Coryphaenoides microps (Smith and Radcliffe, 1912 )

Iwamoto, Tomio, Nakayama, Naohide, Shao, Kwang-Tsao & Table, Hsuan-Ching Ho, 2015, Synopsis of the Grenadier Fishes (Gadiformes; Teleostei) of Taiwan, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 62 (3), pp. 31-126 : 70-71

Coryphaenoides microps (Smith and Radcliffe, 1912)

Macrourus microps Smith and Radcliffe in Radcliffe, 1912:116–117, pl. 25, fig. 3 (holotype USNM 72934, 42.5 cm long; Philippines, Lagonoy Gulf, se. Luzon, 13°37ʹ30ʺN, 123°41ʹ09ʺE; Albatross sta. 5511, 560 fm [1024 m]; 4 paratypes, sta. 5325 off n. Luzon, [ CAS-SU 2544])

Coryphaenoides microps : Gilbert and Hubbs, 1920:418–419 (descr.; holotype and 4 paratypes, CAS-SU 2246, n. Luzon, Albatross sta. 5325, 224 fm [410 m]).— Shcherbachev and Iwamoto, 1995:300–301.— Chiou et al., 2004a: table 1 (listed from Taiwan).— Shao et al., 2008: table 2 (1 spec., SWT, 687 m).— Kim et al., 2009:108–110, fig. 3 (descr.; type spec., plus others from Philippines, Taiwan [ NET], and Korea [East Sea, 115 m; first record])

MATERIAL EXAMINED (53 spec.).— NET: ASIZP 58265 (1, 250+ TL, 50.8 HL), Da-xi ; ASZIP 60252 (1, 137 TL), Da-xi ; ASZIP 61128 (4, 267+-330 TL), Da-xi ; ASIZP 63838 (2, 306–413 TL), CP 195, 570 m ; ASIZP 65566 (1, 93+ TL), CP 124, 1129–1165 m ; ASZIP 65657 (1, 233 TL), Da-xi ; ASIZP 66900 (1, 140 TL), CP 247, 480 m. SWT: ASIZP 63767 (1, 232+ TL), CD 194, 507 m ; ASIZP 63792 (1, 365+ TL) and ASIZP 64144 (1, 268+ TL), CD 193, 821 m ; ASIZP 65516 (2, 160–190 TL) and CAS 224886 (1, 175 TL, ex. ASIZP 65516 ), CD 142, 227– 235 m ; ASIZP 65526 (2, 150–200 TL), CD 138, 441 m ; ASIZP 65535 (4, 130–210 TL), CD 137, 316– 477 m ; ASIZP 65581 (1, 295 TL), CD 229, 880– 1062 m ; ASIZP 65591 (8, 160–200 TL), CD 136, 998– 1211 m ; ASIZP 65603 (1, 359 TL), CD 133, 690– 748 m ; ASIZP 65617 (1, 174 TL), CD 137, 316– 477 m ; ASIZP 65624 (1, 395 TL), CD 229, 880– 1062 m ; ASIZP 65639 (1, 385+ TL), CD 229, 880– 1062 m ; ASIZP 66099 (1, 295 TL), OCP 301, 687 m ; ASIZP 66109 (1, 320+ TL), OCP 301, 687 m ; ASIZP 66111 (1, 463+ TL), OCP 301, 687 m ; ASIZP 66413 (1, 220+ TL), Dong-gang ; ASIZP 66425 (1, 214+ TL), Dong-gang ; ASIZP 66427 (1, 166 TL), Dong-gang ; ASIZP 66786 (1, 310 TL), OCP 301, 687 m ; ASIZP 66799 (1, 188+ TL), OCP 302, 695 m. No data: ASIZP 65579 (1, 421 TL). Other material (Univ. Philippines, Marine Science Institute , Manila [ UPMSI]) : UPMSI uncat. (1, 380 TL) (no data, probably MUSORSTOM II) ; UPMSI uncat. (5) MUSORSTOM II sta. 79, off Luzon , 13°31.6ʹN, 120°33.7ʹE, 326– 240 m; 1 Dec 1980, 210+–252 TL). Other specimens: USNM 72933 (holotype, 82.0 HL, 413+ TL), e. coast Luzon , Philippines, 1024 m ; CAS-SU 25446 (2 paratypes, 23.7–39.9 HL, 124+–187+ TL), n. Luzon , 18°34’15ʺN, 121°51’15ʺE, 410 m.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.— 1D II 9–10; P i19–i21; V 7–8; GR-I (inner) 9–11 total; GR-II outer/inner 8–10/7–9; scales below midbase 1D 4.5–7.5, below 2D origin 6.0–9.5, over distance equal to snout tip-to-1D 29–35. Snout 28–33% HL, extending less than pupil diameter beyond mouth; preoral steep, short, length 11–16%; internasal narrow, width 15–21%; interorbital 18–26%; orbit 17–25%; postorbital length 47–53%; distance orbit to preopercle 40–47%; upper jaw 30–33%; barbel short, thick 8–14%; greatest body depth 61–96%; 1D-2D interspace 16–38%; second spinous ray of 1D greatly prolonged, 178–388% HL, serrations sparse, reduced or lost in large adults; length V 43–87% HL, outer ray moderately prolonged. Upper jaw extends posteriorly to below anterior 1 ⁄ 3 of orbit, mouth opening restricted laterally. Free margin of preopercle broadly rounded. Head scaly except narrow naked margin under snout and suborbital and all of gular and branchiostegal membranes; a tubercular scale at snout tip; body scales covered with slender reclined spinules in numerous subparallel rows. Color dark brown in adults, paler in young; fins generally pale near base, blackish distally.

DISTRIBUTION.— Off Luzon, Philippine Islands, Japan Sea off Korea, and Taiwan ( SCS, NET), in 240–1024 m, but one exceptional capture at 115 m off Korea.

REMARKS.— Chiou et al. (2004b:47, table 1) listed C. microps from Taiwan, indirectly suggesting that the C. marginatus recorded by Shen et al. (1993) was an incorrect identification. Kim et al. (2009) recorded the species from the East ( Japan) Sea off Korea and provided additional information on the species, comparing it with C. marginatus . Coryphaenoides microps is closely similar to C. marginatus , and the two species have many features in common. They can be separated by a combination of characters including orbit diameter (25–33% HL in C. marginatus cf. 17–25% in C. microps ), postorbital length (42–45% HL cf. 47–56%), distance orbit to preopercle (33–40% cf. 40–47%), and length spinous 1D ray (1.5–2.5 times HL cf 1.8–3.0). The two species belong to what Gilbert and Hubbs (1920:413) describe as “a rather well-marked group of species which agree in possessing a produced dorsal spine, a deep and sharply compressed body, and a dorsal contour horizontal behind the first dorsal fin.” Other species of this group include C. semiscaber Gilbert and Hubbs, 1920 , C. macrolophus (Alcock, 1889) , and C. tydemani Gilbert and Hubbs 1920 .