Brachionichthys, BLEEKER, 1855

Carnevale, Giorgio & Pietsch, Theodore W., 2010, Eocene handfishes from Monte Bolca, with description of a new genus and species, and a phylogeny of the family Brachionichthyidae (Teleostei: Lophiiformes), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 160 (4), pp. 621-647 : 634

GENUS BRACHIONICHTHYS BLEEKER, 1855

Lophius Linnaeus, 1758: 236 (in part; type species Lophius piscatorius Linnaeus, 1758: 236 , by subsequent designation of Jordan & Gilbert, 1883: 844).

Brachionichthys Bleeker, 1855: 12 , 21 [in part; type species Cheironectes hirsutus (= Lophius hirsutus Lacepède, 1804: 210 ), by subsequent designation of Bleeker, 1865: 5].

Diagnosis: A brachionichthyid genus unique and derived in having the posterior part of the body extremely long and slender, body depth at origin of anal fin approximately 21% SL, palatine with a prominent dorsal head; symphysial spine of dentary absent; articular without posteroventral flange; and skin covered with close-set unicuspid dermal spinules. The genus is further distinguished from all other brachionichthyid genera in having the following combination of character states: jaw teeth small and villiform; vertebrae 22-26; neural spines of sixth to ninth abdominal vertebrae spatulate; haemal spines of anterior-most abdominal vertebrae anteroventrally directed, becoming progressively directed posteroventrally; hypural notch absent; supernumerary ray of dorsal and anal fins absent; dorsal-fin rays 16-19; anal-fin rays 8-11; pectoral-fin rays seven; pelvic fin one spine and four rays; ninth (ventral-most) caudalfin ray relatively well developed.

Recognized species: Brachionichthys hirsutus ( Lacepède, 1804) : lectotype, MNHN A. 4627, 76 mm SL, ‘Côtes du sud de l’Australie, Voyage de Péron’ (see Pietsch et al., 1986: 142). Brachionichthys australis Last, Gledhill, & Holmes, 2007 : holotype, CSIRO H.4451–02, 46 mm SL, east of Disaster Bay , New South Wales, 37°18′S, 150°17′E, 125 m, 7.xii.1996 .

Remarks: Bleeker (1855) distinguished the genus Brachionichthys from antennariid fishes primarily on the basis of characters of the spinous dorsal fin, jaw teeth, gill openings, pelvic fins, and gill arches. He also incorrectly reported the presence of six rather than five branchiostegal rays. The subsequent diagnoses of Gill (1863, 1878) were based primarily on the structure and extension of the membranous connection of the dorsal-fin spines. A recent attempt to define the genus Brachionichthys ( Last et al., 2007) by a unique combination of morphometric, meristic, and external features, none of which have any phylogenetic relevance, is rejected.