Halieutopsis bathyoreos Bradbury, 1988

Ho, Hsuan-Ching, Roberts, Clive D. & Shao, Kwang-Tsao, 2013, Revision of batfishes (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae) of New Zealand and adjacent waters, with description of two new species of the genus Malthopsis, Zootaxa 3626 (1), pp. 188-200 : 198

Halieutopsis bathyoreos Bradbury, 1988

Fig. 8

Halieutopsis bathyoreos Bradbury, 1988: 18 , Figs. 2 , 3 B, 6. (Holotype: SIO 84–43; type locality: N of Johnston Atoll, central

North Pacific, 19°14.3'N, 169°07.3'W, depth 1500 m).

Halieutopsis sp.: Roberts et al., 2009: 532 (Checklist).

Material examined. NMNZ P.017314 (1, 32.0), RNZFA Tui, stn. AUZ 0 98, 30° 11.5' S 179° 52.0' W, Colville Ridge, east of McCauley Island, New Zealand, midwater trawl, 960–1006 m, 26 Jul 1962.

Diagnosis. Disc subtriangular in outline; rostrum a broad shelf, extending well beyond mouth cavity; illicial trough and eaca fully visible in ventral view; ventral surface naked, except for 2–3 tubercles at base of ventral fin; tubercles on dorsal surface with 6–8 facets.

Description. D. 5; A. 4; P. 15. Disc subtrigular in outline. Illicial trough shallow and very broad; illicium embedded in esca; rostrum forming a bony plate well extend forward; esca completely visible from ventral view; esca tri-lobes, two lower ones globule without fringe on edge, upper lobe a flap with two small cirri on top. Dorsal fin on rear of body; anal fin very small, below dorsal fin base; pectoral fins leg-like. Body covered with tubercles scales, with 6–8 facets, those at edge of body large, with 2–3 spinules; ventral surface naked, except 1–2 tubercles at base of ventral fin. Teeth villiform, in bands on jaws, absent from vomer and palatines. Gills 2. Tail rather slender and tapering. Maximum size around 50 mm SL. Coloration in life: uniform gray to dark above and below. Colour preservative: olive gray, paler ventrally. Peritoneum dark.

Morphometrics (based on one specimen, 32.0 mm SL): Head depth 16.4 %SL; eye diameter 9.6; interorbit width 12.5; mouth width 20.7; length from premaxillary symphysis to dorsal fin origin 63.2, to anal fin origin 72.5; pectoral fin length 24.3; tail length (post-anus) 47.9.

Distribution. Known from western Pacific Ocean off Japan, Hawaiian Islands, and New Zealand.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Malthopsis asperata sp. nov., from the holotype. A. closed view of dorsal head. B. closed view of lateral haead. C. closed view of left subopercular region. D. lateral view of dorsal buckler, about 2 mm width, illustrated by M. Freebone. A – C. photo by C. Struthers.

FIGURE 3. Distribution map of ogcocephalid species found in New Zealand waters. Square = Halieutaea stellata; star = Halieutopsis bathyoreos; triangle = Malthopsis asperata; cross = Malthopsis mitrigera; and circle = Malthopsis parva. One dot may represent more than one capture. Open dots indicate the holotype localities, including the holotype of H. maoria (open square).

FIGURE 8. Halieutopsis bathyoreos Bradbury, 1988, NMNZ P. 017314, 32.0 mm SL, dorsal view, illustrated E. Mackay.