Heterophotus ophistoma Regan & Trewavas, 1929

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 : 36

Heterophotus ophistoma Regan & Trewavas, 1929

( Fig. 9B )

Diagnosis. Same as for the genus.

Geographical distribution. Tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic (Gibbs, 1964, 1990a; Harold, 2003; Czudaj et al., 2020; Sutton et al., 2020), Indian (Hutchins, 2001, Shcherbachev et al., 1986), and central and western Pacific oceans (Clarke, 1974; Aizawa, 2002; Mundy, 2005; Liao et al., 2006; Shinohara et al., 2009; Fricke et al., 2011). In the western Atlantic, the species is known from off United States to northeastern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea (Regan, Trewavas, 1929; Bekker et al., 1975; Fujii, 1983b; McEachran, Fechhelm, 1998; Harold, 2003; Moore et al., 2003; Judkins, Haedrich, 2018). In Brazil the species was previously reported from off Maranhão State, and the Fernando de Noronha and Saint Peter and Saint Paul archipelagos (Judkins, Haedrich, 2018; Klautau et al., 2020; Marceniuk et al., 2021). Heterophotus ophistoma is reported here based on specimens collected between depths of 430 and 1,030 m off Rio Grande do Norte State (including the seamounts), and the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago ( Fig. 7C ).

Specimens examined. 8 (96–253 mm SL): NPM 4304, 1 (211 mm), AB2#39; NPM 4326, 1 (207 mm), AB2#41A; NPM 4398, 2 (219–253 mm), AB2#50A; NPM 4400, 2 (218–223 mm), AB2#54B; NPM 4401, 1 (216 mm), AB2#44A.

Figures

FIGURE 7 | Records of species of Phosichthyidae (A), Astronesthinae (B, C), Chauliodontinae (D), Stomiinae (E), and Malacosteinae (F) collected during the ABRACOS expeditions off northeastern Brazil. Oceanic islands: RA, Rocas Atoll; FN, Fernando de Noronha Archipelago.

FIGURE 9 | A. Borostomias elucens, NPM 4299, 196 mm SL; B. Heterophotus ophistoma, NPM 4400, 223 mm SL. Scale bars = 10 mm.