Valenciennellus tripunctulatus (Esmark, 1871)

Villarins, Bárbara T., Dario, Fabio Di, Eduardo, Leandro N., Lucena-Frédou, Flávia, Bertrand, Arnaud, Prokofiev, Artem M. & Mincarone, Michael M., 2022, Deep-sea dragonfishes (Teleostei: Stomiiformes) collected from off northeastern Brazil, with a review of the species reported from the Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone, Neotropical Ichthyology (e 220004) 20 (2), pp. 1-78 : 17-18

Valenciennellus tripunctulatus (Esmark, 1871)

( Fig. 5A )

Diagnosis. Valenciennellus tripunctulatus differs from V. carlsbergi Bruun 1931 by the AC in 4 to 6 (typically 5) groups (vs. AC in 3 groups), and 5 OA photophores (vs. 2) (Bruun, 1931; Grey, 1964).

Geographical distribution. Circumglobal between 55ºN and 44ºS (Grey, 1964; Parin et al., 1974; Quéro et al., 1990b; Lipej, Dulčić, 2010; Sutton et al., 2020; Love et al., 2021). In the western Atlantic, the species was reported from off Canada to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea (Grey, 1964; McAllister, 1990; McEachran, Fechhelm, 1998; Harold, 2003; Moore et al., 2003; Judkins, Haedrich, 2018). In Brazilian waters, V. tripunctulatus was previously reported off Pará, Maranhão, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul States, also in the vicinities of the Fernando de Noronha , Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and Trindade and Martin Vaz archipelagos (Figueiredo et al., 2002; Olivar et al., 2017; Judkins, Haedrich, 2018). Additional records in the western Atlantic outside the Brazilian EEZ are also known (Menezes et al., 2003;

Olivar et al., 2017; Judkins, Haedrich , 2018). Larvae were recorded off Rio de Janeiro State (Bonecker et al., 2014). Specimens of V. tripunctulatus examined here were collected off Pernambuco State, Rocas Atoll , and the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago , between depths of 45 and 537 m ( Fig. 3D ) .

Specimens examined. 19 (23–32 mm SL): NPM 3285, 7 (23–28 mm), AB1#51; NPM 3301,

3 (29–30 mm), AB1#15; NPM 3302, 3 (28 mm), AB1#14; NPM 3303, 2 (23–29 mm), AB1#22;

NPM 4243, 1 (32 mm), AB2#52B; NPM 4438, 1 (31 mm), AB2#41A; NPM 4439, 2 (damaged),

AB2#46A.

Figures

FIGURE 3 | Records of species of Diplophidae (A), Gonostomatidae (B, C) and Sternoptychidae (D, E, F) collected during the ABRACOS expeditions off northeastern Brazil. Oceanic islands: RA, Rocas Atoll; FN, Fernando de Noronha Archipelago.

FIGURE 5 | A. Valenciennellus tripunctulatus, NPM 3301, 29 mm SL; B. Argyropelecus aculeatus, NPM 4133, 82 mm SL; C. Argyropelecus affinis, NPM 4089, 53 mm SL; D. Argyropelecus gigas, NPM 4090, 88 mm SL; E. Argyropelecus hemigymnus, NPM 3203, 26 mm SL; F. Argyropelecus sladeni, NPM 4102, 60 mm SL; G. Sternoptyx diaphana, NPM 4160, 28 mm SL; H. Sternoptyx pseudobscura, NPM 4103, 51 mm SL; I. Sternoptyx pseudodiaphana, NPM 4160, 59 mm SL. Scale bars = 10 mm.