Sternoptyx diaphana Hermann, 1781

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 : 22-23

Sternoptyx diaphana Hermann, 1781

( Fig. 5G )

Diagnosis. Sternoptyx diaphana differs from congeners by the SAN slightly elevated, its height less than half the distance between the ventral body margin and its midline; posterior margin of AN and ventral margin of the anal-fin base forming a narrow V shaped line; body depth larger than standard length; 9–11 dorsal-fin rays, usually less than 11; 28 vertebrae, occasionally 27 or 29 (Baird, 1971; Borodulina, 1978; Aizawa, 2002; Lima et al., 2011).

Geographical distribution. Circumglobal in tropical and temperate waters, between 55ºN and 55ºS (Baird, 1971; Borodulina, 1978; Pequeño, 1989; Quéro et al., 1990b; Lima et al., 2011; Harold, 2003; Harold et al., 2015; Sutton et al., 2020; Love et al., 2021). In the western Atlantic, the species is reported from off Canada to Argentina, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea (Baird, 1971; Parin et al., 1974; Uyeno, Aizawa, 1983; McAllister, 1990; McEachran, Fechhelm, 1998; Harold, 2003; Nión et al., 2016; Judkins, Haedrich, 2018; Ramírez et al., 2019). The species was previously recorded off Maranhão, Rio Grande do Norte, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, and Rio Grande do Sul States in Brazilian waters, in addition to the Fernando de Noronha and Saint Peter and Saint Paul archipelagos (Baird, 1971; Borodulina, 1978; Séret, Andreata, 1992; Figueiredo et al., 2002; Menezes et al., 2003; Braga et al., 2007; Costa, Mincarone, 2010; Lima et al., 2011; Lins Oliveira et al., 2015; Olivar et al., 2017; Judkins, Haedrich, 2018; Eduardo et al., 2018a, 2020a; Pinheiro et al., 2020). Larvae were recorded off Rio de Janeiro State (Bonecker et al., 2012, 2014). Sternoptyx diaphana is reported here based on specimens collected off Paraíba, Pernambuco, and Rio Grande do Norte States, including the seamounts, in addition to the Rocas Atoll and Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, between depths of 130 and 1,113 m ( Fig. 3F ).

Specimens examined. 1,046 (11–43 mm SL): NPM 4152, 95 (14–43 mm), AB2#54B; NPM 4154, 2 (27–28 mm), AB2#56B; NPM 4155, 3 (26–31 mm), AB2#35; NPM 4156, 12 (19–35 mm), AB2#21; NPM 4157, 80 (14–35 mm), AB2#44A; NPM 4158, 10 (23–29 mm), AB2#58A; NPM 4160, 91 (13–38 mm), AB2#59A; NPM 4161, 17 (16–42 mm), AB2#16; NPM 4167, 23 (18–33 mm), AB2#41A; NPM 4185, 1 (21 mm), AB2#50A; NPM 4186, 466 (15–33 mm), AB2#39; NPM 4189, 1 (22 mm), AB2#56C; NPM 4215, 65 (11–36 mm), AB2#42A; NPM 4231, 173 (14–34 mm), AB2#53A; NPM 4327, 2 (12–17 mm), AB2#52A; NPM 4453, 1 (26 mm), AB2#44B; NPM 4506, 3 (17–32 mm), AB2#60B; NPM 5011, 1 (15 mm), AB2#53B.

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.