Gento Shinohara

Magadania skopetsi, a new genus and species of Zoarcidae (Teleostei: Perciformes) from the Sea of Okhotsk

A new genus and species of zoarcid fish, Magadania skopetsi, is described on the basis of 17 specimens (83.4–115.9 mm SL) from the intertidal zone of the northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, near Magadan, Russia. This species differs from other known zoarcid genera and species by having the following combination of characters: suborbital bones 5, the suborbital canal with 6–8 small pores; first epibranchial fan-shaped; palatopterygoid series reduced; supraoccipital broadly contacting exoccipital; posttemporal ventral ramus weak; upper lip continuous at symphysis; palatine teeth, pelvic fins and scales present; lateral line configuration mediolateral, incomplete, absent on posterior half of body; vertebrae 18–22 + 78–83 = 97–104. The closest genus cannot be determined cladistically except that the species is a member of the subfamily Gymnelinae. During the spawning season, M. skopetsi lives under stones near the outer marginal area of the intertidal zone.

Deviation age of a deep-sea demersal fish, Bothrocara hollandi, between the Japan Sea and the Okhotsk Sea.

a Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, 1-15-1 Minamidai, Nakano, Tokyo 164-8639, Japan b National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries, Fisheries Research Agency, 2-12-4 Fukuura, Kanazawa, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-8648, Japan c National Science Museum, 3-23-1 Hyakunin-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-0073, Japan d Japan Sea National Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries Research Agency, 1-5939-22 Suido-cho, Niigata, Niigata 951-8121, Japan

Revisiting recent phylogenetic studies of “Scorpaeniformes”

1998 and also highlighted their differing points of view. A revised English version of the main part of the Shinohara and Imamura (2005a) contribution, together with notes on two further morphological papers [Shinohara and Imamura (2005b) and Imamura et al. (2005)] follows herein. Although some authors included Dactylopteridae within “Scorpaeniformes” (e.g., Gosline, 1971; Nelson, 1994), that family is here provisionally included under Dactylopteriformes.

Ericandersonia sagamia, a new genus and species of deep-water eelpouts (Perciformes: Zoarcidae) from Japan

A new genus and species of deep-water zoarcid fish, Ericandersonia sagamia, is described on the basis of four specimens collected from Sagami Bay, Japan, at depths of 880–930 m. This species is placed in the subfamily Gymnelinae and is distinguished from all genera of gymnelines by the following characters: pseudosubmental crest present; frontals partially fused dorsally; parietals meeting in midline; pelvic fins absent; ventral ramus of posttemporal weak; postorbital head pores 5; pectoral-fin rays 14. The phylogenetic analysis (based on 42 morphological characters) indicates that its position is outside the highly modified (= advanced) genera Seleniolycus, Melanostigma, Puzanovia, Nalbantichthys, Opaeophacus, and Andriashevia.

Lycodes nishimurai, a new deep-sea eelpout (Teleostei : Zoarcidae) from the Sea of Japan

A new zoarcid fish, Lycodes nishimuari, is described on the basis of four specimens from the Yamato Bank, the Sea of Japan, at depths of 642–669 m. Although this species resembles Lycodes diapterus, L. hubbsi, L. pectoralis, L. macrochir, and L. nakamurae in having a deep notch in the pectoral fin and a single lateral line on the body, it is distinguished from them by the following combination of characters: no scales on pectoral fin base; scales on dorsum before dorsal fin origin; suborbital, preopercular, and last postorbital pores with risen rim; whitish lips; no whitish transverse bars on body; pectoral fin membrane and anterior part of dorsal fin membrane without black spots; basal color of vertical fins black.

Genetic population structure and morphological characters of Japanese psychrolutids of genus Malacocottus (Scorpaeniformes: Psychrolutidae)

The genetic population structure and the diagnostic characters of Malacocottus gibber from the Japan Sea and Malacocottus zonurus from the Okhotsk Sea and the northwestern Pacific were compared. Analysis of the nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial control region revealed no genetic differences between the populations of M. gibber and M. zonurus, even though most individuals of both the species were found to be morphologically distinct. Most of the Malacocottus gibber specimens had the typical morphological characters of this species, namely the absence of an accessory spine on the preopercle of both sides and the absence of modified body scales above the lateral line. All the specimens of M. zonurus had accessory spines on both sides, and most of them had modified body scales. The results of this study suggest that M. gibber should be treated as a subspecies or a synonym of M. zonurus. The nested clade analysis and the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that the Japanese Malacocottus fishes are genetically homogenous over their geographical range. The mismatch distribution of the Japanese Malacocottus fishes indicated that a sudden population expansion had occurred recently. The contrast in phylogeographic structures between the Malacocottus fish and the zoarcid Bothrocara hollandi—the most dominant deep-sea demersal fish in the Japan Sea—might be attributed to the differences in the depths of the habitats and larval ecology between these two fishes.

Anatomical description and phylogenetic classification of the orbicular velvetfishes (Scorpaenoidea: Caracanthus)

Anatomical characters for two species of the orbicular velvetfishes (Caracanthus) are described, and the phylogenetic position of the genus among the superfamily Scorpaenoidea is estimated cladistically on the basis of morphological characters belonging to 112 transformation series. Caracanthus is nested within the family Scorpaenidae, having close relationships with Taenianotus and Pteroidichthys. Validity of the family Caracanthidae was not supported, Caracanthus being included within the Scorpaenidae.

Cocotropus keramaensis, a new species of the family Aploactinidae (Teleostei) from the Kerama Islands, southern Japan

A new species of aploactinid, Cocotropus keramaensis, is described based on a single specimen collected off the Kerama Islands, southern Japan. This new species is separable from other known congeners in the following combination of characters: XII, 10 dorsal fin rays; II, 7 anal fin rays; 13 pectoral fin rays; 26 vertebrae; 4 + 8 = 12 gill rakers; five distinct preopercular spines; upper jaw longer than the lachrymal; single papilla on the posterior portion of the maxilla; outer edge of the lower jaw with four distinct papillae; first sensory pore of the lower jaw on both sides fused; anterior tip of the isthmus reaching to the fifth sensory pore of the lower jaw; and anterior four dorsal spines anterior to the third neural spine.

A new batfish,Coelophrys bradburyae (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae) from Japan, with comments on the evolutionary relationships of the genus

A new ogcocephalid batfish,Coelophrys bradburyae, is described on the basis of a single specimen collected from the Pacific coast off Aomori, Japan, at a depth between 557–595 m. The species differs from others of the genus by having a small eye (7.1 in head length), short upper jaw (3.7 in head length), short pectoral and pelvic fins (length 3.0 and 9.6 in head length, respectively), small illicial cavity (width 5.3 in head length), and no bifurcated tubercles on the lateral surface of the body. A key to the species ofCoelophrys is given and the evolutionary relationships of the genus discussed based on cladistic analyses: the sister relationship withHalieutopsis was confirmed and possible paedomorphic states, including the globose body, proposed as having evolved secondarily from a flat-bodied ogcocephalid ancestor.

A new zoarcid,lycenchelys aurantiaca, from the pacific coast off northern japan (teleostei: Perciformes)

A new zoarcid fish,Lycenchelys aurantiaca, is described on the basis of 10 specimens (86.3–135.8 mm SL) from depths of 500–700 m along the Pacific coast of northern Honshu, Japan. Although this species resemblesLycenchelys alta andL. squamosa in having a smaller number of vertebrae (85–88) and a rather short body, it is distinguished from them by the following characters: pectoral fin rays 13–16; preoperculomandibular pores 7 (4 mandibular pores+3 preopercular pores); reddish yellow body.