Thaumatichthys sp.

Mincarone, Michael Maia, Afonso, Gabriel Vinícius Felix, Di Dario, Fabio, Eduardo, Leandro Nolé, Frédou, Thierry, Lucena-Frédou, Flávia, Bertrand, Arnaud & Pietsch, Theodore Wells, 2021, Deep-sea anglerfishes (Lophiiformes: Ceratioidei) from off northeastern Brazil, with remarks on the ceratioids reported from the Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone, Neotropical Ichthyology 19 (2), pp. 1-28 : 9-11

Thaumatichthys sp.

( Figs. 1D , 3 )

Diagnosis. Metamorphosed females of Thaumatichthys differ from those of Lasiognathus , the only other recognized genus of the family by having the body strongly depressed dorsoventrally ( vs. body compressed laterally); a broad and also depressed head ( vs. head narrow); pterygiophore of illicium short, completely hidden beneath skin of

head ( vs. pterygiophore of illicium long, anterior tip emerging on snout from between frontal bones); illicium also short, embedded within the esca ( vs. illicium long, greater than 35% SL); esca hanging from roof of mouth, bearing a single dermal denticle ( vs. esca at the tip of illicium, with 2 or 3 large toothlike denticles); skin on ventral and lateral surfaces of head, body and tail covered with close-set dermal spinules ( vs. skin naked, dermal spinules absent); 6 or 7 dorsal-fin rays ( vs. 5), and 4 anal-fin rays ( vs. 5) (Bertelsen, Struhsaker, 1977; Pietsch, 2009).

Geographical distribution. A single specimen collected at the seamounts off Rio Grande do Norte State, between depths of 830 and 1,030 m ( Fig. 3 ).

Remarks. Thaumatichthys has three valid species, with only Thaumatichthys binghami Parr, 1927 reported from the western Atlantic, in the Bahamas, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and off Espírito Santo State, Brazil ( MNRJ 30710, 19º45’S 39º30’W; Pietsch, 2009; Fig. 3 ). The single juvenile specimen recorded here could not be identified to species, but might be T. binghami .

Material examined. NPM 4985 , 1 , 32 mm ( Fig. 1D ) , RV Antea, sta. AB2/54B, 3°45’17.2”S 34°41’04.0”W to 3°44’39.2”S 34°40’04.5”W, 830–1,030 m, mid-water trawl, 3 May 2017 , 13:11–13:47 h.

Figures

FIGURE 1 | Species of the Ceratioidei reported in this study: A. Ceratias uranoscopus, NPM 5050, 76 mm SL; B. Himantolophus sp., NPM 4959, 37 mm SL; C. Melanocetus johnsonii, NPM 4970, 19 mm SL; D. Thaumatichthys sp., NPM 4985, 32 mm SL; E. Chaenophryne draco, NPM 4954, 90 mm SL; F. Chaenophryne ramifera, NPM 4955, 32 mm SL; G. Dolopichthys sp., NPM 4980, 35 mm SL; H. Oneirodes anisacanthus, NPM 4977, 30 mm SL; I. Oneirodes carlsbergi, NPM 4953, 98 mm SL; J. Caulophryne sp., NPM 3835, 6 mm SL. Scale bars = 10 mm.

FIGURE 3 | Records of the Melanocetidae and Thaumatichthydae in Brazilian waters: Melanocetus johnsonii (circle), Melanocetus murrayi (triangle), Melanocetus sp. (star), Thaumatichthys binghami (diamond), Thaumatichthys sp. (square). Full symbols represent specimens collected during the ABRACOS surveys and open symbols are records from the literature (see text). Selected Brazilian States and islands are: RN – Rio Grande do Norte, PB – Paraíba, PE – Pernambuco; ES – Espírito Santo; SPA – Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago, FN – Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, RA – Rocas Atoll, TR – Trindade Island. Dashed line represents the outer limit of the Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone.