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NATURAL HISTORY.
SURVEY

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33

£f FIELDIANA • ZOOLOGY

Published by
CHICAGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

Volume'39 February 24, 1961 No. 45

A New Berycoid Fish from Brazil
(Family Trachichthyidae)

Loren P. Woods

Curator, Division of Fishes

In November, 1957, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
M/V Oregon explored with shrimp trawls the continental shelf along
the Guiana coast of South America to the mouth of the Amazon River.
Near the edge of the shelf, northeast of the mouth of the Amazon, a
number of small berycoids were taken in the trawl, along with rock
and shell fragments. Other fishes taken in the same hauls were Anti-
gonia, Poecilopsetta, Peristedion, Congrina, Gymnothorax, Anthias,
Callionymus, Draconetta, Chromis, Holocentrus and Apogon. The
genus Paratrachichthys does not appear to have been recorded pre-
viously in the Atlantic.

I wish to thank Dr. Giles Mead of the Museum of Comparative
Zoology for lending me the specimens of Paratrachichthys he collected
from these same stations, and Dr. L. P. Schultz of the United States
National Museum for lending specimens from Japan and the Philip-
pines. Miss Mary Ann Holloway prepared the figures.

Paratrachichthys argyrophanus, new species

Holotype. — Museum of Comparative Zoology no. 40521. Off
mouth of Amazon River, Oregon Station 2080, lat. 02° 04' N., long.
47° 00' W., depth 125 fathoms, taken with 40-foot flat trawl, Novem-
ber 17, 1957. Standard length 75 mm.

Paratypes. — MCZ 40685; same data as holotype; 1 specimen,
68 mm.

CNHM 65602; same data as holotype; 1 specimen, 70.5 mm.

CNHM 65600; Oregon Station 2065, lat. 02° 40' N., long. 47°
56' W., depth 63 fathoms, 40-foot flat trawl, November 15, 1957;
10 specimens, 31.8-58.6 mm.

MCZ 40513; Oregon Station 2065; 18 specimens, 33.5-67 mm.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 61-11186
No. 909 525

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526 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 39

CNHM 65601; Oregon Station 2066, lat. 02° 40' N., long. 47°
55' W., depth 110 fathoms, 40-foot fiat trawl, November 15, 1957;
2 specimens, 27-45.5 mm.

Diagnosis. — A species of Paratrachichthys with vent between pec-
toral bases and scutes between vent and origin of anal fin. Resembles
the Pacific species of the subgenus Aulotrachichthys Fowler but with
dorsal formula usually V,13 and anal 11,9; teeth on vomer; lower jaw
fitting into notch between tooth patches of upper jaw; part of scales
cycloid, the others ctenoid; chin white with prominent^lack spot
between rami of lower jaws. ^-,

Description. 1 — Dorsal fin rays V,13 (V,12-14) ; anal rays 11,9 (11,9
rarely 10); pectoral rays 12 (11-13); scales in lateral line bearing
tubes 28 (26-28), scales in lengthwise series above lateral line 60 (48-
58), 10 irregular rows between lateral line and origin of dorsal and 17
rows between lateral line and origin of anal fin; abdominal scutes 7
(7-9); ventral rays 1,6 (1,6); caudal rays VI,ii, 9-8, ii,VI (VI,ii,9-8,
ii,VI); gill rakers on first arch 6 (5-6), one at angle, 11 (10-12) on
lower limb; 8 (8) branchiostegal rays; vertebrae 26 (counted in one
paratype) .

Depth of body 2.45 (2.10-2.64), length of head 2.60 (2.34-2.69),
length of snout 13.4 (10.9-13.6), diameter of eye 8.33 (7.24-8.30),
width of interorbital 10.4 (8.70-10.7), length of upper jaw 4.12
(3.05-4.30), depth of caudal peduncle 8.33 (7.24-8.77), length of
caudal peduncle 5.20 (4.70-5.64), length of upper caudal fin lobe 3.0
(2.67-3.05), length of lower caudal lobe 3.14 (2.82-3.21), length of
pectoral fin 3.95 (3.76-4.35), length of pelvic fin 5.17 (4.20-4.85), all
in standard length.

Body moderately deep, compressed; mouth large, oblique, max-
illary extending to or beyond posterior margin of orbit; teeth of jaws
in narrow band posteriorly, broad band anteriorly, inner row of teeth
larger, vomer with small patch of 3-4 minute teeth, teeth on palatines,
none on tongue; head ridges prominent with small spinules, mucous
cavities large, covered with thin membranes, radiating spinose ridges
on operculum, preopercle serrate on both vertical and horizontal
margins, strong spine at angle; suborbital bones with transverse
ridges, these bones forming a broad flange covering most of cheek,
area of cheek not covered by flange with ctenoid scales; small sub-
ocular shelf present; pseudobranchiae present; one or two granular
plates in front of developed gill rakers (these plates not included in

1 The counts and proportions of the type are given first, with the extremes
noted on paratypes in parentheses. See Table 1 for counts of all specimens.

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528 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 39

gill raker counts); scaly sheath along base of dorsal and anal fins,
these fins with no scales on membranes; scales, of most of the body
ctenoid except on anterior part of body below lateral line a patch
with cycloid scales, some scales on nape especially along midline of
back with median ridge or spine; spines of dorsal, anal and pelvic
fins smooth; lateral surface of rays of dorsal, anal and pectoral fins
and ventral surface of pelvic fin rays usually with minute spinules;
6 spines along dorsal and 6 along ventral base of caudal fin. Sides of
isthmus, base of pectoral fin, and along lower sides from under pelvic
fins past base of anal fin onto proximal half of caudal peduncle all
with gray subcutaneous striated areas (see fig. 100). Striated areas
on base of pectoral and along sides; solid strip of muscle tissue under-
lying striated area along sides, striated area of the isthmus overlying
bundle of muscle tissue.

Color (in alcohol). — Not much changed from fresh condition. Back
and sides light reddish brown, lower sides dark gray to black; tip of
snout light gray, jaws yellowish-white, a small intensely black median
spot just posterior to pale chin. Cheeks silvery, some specimens with
silver white spot on lower opercle. Gray striated patch on isthmus
and base of pectoral and forming streak along lower sides, reflecting
silvery- white, these areas usually outlined with black; branchiostegal
rays dusky; rugose tissue of vent black; peritoneum very dark purp-
lish brown; fins all pale yellowish white.

Remarks. — Paratrachichthys argyrophanus is closely related to P.
prosthemius Jordan and Fowler from Japan. The two species differ
in number of anal fin spines; also, P. argyrophanus has a longer
pectoral fin than prosthemius and prosthemius has a deeper caudal
peduncle. From P. latus Fowler from the Philippines, argyrophanus
differs in number of dorsal spines. The dorsal spines of latus are
smaller and weaker than in argyrophanus. P. argyrophanus differs
from P. trailli Hutton from New Zealand in number of anal spines
and gill rakers.

The suborbital flange of argyrophanus is broader than that of
prosthemius or latus as determined from examination of specimens
and as shown in figures of the types of these two species.

In both prosthemius and latus the lower jaw is described as pro-
jecting; in argyrophanus the lower jaw fits between tooth patches of
the upper jaw and is therefore included. All three species have a
small, pointed, bony projection at the symphysis of the lower jaw.

Jordan and Fowler (1902, p. 5, in key) list "vomer toothless"
as one of the characteristics of the genus Paratrachichthys. Fowler

WOODS: BERYCOID FISH FROM BRAZIL

529

B

Fig. 100. Paratrachichthys argyrophanus, new sp. A, Scale from upper side
below soft dorsal. B, Diagram showing striated area on isthmus, opercular bones
removed. C, Diagram showing striated areas on base of pectoral and along lower
side.

(1938, p. 40) in describing lotus states there are no teeth on the vomer.
I have examined a specimen of prosthemius (USNM 179739) and
two paratypes of latus (USNM 93420) and find a small patch of
minute teeth on the vomer of both species. Hutton (1875, p. 315)
and Arthur (1885, p. 162) mention the presence of small teeth on
the vomer of P. trailli, the type species of Paratrachichthys.

Kuwabara (1955) has described a luminous organ for P. pros-
themius "situated just before the anus, forming a black scaleless
depression. . . . Around the scaleless depression the luminous gland
is laid down opening in the wall of the rectum through a duct." This
is an "open type" luminous organ similar to those of Macrouridae,
Monocentridae, Acropomatidae, and Leiognathidae, which are cap-
able of direct emission of light by culture of symbiotic bacteria
within the luminous organ. Kuwabara also examined and figured

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WOODS: BERYCOID FISH FROM BRAZIL 531

the striated area along the ventral sides but found only muscle tissue
and so was unable to decide whether or not it is an element of the
luminous organ.

The species is named argyrophanus with reference to silvery-
white reflections from the cheeks and from the striated areas on the
base of the pectoral fin and along the lower sides.

REFERENCES
Arthur, W.

1885. Notes on New Zealand fishes. Trans, and Proc. New Zealand Inst., 17,
(1884), pp. 160-172, 1 pi.

Fowler, H. W.

1938. Descriptions of new fishes obtained by the United States Bureau of Fish-
eries steamer "Albatross," chiefly in Philippine seas and adjacent waters.
Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 85: 31-135, figs. 6-61.

Gunther, A.

1887. Report on the deep sea fishes collected by H.M.S. "Challenger" during
the years 1873-1876. Report on Sci. Res. Challenger, 22, (pt. 57), pp. 1-268,
66 pis.

Hutton, F. W.

1875. Descriptions of new species of New Zealand fish. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist.,
ser. 4, 16: 313-317.

Jordan, D. S., and Fowler, H. W.

1902. A review of the berycoid fishes of Japan. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 26:
1-21, figs. 1-4.

Jordan, D. S., and Starks, E. C.

1904. List of the fishes dredged by the steamer "Albatross" off the coast of
Japan in the summer of 1900, with description of new species and a review of
the Japanese Macrouridae. Bull. U. S. Fish. Comm. for 1902, pp. 577-628,
52 figs., pis. 1-8.

Kamohara, T.

1938. On the offshore bottom fishes of Prov. Tosa, Shikoku, Japan. 86 pp.,
43 figs. Maruzen, Tokyo.

1952. Revised descriptions of the offshore bottom fishes of Prov. Tosa, Shikoku,
Japan. 122 pp., 100 figs. Kochi Univ.

Koumans, F. P.

1953. Biological results of the Snellius Expedition XVI. The Pisces and Lepto-
cardii. Temminckia, 9: 177-275, 102 figs.

KUWABARA, SEISHI

1955. Some observations on the luminous organ of the fish, Parairachichthys
prosthemiu8 Jordan et Fowler. Jour. Shimonoseki College of Fisheries, 4, (2),
pp. 197-202, figs. 1-2.

McCulloch, A. R.
1921. Checklist of the fish and fish-like animals of New South Wales. Part 2.
Australian Zool., 2, (2), pp. 24-68, pis. 4-24.

Regan, C. T.

1916. Larval and post-larval fishes. Brit. Antarc. "Terra Nova" Exped., 1910,
Zool., 1, (4), pp. 125-156, 10 pis.

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