 2B), overhanging illicial cavity and mouth; rostral spine longer than half of eye diameter; eye relatively large (11.0–13.1% SL, mean=12.0% SL), directed dorsolaterally; no pupillary operculum; interorbital space relatively narrow (4.9–6.8% SL, mean=5.8% SL), slightly concave, forming a groove ( Fig. 2 A); illicial cavity relatively large, forming a rounded cave, its width about equal to height; esca a single bulb, bearing 2 small cirri on dorsal margin; mouth small, terminal; small villiform teeth on jaws forming narrow bands, those on 5th ceratobranchial forming 2 large and elongated patches close together, and teeth on vomer and palatines in quadrangular patches.

M. asperata sp. nov. M. parva sp. nov.

Holotype All types Holotype Types

SL (mm) 65.4 31.2–65.4 (n=7) 46.4 28.3–46.4 (n=23)

In %SL Ave. (Range) SD Ave. (Range) SD Head length 26.8 28.2 (26.8–30.4) 1.5 28.7 30.0 (28.2–32.9) 1.4 Head width 19.3 20.6 (18.2–22.8) 1.5 23.3 21.9 (18.1–23.9) 1.4 Head depth 18.8 20.4 (18.8–23.4) 1.6 23.5 23.6 (21.5–25.5) 1.0 Orbital width 12.2 12.0 (11.0–13.1) 0.7 15.1 15.8 (14.3–17.5) 1.0 Interorbital width 4.9 5.8 (4.9–6.8) 0.7 5.6 5.4 (4.3–7.0) 0.8 Rostral length 7.2 8.0 (7.1–9.4) 0.9 5.2 4.2 (2.4–5.5) 0.8 Predorsal length 64.1 66.0 (64.1–67.6) 1.4 60.8 63.0 (58.8–66.4) 2.0 Preanus length 52.1 54.7 (52.1–56.5) 1.6 52.6 53.5 (51.8–66.4) 1.2 Preanal length 78.7 80.2 (78.7–82.1) 1.2 78.4 79.4 (75.9–82.5) 1.9

...... continued on next page M. asperata sp. nov. M. parva sp. nov.

Holotype All types Holotype Types

Disc-margin length 45.0 43.8 (41.0–46.2) 2.0 44.0 42.4 (38.2–47.9) 2.3 Mouth width 9.6 10.7 (9.6–11.3) 0.6 11.9 13.4 (11.6–15.7) 1.0 Dorsal-fin length 22.3 19.8 (18.3–20.1) 1.4 20.5 22.1 (18.6–25.4) 1.9 Anal-fin length 17.3 18.3 (16.6–20.1) 1.2 19.4 21.0 (18.2–23.6) 1.5 Pectoral-fin length 20.2 22.3 (20.2–24.0) 1.2 22.8 26.0 (22.8–32.0) 2.3 Caudal-fin length 24.8 26.6 (24.8–28.4) 1.4 28.7 28.6 (25.5–32.6) 1.9 Meristics n=7 n=39

Value (frequency) Value (frequency)

Dorsal fin rays 6 5(2), 6(5) 6 5(8), 6(31) Pectoral fin rays 12/12 12 /12 (7) 13/13 12 /12(3), 13/13(36) Anal fin rays 4 4 (7) 4 4 (39) Scales on body surface in the form of bucklers, relatively sharp and scattered, mostly associated with lateral line, skeleton and body edge. Principal bucklers on dorsal surface pyramid-like, rough with prominent spinelets ( Fig. 2 D), and those on caudal peduncle are serrated with a slightly enlarged axial spine, directed backward. Interspaces of principal bucklers covered with small bucklers and minute prickles, except for eyes, gill openings and fins.

Six to seven principal bucklers along the upper orbital margin and frontal ridge, two at anterolateral corner of orbit, upper one larger, directed outward and upward; two to three small ones on frontal ridge, two at posterolateral corner, the anterior one larger ( Fig. 2 A). Skin above eye bears one irregular row of small bucklers and numerous prickles. Bucklers of dorsal surface of skull small, forming 3–4 irregular rows ( Fig. 2 A), followed by two large bucklers at post-cephalic region. An irregular series of principal bucklers along the central axil from middle part of dist to dorsal-fin origin. Subopercular buckler well developed, with one anteriorly directed spinelet and some small spinelets at its margin ( Fig. 2 C); central part of ventral surface covered by mixed small bucklers and prickles ( Fig. 1 B).

Ventral surface of gill cavity with a large naked area; caudal peduncle covered by large bucklers, those on dorsal surface forming 5 irregular rows, 1 median row behind dorsal fin, 2 rows on each side of dorsal fin, 2 equal size rows on each lateral side associated with lateral line neuromasts, 2 rows of 5–6 flattened bucklers on ventral surface of caudal peduncle between anus and anal fin; posterior margin of anus surrounded by 4–5 bucklers slightly larger than those neighboring ones.

All fins naked, without bucklers, except for some small ones and minute prickles running out along the bases of pectoral and caudal-fin rays; inter-radials of pectoral fins thin, transparent; dermal cirri flap-like, present on disc margin and lateral sides of tail associated with lateral line scales, sometimes hard to detected due to preservation.

Coloration. Preserved: Dorsal surface of body ground uniformly yellowish to brownish; some black patches on posterior part of disc and around the gill openings; black bars crossing the caudal peduncle at dorsal fin, base and posterior margin of caudal fin and outer part of the pectoral fin; ventral surface uniformly pale to yellowish. Peritoneum pale with small black dots in loose arrangement. Fresh: colour unknown.

Size. A moderately small species with adult size up to 65.4 mm SL.

Distribution. Known from the type series collected from New Zealand and New Caledonia at depths of 240– 510 m.

Etymology. From the Latin “asper” – rough, a spine with many asperites (spinules) on each buckler.

Remarks. Malthopsis asperata sp. nov. is unique among its congeners in having the principal bucklers on the dorsal surface rough with prominent spinelets. It belongs to the species group with minute prickles on the ventral surface, which currently comprises three species, M. kobayashii Tanala, 1916 (northwestern Pacific, resurrected from M. lutea by Ho & Shao, 2010b), M. gnoma Bradbury, 1998 (western Atlantic) and M. tiarella Jordan, 1902 (northwestern Pacific). Malthopsis asperata sp. nov. can be further distinguished from these three species in having black patches on the dorsal surface (vs. black rings or spots present), an anterior-directed spine on the subopercular buckler (vs. spine absent), and ventral surface covered by mixed small bucklers and minute prickles (vs. mainly minute prickles).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Malthopsis asperata sp. nov., holotype, NMNZ P. 0 35177, 65.4 mm SL. A. dorsal view. B. lateral view. C. ventral view. D. drawing of dorsal view, illustrated by E. Mackay. A – C. photo by C. Struthers.

FIGURE 2. Malthopsis asperata sp. nov., from the holotype. A. closed view of dorsal head. B. closed view of lateral haead. C. closed view of left subopercular region. D. lateral view of dorsal buckler, about 2 mm width, illustrated by M. Freebone. A – C. photo by C. Struthers.