Lucigadus Gilbert and Hubbs, 1920

Iwamoto, Tomio & Okamoto, Makoto, 2015, A New Grenadier Fish of the Genus Lucigadus (Macrouridae, Gadiformes, Teleostei) from the Emperor Seamounts, Northwestern Pacific, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 62 (13), pp. 369-380 : 371-372

Genus Lucigadus Gilbert and Hubbs, 1920

Lucigadus Gilbert and Hubbs, 1920:553 (as subgenus of Ventrifossa ; type species Macrourus lucifer Smith and Radcliffe, 1912 , by original designation).

Lucigadella Gilbert and Hubbs, 1920:552 (as subgenus of Ventrifossa ; type species Macrourus nigromarginatus Smith and Radcliffe, 1912 , by original designation).

Ventrifossa subgenus Lucigadus : Iwamoto, 1979:152–153 (characterization of three subgenera of Ventrifossa ).

Lucigadus : Sazonov, 1985:17 ( Lucigadus elevated to genus; discussion of relationships).— Iwamoto and Anderson, 1994:16.— Iwamoto and Merrett, 1997:526.

DIAGNOSIS.— Spinous second ray of first dorsal fin finely serrated along leading edge. Snout smoothly rounded, not pointed and prominently projecting beyond mouth. Anus closer to pelvic-fin insertion than to anal-fin origin; anus surrounded by a broad naked margin and preceded by two small naked fossae, the anteriormost fossa between pelvic-fin bases. Ventral region of body appearing to have shifted anteriorly so that gill membranes unite below eyes; pelvic-fin origin below opercle. Suborbital region covered with several rows of small, unmodified scales; no sharp longitudinal ridge developed. Underside of snout fully scaled; no stout tubercular scale at tip and lateral angles of snout; small scales present on lowermost branchiostegal rays. Body scales with short, conical spinules, usually arranged in parallel rows. Dentition in upper and lower jaws small, in bands; premaxillary tooth band not extending beyond maxillary process of bone.

REMARKS.— With the new species herein described, the genus Lucigadus now includes seven species. ( Macruroplus potronus Pequeño, 1971 is tentatively considered a synonym of L. nigromaculatus based on our examination of five specimens from Chile.)