N. V. Parin

Materials for the revision of the family Caristiidae (Perciformes). 2. Manefishes from the East Atlantic (Redescription of Platyberyx opalescens Zugmayer and description of two new species Platyberyx mauli sp. n. and Caristius andriashevi sp. n.)

Manefishes (Caristiidae) of the East Atlantic are described. The validity of the genus Platyberyx is supported and its differences from the genus Caristius are described using characters that have not been applied before (e.g., dentation on the jaws and roof of the oral cavity). The redescription of the type species Platyberyx opalescens is given based on the material from the coastal zones of Morocco and Mauritania; the neotype of this species is established. Based on studied material and analysis of the literature data, a new species P. mauli sp. n. is described within the genus Platyberyx (together with P. opalescens). This species differs from P. opalescens in the structure of branchial apparatus, body proportions, and other characteristics. This species (as well as P. opalescens) belongs to the bathyal-pelagic ichthyocene of the continental slope of the East Atlantic. A new species, Caristius andriashevi sp. n., is described in the genus Caristius. Its specific characters are as follows: exclusively well-developed lateral line surrounded by spongy (most likely, lighting) tissue with enlarged perforated and densely packed scales located under the skin. The range of the species is wide tropical. A preliminary key for the identification of manefishes from the Atlantic Ocean is presented.

Materials to the Revision of the Genus Dolichopteryx and Closely Related Taxa (Ioichthys, Bathylychnops) with the Separation of a New Genus Dolichopteroides and Description of Three New Species (Fam. Opisthoproctidae)

Brief descriptions and data on the distribution of 16 species belonging to the genera Bathylychnops, Ioichthys, and Dolichopteryx, including three new species (B. chilensis, D. andriashevi, and D. vityazi), are provided; a new genus Dolichopteroides is distinguished (D. binocularis Beebe, 1932, is designated as its type species). Their geographic distribution is considered, and suggestions about the bathybenthopelagic mode of life of its adult individuals are made. Fry I. kaskini SL 6.6 cm caught in the western part of the Indian Ocean and a large (SL approximately 30 cm) adult individual of mainly subtropical species B. brachyrhynchus from the Nasca Seamount (the southeastern Pacific) are first described and depicted.

On the composition of talassobathyal ichthyofauna and commercial productivity of Mozambique Seamount (the Indian Ocean)

Ichthyofauna of the Mozambique Seamount of the Indian Ocean, judging from the results of YugNIRO from the 1970s to the 1980s numbers about 130 species of bathyal and bathyal-pelagic fish that belong to 44 families. Most species belong to the families Macrouridae (16), Alepocephalidae (14), Ophidiidae (13), Squalidae (8), and Gempylidae (6). Among them, the greatest numbers and prospects of commercial importance, as over other seamounts, have about ten species: Centroscymnus coelolepis (Somniosidae), Etmopterus granulosus (Etmopteridae), Diastobranchus capensis and Synaphobranchus oregoni (Synaphobranchuidae), Alepocephalus australis, A. productus, and Rouleina attrita (Alepocephalidae), Cetonurus globiceps (Macrouridae), and Allocyttus verrucosus (Oreosomatidae); to the number of potential items of fishery one can also assign Hydrolagus africanus (Chimaeridae), Chlamydoselachus anguinus (Chlamydoselachidae), Apristurus indicus (Scyliorhinidae), Halosaurospis microchir (Halosauridae), Bathytyphlops marionae (Ipnopidae), Coelorhinchus acanthiger, and Coryphaenoides striatura (Macrouridae), Antimora rostrata (Moridae), Lamprogrammus niger and Selachophidium guentheri (Ophidiidae), and Holostethus atlanticus (Trachichthyidae). Pelagic deep-water fish (Gonostomatidae, Sternoptychidae, Myctophidae, etc.) apparently do not form aggregations having a commercial importance.

Redescription of the Trichiurid Fish, Trichiurus nitens Garman, 1899, Being a Valid of Species Distinct from T. lepturus Linnaeus, 1758 (Perciformes: Trichiuridae)*

Trichiurus nitens Garman, 1899 was reassessed on the basis of the syntype and non-type specimens, and considered to represent a valid species. Although difficult to distinguish from T. lepturus Linnaeus, 1758 in most head and body proportions, T. nitens differs from the former in having lower number of dorsal fin rays (range 121–124 vs. range 132–135), caudal fin vertebrae (116–120 vs. 128–134), total vertebrae (153–156 vs. 168–173), larger dermal eye opening (mean 18.8% vs. 16.1% of HL), shorter upper jaw length (36.2% vs. 38.6% of HL), and shorter snout length (32.9% vs. 34.9% of HL). T. nitens is currently known only inhabit from the Northeast Pacific to Southeast Pacific (from California, Mexico, Panama to Peru).

New fossil fish Musculopedunculus micklichi (Trichiuroidei) from the lower Oligocene of Germany

The new fossil fish Musculopedunculus micklichi (type locality: the lower Oligocene slate sediments to the south of Heidelberg, FRG) is described from an incomplete skeleton impression. The diagnostic characters are the powerful and relatively deep caudal peduncle with the hemal and, probably, neural processes of anterior preural centra strongly enlarged, located at an angle of about 60°, as well as a compressed body, high number of vertebrae (probably, about 80), the dorsal fin probably slightly differentiated into the spiny and soft parts, and a well-developed fronto-occipital sagittal crest. On the basis of these and other features, the fossil taxon does not conform to the known Euzaphlegidae, Gempylidae, and Trichiuridae and is recognized as the new family Musculopedunculidae probably belonging to the Trichiuroidae.

Visual observations of fish at the Whale Ridge (Atlantic Ocean) from the Sever-2 manned underwater vehicle

Research trawling surveys and visual observations aboard manned underwater vehicles carried out at Whale Ridge revealed 116 species of bottom, near-bottom, over-bottom, and over-bottom-pelagic fish of 46 families. The data on the distribution, number, and behavior, along with some data on biology of the mass fish species, are given in the present paper. The following species prevail by number and biomass: splendid alfonsino Beryx splendens; boarfish Pseudopentaceros richardsoni; redbait Emmelichthys nitidus; flintperch Hoplostethus atlanticus; Helicolenus mouchezi; and fish of families Gempylidae, Oreosomatidae, Macrouridae, Moridae, Alepocephalidae, etc. All these species are subject to fisheries but the boarfish and alfonsino are most commercially important.

Species Composition, Distribution, and Behavior of Fish on the Vavilov Underwater Ridge (the Atlantic Ocean)

From the data of commercial landings and underwater observations on the Vavilov Ridge (the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean), approximately 50 bottom, near bottom, and near bottom-pelagic fish species of 38 families are recorded. The following species have the highest commercial importance: mackerel scads Decapterus longimanus,and D. macarellus,,mackerel Scomner japonicus, Beryx splendens, Allocyttus guineensis, Epigonus affinis,,etc.

Cheilopogon olgae (Exocoetidae)—A new species of flying fish from the waters of Western Australia

271 As early as 1962, when performing integrated oceanological studies on the 35th cruise of R/V Vityaz (information on the cruise see Kuznetsov and Parin (1964) in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean off the coast of Australia between 20° and 34° S, several spec imens of flying fish (Exocoetidae) were caught that obviously belonged to the undescribed species of the genus Cheilopogon (subgenus Ptenichthys) which dif fered in the presence of a large black spot on the pos terior part of ventral fins in adult specimens. Twenty five years later (1987–1989) in the same area, works were performed by the Japanese tuna catching vessel Shoya maru. Ichthyologist Dr. Izumi Nakamura par ticipated in these cruises; he collected a very represen tative collection of fish of this species that is kept at the present time in the Museum of Kyoto University (FRSKU, Maizuru) and, partially, in Australian museums (AMS, WAM, etc.). This collection was examined by the author of the present paper during visits to Australia (1988) and Japan (1992). This col lection also contained specimens of the new species considered here.

Two new species of the genus Epigonus (Perciformes: Epigonidae) from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans

239 It has been approximately 20 years since the last review of the genus Epigonus Raf., indicating 25 spee cies combined into four groups (Abramov, 1992). After this publication, different authors described three new species more from the the number of known species of Epigonus attained 28. However, taxonomic knowledge of these mesobenthoo pelagic fish still remains incomplete, as confirmed by the discovery of two new species in the Southheastern Atlantic and in the Andaman Sea. Their description is the subject of the present article. Representatives of the genus Epigonus are noted for the Andaman Sea for the first time. The following abbreviations are used in the present study: ID, IID, A, P, V, and C—the first and second dorsal, anal, pectoral, ventral, and caudal fins, respecc tively, and the number of rays in them; LL—number of scales in the lateral line; vert.—number of vertee brae; sp. br.—number of gill rakers on the first brann chial arch; p. c.—number of pyloric caeca; SL—stann dard length; lc—head length; H and h—maximum and minimum body depths, respectively; lcp—caudal peduncle length; aID, aIID, aA, and aV—the first and second antedorsal, anteanal, and anteventral diss tances, respectively; lP, lVI, and lC—length of pectoo ral, spiny, and the largest of branched rays of ventral fins and caudal fins, respectively; hIDI, hIDVIII, hIDmax, hIIDI, hIID, hAI, hAII, hA—length of the first, eighth, and the largest of spines of ID, spiny ray, and of the largest of branched rays of IID, of the first and secc ond of branched rays of A; ao—snout length; oo— horizontal eye diameter; io—width of interorbital space; lmx and lmd—length of the upper and lower jaws, respectively. The type specimens are deposited at the Zoological Museum of Moscow University (ZMMU) and in the Zoological Collection of the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC). Epigonus trunovi Parin et Prokofiev, sp. nova (Fig. 1) M a t e r i a l. A species of the genus Epigonus: spiny rays ID 8, branched rays IID and A 10, gill rakers in outer row on first arch 32–33, pyroric caeca 15–18, scales in lateral line 48–50; without teeth on tongue, opercular spine, and developed process of maxillare, with dark orobranchial cavity, wide interorbital space (8.9–10.5% SL) and relatively low body (17.4– 18.7% SL); attains comparatively large size (not less than 225 mm SL). Body is slender and its maximum depth is 5.4 (5.8) times in SL; …

A comparative description and distribution of the flying fishes—Cypselurus poecilopterus, C. simus, and C. callopterus, sorted out into the species group of spotwing species of the subgenus Poecilocypselurus

The three species of flying fishes—Indo-Pacific Cypselurus poecilopterus, Central Pacific C. simus, and Eastern Pacific C. callopterus form a particular species group within the subgenus Poecilocypselurus. These species rather weakly differ in the body height, number of predorsal scales and number of gill rakers. The sculls of these three species are very much alike; there are just very small differences in the proportions of some bones and the number of skull lateral line canals and pores. It could be imagined that C. poecilopterus has appeared in the Indo-Malayan Archipelago area and thence extended in all directions (up to the coasts of the Eastern Africa, Northern and Eastern Australia, New Guinea and adjacent islands, the western islands of Polynesia and the waters of Japan). C. callopterus inhabiting warm waters of the Eastern Pacific and C. simus whose area is situated in the central part of the Pacific Ocean are seemingly derived from this species.