Gnathophis mystax (Delaroche, 1809)

González, José A., Martins, Albertino, Santana, José I., Triay-Portella, Raül, Monteiro, Carlos, García-Martín, Verónica, Jiménez, Sebastián, González-Lorenzo, Gustavo, Pajuelo, José G., Lorenzo, José M. & Biscoito, Manuel, 2014, New and rare records of teleost fishes from the Cape Verde Islands (eastern-central Atlantic Ocean), Cybium 38 (4), pp. 289-300 : 294

Gnathophis mystax (Delaroche, 1809) ( Fig. 2A )

Material examined. ‑ MMF 39446, 365 mm TL, MMF 43111, 380 mm TL, MMF43112 , 315 + mm TL, 15°26’N 23°26’W, Bancona Bank , NE of Santiago Island, 110‑172 m, cruise Cabo Verde 2005‑06, sta. 152/154, rocky bottom, 13 Jun. 2005, BT ; MMF 43113, 395 mm TL, 15°16’N 23°46’W, Tarrafal, Santiago Island , 155‑175 m, cruise Camarão‑1, sta. 2, rocky bottom, 18 Nov. 2011, BT .

Additional material. - Three specimens, cruise Cabo Verde 2005‑06: 315+ and 380 mm TL, 15°26’N 23°26’W, Bancona Bank , NE of Santiago Island, 110‑172 m, sta. 152/154, rocky bottom, 13 Jun. 2005, BT; 390 mm TL, a ripe female, 15°04’N 23°27’W, Ponta da Achada da Baleia, Santiago Island, 275‑289 m, sta. 232/234, soft bottom, 16 Jun. 2005, BT .

Remarks. - A subtropical demersal species found on muddy or sandy bottoms of the shelf and continental slope between 80 m and 800 m depth. Known in the eastern Atlantic from southern Portugal to Morocco and the Canary Islands ( Brito et al., 2002), including the Mediterranean ( Bauchot and Saldanha, 1986; Bauchot, 1987; Froese and Pauly, 2014). The voucher specimen MMF 39446 has 33 lateral line pores anterior to anus. Our material was caught on both rocky and soft bottoms between 110 and 289 m depth.

This is the first record for this species from the Cape Verde Islands and the southernmost in the Atlantic Ocean. The finding of a ripe female proves the presence of a viable population.

Figures

Figure 2. ‑ First records of teleost fishes from the Cape Verde Islands. A: Gnathophis mystax, SL 365 mm, MMF39446; B: Nezumia africana, PAL 65.2 mm, MMF43121; C: Nezumia duodecim, PAL 72.8 mm, MMF39286; D: Ectreposebastes imus, SL 91 mm, MMF48816; E: Paraliparis sp., SL 251 mm, TFMC‑VP/01377; F: Lappanella fasciata, SL 140 mm, MMF42284. Scale bars = 20 mm.