A new deep-sea eelpout of the genus Pyrolycus (Teleostei: Zoarcidae) associated with a hydrothermal seep on the Pacific margin of Costa Rica

A new species of the zoarcid genus Pyrolycus Machida & Hashimoto, 2002, Pyrolycus jaco sp. nov., is described from a hydrothermal seep environment named Jacó Scar in the eastern Pacific of Costa Rica. Four specimens were collected in 2018 between 1746–1795 m among tubeworm colonies around the seep. The new species is differentiated from its two western Pacific congeners by having a shorter head, snout, jaw, and pectoral fins. It is further diagnosed by having three postorbital pores and two occipital pores. Molecular sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase I gene are provided and are the first for the genus. The character states indicating miniaturization in this species are discussed. This is the first vertebrate species known from this composite reducing ecosystem and is the fourth hydrothermally-associated zoarcid from the eastern Pacific

A new species of western Atlantic lizardfish (Teleostei: Synodontidae: Synodus) and resurrection of Synodus bondi Fowler, 1939, as a valid species from the Caribbean with redescriptions of S. bondi, S. foetens (Linnaeus, 1766), and S. intermedius (Agassiz, 1829)

Western Atlantic synodontid species were studied as part of an ongoing effort to reanalyze Caribbean shorefish diversity. A neighbor-joining tree constructed from cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) data revealed 2 highly divergent genetic lineages within both Synodus intermedius (Agassiz, 1829) (Sand Diver) and S. foetens (Linnaeus, 1766) (Inshore Lizardfish). A new species, Synodus macrostigmus, is described for one of the S. intermedius lineages. Synodus macrostigmus and S. intermedius differ in number of lateral-line scales, caudal pigmentation, size of the scapular blotch, and shape of the anterior-nostril flap. Synodus macrostigmus and S. intermedius have overlapping geographic and depth distributions, but S. macrostigmus generally inhabits deeper water (>28 m) than does S. intermedius and is known only from coastal waters of the southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico, in contrast to those areas and the Caribbean for S. intermedius. Synodus bondi Fowler, 1939, is resurrected from the synonymy of S. foetens for one of the S. foetens genetic lineages. The 2 species differ in length and shape of the snout, number of anal-fin rays, and shape of the anterior-nostril flap. Synodus bondi and S. foetens co-occur in the central Caribbean, but S. bondi otherwise has a more southerly distribution than does S. foetens. Redescriptions are provided for S. intermedius, S. foetens, and S. bondi. Neotypes are designated for S. intermedius and S. foetens. A revised key to Synodus species in the western Atlantic is presented

A new species of Sebastes (Scorpaeniformes: Sebastidae) from the northeastern Pacific, with a redescription of the blue rockfish, S. mystinus (Jordan and Gilbert, 1881)

The diverse predatory rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) support extensive commercial fisheries in the northeastern Pacific. Although 106 species of Sebastes are considered valid, many of the ecological, geographical, and morphological boundaries separating them lack clarity. We clarify one such boundary by separating the blue rockfish Sebastes mystinus (Jordan and Gilbert, 1881) into 2 species on the basis of molecular and morphological data. We redescribe S. mystinus, designate a lectotype, and describe the deacon rockfish, Sebastes diaconus n. sp. Aside from its unambiguous distinction at 6 microsatellite loci, the new species is most easily differentiated from S. mystinus by its possession of a solid in contrast with a blotched color pattern. Sebastes diaconus also possesses a prominent symphyseal knob versus a reduced or absent knob, a flat rather than rounded ventrum, and longer first and second anal-fin spines. Se bastes diaconus occurs from central California northward to British Columbia, Canada, and S. mystinus occurs from northern Oregon south to Baja California Sur, Mexico, indicating a broad region of sympatry in Oregon and northern California. Further collection and study are necessary to clarify distributional boundaries and to understand the ecology and mechanisms of segregation for this species. Additionally, fisheries assessments will need revision to account for the longstanding conflation of these 2 species.This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service and can be found at: http://fisherybulletin.nmfs.noaa.gov

FIGURE 6 in New specimens and supplementary descriptions of two rare dragonfishes Photonectes klepadloae and P. litvinovi, with comments on the distribution of P filipendulus (Teleostei: Stomiidae: Melanostomiinae)

FIGURE 6. Photonectes litvinovi, schematic of blue-tissue pattern. (?) Connection between midventral bands on isthmus and vent is uncertain due to abrasion of the skin.Published as part of Prokofiev, Artem M. & Frable, Benjamin W., 2023, New specimens and supplementary descriptions of two rare dragonfishes Photonectes klepadloae and P. litvinovi, with comments on the distribution of P filipendulus (Teleostei: Stomiidae: Melanostomiinae), pp. 489-500 in Zootaxa 5228 (4) on page 494, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.4.7, http://zenodo.org/record/754013

FIGURE 4 in New specimens and supplementary descriptions of two rare dragonfishes Photonectes klepadloae and P. litvinovi, with comments on the distribution of P filipendulus (Teleostei: Stomiidae: Melanostomiinae)

FIGURE 4. Map of distribution of Photonectes klepadloae (squares), P. litvinovi (triangles) and P. filipendulus (circles); holotypes, solid symbols; other specimens, open symbols.Published as part of Prokofiev, Artem M. & Frable, Benjamin W., 2023, New specimens and supplementary descriptions of two rare dragonfishes Photonectes klepadloae and P. litvinovi, with comments on the distribution of P filipendulus (Teleostei: Stomiidae: Melanostomiinae), pp. 489-500 in Zootaxa 5228 (4) on page 493, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.4.7, http://zenodo.org/record/754013

FIGURE 5 in New specimens and supplementary descriptions of two rare dragonfishes Photonectes klepadloae and P. litvinovi, with comments on the distribution of P filipendulus (Teleostei: Stomiidae: Melanostomiinae)

FIGURE 5. Photonectes litvinovi, habitus and pattern of blue luminous tissue: (A) holotype, ZMMU 23227; (B–D) new specimen, IOM 03639: (B) lateral view; (C) ventral view; (D) ventral view of isthmus. (1) unpaired midventral blue-tissue band on isthmus; (2) anterior ends of paired lateroventral bands on isthmus; (3) paired lateroventral and unpaired medioventral bluetissue bands on vent. Scale bars: (A–C) 10 mm (D) 5 mm.Published as part of Prokofiev, Artem M. & Frable, Benjamin W., 2023, New specimens and supplementary descriptions of two rare dragonfishes Photonectes klepadloae and P. litvinovi, with comments on the distribution of P filipendulus (Teleostei: Stomiidae: Melanostomiinae), pp. 489-500 in Zootaxa 5228 (4) on page 494, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.4.7, http://zenodo.org/record/754013

Cirrhilabrus cyanogularis, a new species of fairy wrasse from the Philippines and Indonesia (Teleostei: Labridae)

Tea, Yi-Kai, Frable, Benjamin W., Gill, Anthony C. (2018): Cirrhilabrus cyanogularis, a new species of fairy wrasse from the Philippines and Indonesia (Teleostei: Labridae). Zootaxa 4418 (6): 577-587, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4418.6.

Integration and Curation of At-Risk Collections into the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Collections

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at the University of California, San Diego maintains one of the largest combined oceanographic collections in the world comprising four collections: Geological (sediment cores and dredged rocks), Pelagic Invertebrates, Benthic Invertebrates and Marine Vertebrates. After surviving threats of dissolution, the SIO Collections are now securely funded and have been able to make other collections available to the scientific community. Over the last few years, both the Marine Vertebrate (SIO-MVC) and Benthic Invertebrate (SIO-BIC) Collections have received National Science Foundation (NSF) and institutional funding to integrate important at-risk collections from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and the University of Victoria. The UCLA Ichthyological Collection, around 9000 lots, was at risk of disposal due to hazardous material concerns and lack of institutional support. The collection, accumulated primarily under Boyd Walker (1949-1980) and later Don Buth (1980-), contains material from extensive surveys of the near-shore fishes of Southern California, Baja California and the Tropical Eastern Pacific including remote oceanic islands such as the Revillagigedos, Clipperton and the Galapagos. The UCLA collection also contains over 150 secondary types and over 100 species new to the SIO-MVC. Due to lack of support, the collection records were never digitized and the collection was minimally curated and its holdings were poorly known. For over two years, the collection manager and student employees have physically re-curated and integrated this material into the SIO-MVC. These data are now available online via iDigBio and VertNet and have already been used in numerous studies. The SIO-BIC, holding 45,000 lots, is accepting ownership of two deep-sea animal collections from Verena Tunnicliffe at the University of Victoria and Robert Vrijenhoek at MBARI. These collections include 10,900+ lots, largely from hydrothermal vents across the Pacific. Collected over 35 years from remote deep-sea sites that are difficult and expensive to access, these collections represent a major resource for systematics, genetics, and ecology. With Dr. Vrijenhoek now retired and Dr. Tunnicliffe nearing retirement, their collections were at risk of being lost. This material will be made discoverable online through the SIO-BIC database and iDigBio, and will be available for loan and examination. In the last year, the collection manager and five undergraduate employees have integrated some 3,000 lots. With support from the institution and the NSF, the SIO collections are solidifying their roles as central repositories for deep-sea and Eastern Pacific fauna