Histiobranchus cf. australis (Regan 1913)

Melo, Marcelo R. S., Nunan, Gustavo W. A., Braga, Adriana C. & Costa, Paulo A. S., 2009, The deep-sea Anguilliformes and Saccopharyngiformes (Teleostei: Elopomorpha) collected on the Brazilian continental slope, between 11 and 23 S, Zootaxa 2234, pp. 1-20 : 13

Histiobranchus cf. australis (Regan 1913)

( Fig. 3 L)

Material examined. Three specimens, 448.0–559.0 mm TL: USU 0 1303 (1, 559.0 mm, x-rayed), MD, 38 CP 65; UF 231763 (2, 448.0–542.0 mm, x-rayed), R/V Gllis, off St. Paul Rocks, 0 5 o 03’ N, 20 o 48 ’ W, 2784 m.

Distribution. Histiobranchus australis is being recorded by the first time in the WSA. It was described from the western Indian and eastern South Atlantic Oceans (46 º 46 ’ S, 45 º 31 ’ E, 48 º06’S, 10 º05’ W), and is also known from the East Indian and western South Pacific Oceans.

Remarks. USU 0 1303 was reported by Séret and Andreata (1992) as Haptenchelys texis . The specimen is poorly preserved, lacking skin, dorsal- and anal-fin rays, and infraorbital bones, and the musculature is disintegrating. The bones have also suffered from decalcification, making counts of vertebrae on an x-ray very difficult. The number of vertebrae seems to fit with H. australis : total vertebra ca. 135, precaudal vertebra equal to 60 ( Karmovskaya & Merrett 1998). Additional material collected in Northern Brazil confirms the existence of H. australis in adjacent waters.