Sternoptyx pseudobscura Baird, 1971

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 : 23-24

Sternoptyx pseudobscura Baird, 1971

( Fig. 5H )

Diagnosis. Sternoptyx pseudobscura differs from congeners by the SAN distinctly elevated, positioned higher or near mid-trunk line; posterior anal-fin pterygiophores nearly as long as the anterior ones; 9–11 dorsal-fin rays; usually 29 vertebrae, occasionally 27, 28, 30 or 31 (Baird, 1971, 1986; Borodulina, 1978; Badcock, Baird, 1980; Lima et al., 2011).

Geographical distribution. Circumglobal in tropical and temperate waters, between 40ºN and 40ºS (Baird, 1971; Borodulina, 1977, 1978; Quéro et al., 1990b; Harold, 2003; Lima et al., 2011; Sutton et al., 2020; Love et al., 2021). In the western Atlantic , the species is reported from off Canada to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea (Baird, 1971; Uyeno, Aizawa, 1983; McAllister, 1990; Harold, 2003; Milkova et al., 2016; Judkins, Haedrich, 2018; Ramírez et al., 2019). In Brazilian waters, S. pseudobscura was previously reported off the northeastern coast and adjacent oceanic islands, and from Bahia to Rio de Janeiro States , with additional records outside the Brazilian EEZ off the northeast and south regions (Baird, 1971; Borodulina, 1978; Menezes et al., 2003; Braga et al., 2007; Costa, Mincarone, 2010; Lima et al., 2011; Eduardo et al., 2018a, 2020a; Judkins, Haedrich, 2018). The species is reported here based on specimens collected between depths of 520 and 1,113 m off Paraíba, Pernambuco, and Rio Grande do Norte States, including the seamounts, in addition to the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago ( Fig. 3F ) .

Specimens examined. 58 (13–58 mm SL): NPM 4101, 4 (46–54 mm), AB2#21; NPM 4103, 1

(51 mm), AB2#39; NPM 4104, 4 (36–51 mm), AB2#16; NPM 4108, 15 (22–59 mm), AB2#59A;

NPM 4117, 2 (30–45 mm), AB2#58A; NPM 4153, 5 (39–45 mm), AB2#54B; NPM 4159, 12 (17– 56 mm), AB2#42A; NPM 4214, 1 (55 mm), AB2#60B; NPM 4468, 14 (13–42 mm), AB2#44A.

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.