Lycenchelys antarctica Regan 1913
- Dataset
- Studies on the Zoarcidae of the southern hemisphere. X. New records from western Antarctica.
- Rank
- SPECIES
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Chordata
- order
- Perciformes
- family
- Zoarcidae
- genus
- Lycenchelys
- species
- Lycenchelys antarctica
description
Description. Vertebrae 26 - 27 + 91 - 97 = 117 - 124; D 102 - 108; A 95 - 100; P 15 - 16; C 8 - 10; pelvics 2; branchiostegal rays 6; gill rakers 2 + 12; vomerine teeth 4; palatine teeth 4 - 6; pseudobranch and pyloric caeca absent. Following proportions as percent SL: head length 15.3 - 15.9; head width 5.6 - 7.9; head depth 6.2 - 7.2; predorsal length 28.7 - 29; preanal length 35.4 - 36.7; pectoral base depth 4.3 - 4.4; pectoral-fin length 7.9 - 9.7; body height 5.3 - 7.4; gill slit length 5.0 - 5.6. Following proportions as percent HL: head width 35.4 - 51.6; head depth 38.9 - 47.0; upper jaw length 38.5 - 41.6; snout length 32.4 - 32.6; eye diameter 15.8 - 17.8; gill slit length 31.6 - 36.8; pectoral-fin length 51.6 - 60.8; interorbital width 7.6 - 8.9; interpupillary width 17.4 - 22.4; caudal-fin length 5.4 - 6.9; pelvic-fin length 11.9 - 15.3. Pectoral base / length ratio: 44.6 - 54.5. Cephalic lateralis pore variation minimal; USNM 356654 with eight preoperculomandibular pores (pores 5 and 6 joined), the others with nine pores; suborbital pores 7 + 0 in SAM 34530, 8 + 0 in others; postorbital pore 1 only in all specimens; occipital and interorbital pores absent; two supraorbital (nasal) pores. Caudal-fin rays highly variable in this species (Anderson, 1988); present material with one epural, four upper hypural and three lower hypural rays in four fish; one (SAM 34600) with two epural and four upper and lower hypural rays, increasing count to 6 - 10 rays for the species. Lateral line ventrolateral, complete to tail tip. Dorsal-fin origin associated with vetebrae 13 - 14, with 8 - 9 free pterygiophores. Anal-fin pterygiophores inserted anterior to haemal spine of first caudal vertebra 4 - 6.
diagnosis
Diagnosis. Lycenchelys antarctica is distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: single, ventrolateral lateral line; preoperculomandibular pores usually nine; vertebrae 117 - 138; predorsal length 27 - 33 % SL; free dorsal-fin pterygiophores 6 - 16.
discussion
Remarks. Anderson (1988) redescribed this species from 14 specimens 139 - 257 mm SL, including the holotype of Lycenchelys atacamensis Andriashev. The present material agrees well with other specimens, but meristics are extended as USNM 356654 had the fewest vertebrae (26 + 91) encountered so far, and consequently the fewest dorsal and anal rays. Morphometric data are extended slightly for a few characters. The largest specimen here, SAM 34530, is the second known gravid female. It contained 17 ova 4.6 - 5.9 mm in diameter. MNHN 1990 - 645 extends the range of this species into the Weddell Sea.
materials_examined
Material examined. Scotia Sea: USNM 356654 (1 specimen; 181 mm SL), W of South Orkney Islands, 60 ° 45.5 ' S, 48 ° 13.5 ' W, 2511 - 2542 m, ISLAS ORCADAS coll. UMO 116, 10 ft beam trawl, 18 Feb. 1976, H. H. DeWitt. SAM 34530 (1; 242 mm SL), N of Elephant Island, 60 ° 37.2 ' S, 54 ° 55.9 ' W, 3213 - 3219 m, POLARSTERN sta. AGT- 39, Agassiz dredge, 26 Nov. 1996, K. - H. Kock. SAM 34600 (1; 211 mm SL), N of Elephant Island, 59 ° 09.5 ' S, 58 ° 32.3 ' W, 3721 - 3723 m, POLARSTERN sta. AGT- 2, Agassiz dredge, 15 Nov. 1996, K. - H. Kock. Weddell Sea: MNHN 1990 - 645 (2; 135 - 154 mm SL), off Kapp Norvegia, 71 ° 09.0 ' S, 13 ° 48.0 ' W, 2025 - 2037 m, POLARSTERN sta. 295, Agassiz beam trawl, 21 Feb. 1989, W. Arntz.