Biogeography 16.
23–29．Sep. 20, 2014

First record of Paracaristius maderensis from the central North Pacific and asecond specimen of Platyberyx rhyton (Perciformes: Caristiidae)
Makoto Okamoto1*, Duane E. Stevenson2 and Hiroyuki Motomura3
1

Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, 1551-8 Taira-machi, Nagasaki 851-2213, Japan
National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Resource Assessment andConservation Engineering Division, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, Washington 98115, USA
3
The Kagoshima University Museum, 1-21-30 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
2

Abstract. Two significant specimens of the perciform fish family Caristiidae were recently collected in the
North Pacific near Japan. One of these, identified as Paracaristius maderensis (Maul, 1949), was collectedfrom the Kinmei Seamount, in the Emperor Seamount chain. This specimen represents the first record of thespecies from the central North Pacific. Another specimen, collected from off Iwate Prefecture, northeasternJapan, is only the second known specimen of Platyberyx rhyton Stevenson and Kenaley, 2013. Here we reportmorphological details of these two specimens, propose a new Japanese name for Pl. rhyton, and provide a key
to the species of Caristiidae known from Japan.
Key words: Caristiidae, manefish, distribution, North Pacific, new record.

Introduction

chain, identified as Paracaristius maderensis (Maul,
1949), and a single specimen from off northeastern

The mesopelagic fish family Caristiidae, com-

Japan, identified as Platyberyx rhyton Stevenson &monly known as manefishes or veilfins, is currently

Kenaley, 2013. These specimens represent the firstcomprised of four genera and about 18 species,

record of Pa. maderensis from the central North

which occurs in tropical, temperate and subarctic

Pacific and only the second known specimen of Pl.

oceans (Stevenson & Kenaley 2011, 2013; Kukuev

rhyton. In this article, we note the morphologicalet al. 2012, 2013). The family is characterized by acharacters of these specimens, present a new Japanese

having deep, laterally compressed head and body,name for Pl. rhyton, and provide a key to the species

large and delicate dorsal and anal fins, and a sheathof Caristiidae in Japan.

on the dorsal and ventral surface of the body. These

Materials and methods

fishes are caught mainly by bottom- or mid-water
trawls, but are rarely collected.
In an ongoing taxonomic study of the mesopelagic

Methods of counting and measuring follow Hubbs

fishes from the North Pacific, the first author ob-& Lagler (1958), except that body depth is measured

tained several specimens of caristiid fishes. These in-through the dorsal insertion of the pectoral fin. The

clude a single specimen from the Emperor Seamountlast two soft rays of the dorsal and anal fins arecounted as single rays, each pair being associatedwith a single pterygiophore. Counts of dorsal- and*Corresponding author: jitabagu@yahoo.co.jp

anal-fin rays and vertebrae were taken from radio－ 23 －Two manefishes in the North Pacificgraphs. The lateral-line scale count of Pl. rhyton isand interhyal and posterior ceratohyal articulation;

not included in the table because the series is bro-dorsal-fin rays 29–31; anal-fin rays 18–19; position

ken. Standard length and head length are expressedof dorsal-fin origin posterior to orbit; and jaw teeth

as SL and HL, respectively. Sex was confirmed byarranged in multiple rows.

dissection of the right side of the abdomen. The di-Remarks. The genus Paracaristius is distinguishedagnoses of Pa. maderensis and Pl. rhyton given here

from all other caristiid genera by the absence ofare based on the present specimens and Stevenson

vomerine and palatine teeth, and four species are& Kenaley (2011, 2013). Specimens examined forregarded as valid (Stevenson & Kenaley 2011).

this study are deposited at the Kagoshima Univer-Two species of the genus, Pa. maderensis and Pa-

sity Museum in Kagoshima, Japan (KAUM) and theracaristius nudarcus Stevenson & Kenaley, 2011,

University of Washington Fish Collection (UW) inare distributed in Japan (Fujii 1984 as Caristius sp.;

Seattle, Washington, USA.

Stevenson & Kenaley 2011; Tatsuta et al. 2014).
These species differ in the position of the dorsal-fin

Paracaristius maderensis (Maul, 1949)

origin and the arrangement of jaw teeth (Stevenson[Japanese name: Madeira-kokuchi-yaegisu]& Kenaley 2011, see below key to the species).

(Fig. 1A; Table 1)

The specimen of Pa. maderensis reported here

Caristius macropus (not of Bellotti) Norman, 1930:(KAUM–I. 59002) matches the morphological de-343 (eastern South Atlantic).

scription given by Stevenson & Kenaley (2011), andCaristius maderensis Maul, 1949: 22 (type local-

the meristics and morphometrics agree closely with

ity: off Madeira); Nielsen 1979: 339 (list; eastern
North Atlantic); Post 1986: 747 (off Madeira);
Post 1990: 765 (list; eastern Atlantic); Trunov &Kukuev 2004: 180 (Nova Scotia).
Paracaristius maderensis Trunov et al. 2006; 442(eastern central Pacific, eastern South Atlantic,
western North Atlantic); Tweddle & Anderson
2008: 11 (off Angola); Hartel et al. 2008: 329(based on Trunov and Kukuev 2004); Stevenson &Kenaley 2011: 392 (tropical North Atlantic, western North Pacific, and southern Indian Ocean);
Amaoka 2013: 97 (near Bonin Islands); Tatsuta etal. 2014 (Ogasawara Islands, western North Pacific).
Material examined. KAUM–I. 59002, 215 mm
SL, female, Kinmei Seamount, Emperor Seamountchain, 720 m depth, 23 August 2013.
Diagnosis. A species of Paracaristius with theFig. 1.

following combination of characters: fingerlike
papillae absent along dorsal margin of hyoid arch－ 24 －

Two caristiids from the North Pacific. A, Paracaristius maderensis, KAUM–I. 59002, 215 mm SL, Emperor
Seamount chain; B, Platyberyx rhyton, KAUM–I.
59004, 88 mm SL, off northeastern Japan.

Makoto Okamoto, Duane E. Stevenson and Hiroyuki Motomura

Table 1. Meristic and morphometric characters of Paracaristius maderensis and Platyberyx rhyton.
Paracaristius maderensis
Present study

Platyberyx rhyton

Stevenson & Kenaley (2011)

n=1

Present study

n=8

Stevenson & Kenaley (2013)

n=1

n=1

Standard length (mm)215

180–247

88

146

Vertebrae

16 + 20 (36)

16–17 + 19–20 (35–36)

15 + 18 (33)

15 + 19 (34)

Dorsal-fin rays

29

29–31

31

30

Anal-fin rays

19

18–19

18

18

Pectoral-fin rays

17

16–18

18

18

Vomerine teeth

AbsentAbsent6

11Palatine teeth

AbsentAbsent10

14

Upper-jaw teeth

60

34–85

35*

40

Lower-jaw teeth

45

20–72

25*

34

Gill rakers

7 + 15 (22)

7 + 15–16 (22–23)

6 + 15 (21)

6 + 15 (21)

Body depth

56.3

49.6–57.6

52.5

45.3

Head length

30.7

29.0–34.3

33.9

30.6

Predorsal length

17.6

15.9–24.5

16.9

14.9

Prepectoral length

31.5

31.7–40.4

34.0

31.4

Prepelvic length

29.9

27.8–46.2

28.5

27.6

Pectoral-fin base

6.9

6.7–7.6

8.4

7.2

Preanal length

59.7

59.0–69.6

52.4

52.9

As % SL

Dorsal-fin base

75.8

66.0–75.3

77.0

76.0

Anal-fin base

40.2

33.7–38.0

39.5

36.8

Peduncle length

14.1

11.4–14.5

13.5

13.5

Peduncle depth

16.0

14.9–16.0

12.8

13.2

Upper-jaw length

34.8

44.4–52.2

59.4

56.9

Lower-jaw length

31.1

39.5–49.2

56.4

57.6

45.6

47.2

As % HL

Bony orbit width
36.7
37.0–43.8*Tooth counts are approximate due to specimen damage.

previously reported ranges. The only exceptions are

our data for this specimen extend the ranges for Pa.

the upper- and lower-jaw lengths in this specimen

maderensis to approximately parallel those of other(34.8% HL and 31.1% HL vs. 44.4–52.2% HL andcongeners. Thus, we find no significant morphologi-

39.5–49.2% HL in Stevenson & Kenaley 2011, re-cal differences between this specimen and the speci-

spectively: see Table 1), which are outside the ranges

mens of Pa. maderensis examined by Stevenson &listed in Stevenson & Kenaley (2011). However, theKenaley (2011).

previously published morphometric ranges for thisParacaristius maderensis is distributed in the both

species are based on a relatively small sample size

the eastern and western tropical North Atlantic,(8 specimens), and therefore may not represent the

Kyushu-Palau Ridge and near Bonin Islands (western

full range of morphometric variation in the species.

North Pacific), and the southern Indian Ocean (Ste-There is no indication that relative jaw length is avenson & Kenaley 2011; Amaoka 2013; Tatsuta etsignificant taxonomic character in this genus, andal. 2014). In the central North Pacific, Loeb (1979)－ 25 －

Two manefishes in the North Pacificreported five larval and juvenile specimens (4.3–13.5

macropus and Pa. maderensis. However, accordingmm) of“Caristius sp. (prob. maderensis)”collected

to Stevenson & Kenaley (2011, 2013), four species

from the Hancock Seamounts. On the basis of thisof the family are distributed in the eastern North Pa-

statement, Mundy (2005) treated Pa. maderensis

cific: C. macropus; Pa. nudarcus; Platyberyx andri-as an uncertain species in his checklist of Hawai-

ashevi (Kukuev, et al. 2012); and Platyberyx paucus

ian fishes. However, at the time of Loeb’s (1979)

Stevenson & Kenaley, 2013. Similarly, Okamoto et

publication Pa. maderensis was the only recognizedal. (2010) reported larval specimens of C. macro-

species of the small-mouth group (Paracaristiinae

pus from Japan identified based on the same limited

sensu Kukuev 2013), so her material could have rep-

taxonomic framework. Because it is now clear that

resented Pa. nudarcus, and Pa. maderensis has not

at least four species of the family are distributed insubsequently been clearly documented from the cen-Japan (Stevenson & Kenaley 2011, 2013, see the fol-tral North Pacific. Thus, our specimen represents thelowing key to species), these previous investigations

first confirmed record of the species from the central

should be re-evaluated and more taxonomic researchNorth Pacific (Fig. 2).

on the early life stages of Caristiidae is needed.

Moser (1996) provided figures and a descriptionof larval and juvenile specimens of Pa. maderensis(as Caristius maderensis) from the eastern North Pa-

Platyberyx rhyton Stevenson & Kenaley, 2013cific with a brief description of larval Caristius mac-

[New Japanese name: Sanriku-yaegisu]

ropus (Bellotti, 1903) collected from the equatorial(Fig. 1B; Table 1)

region of the eastern Pacific. His identification was

Platyberyx rhyton Stevenson & Kenaley, 2013:

based on his understanding that the only two species

424 (type locality: off northeastern Japan, westernof Caristiidae found in the North Pacific were C.

North Pacific).

Fig. 2. Distributional records of Paracaristius maderensis (solid triangle = present study; open
triangles = Stevenson & Kenaley 2011) and Platyberyx rhyton (solid circle = present study; open
circle = Stevenson & Kenaley 2013).

－ 26 －

Makoto Okamoto, Duane E. Stevenson and Hiroyuki Motomura

genera by the presence of a conspicuous lateral linewith large scales (Stevenson & Kenaley 2013). Of
these, only Pl. rhyton has been reported from Japan.
This species was originally described based on asingle specimen from northeastern Japan off Iwate
Prefecture (39˚02’N, 143˚30’E) at 650–677 m depth(Stevenson & Kenaley 2013). Our specimen, which
represents only the second recorded specimen of
the species, was also collected by mid-water trawl
from near the type locality at 0–750 m depth (Fig.
2). Our specimen (KAUM–I. 59004) matches themorphological description given by Stevenson & Kenaley (2013), and the meristics and morphometrics
are very similar to those of the holotype. Counts of
dorsal-fin rays (30 in the holotype vs. 31 in the present specimen) and vertebrae (34 vs. 33) are slightly
different between the holotype and the second specimen, but well within the typical range of meristic
variation in caristiids. Tooth counts are all lower in
Fig. 3. Other two species of Japanese caristiids. A, Caristius
macropus, KAUM–I. 59000, 192 mm SL, off northeasternJapan; B, Paracaristius nudarcus, KAUM–I. 59001, 62mm SL, off northeastern Japan.

our specimen than in holotype, but the specimen hassustained some damage to the jaw and mouth, sothese counts should be considered estimates. Even if
they are accurate, they would fall within the typicalrange of variation for caristiid species. Therefore, weMaterial examined. KAUM–I. 59004, 88 mm

find no significant differences between this specimen

SL, sex unknown, 39˚57.60’N, 146˚04.76’E, off

and the holotype of Pl. rhyton (NSMT-P 59274). We

Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, 0–750 m depth,

propose two new Japanese names, Sanriku-yaegisu-

mid-water trawl, 15 March 2005.

zoku and Sanriku-yaegisu “Sanriku”(
is collecting

Diagnosis. A species of Platyberyx with the fol-

locality, the name of a district of the Pacific coast of

lowing combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays

northeastern Japan), for the genus Platyberyx and

30–31; anal-fin rays 18; pectoral-fin rays 18; verte-

Pl. rhyton, respectively.

brae 33–34; ventral caudal spur absent; prepectoral

Key to the species of Caristiidae in Japan

length 31.4–34.0% SL; dorsal-fin base 76.0–77.0%
SL; upper jaw extending approximately to posterior
margin of orbit; gill rakers narrow, bladelike, with

1a. Lateral line present, with enlarged pored scales

few bristles concentrated near tip; jaw teeth arranged………………… Platyberyx rhyton (Fig. 1B)

in single row; dorsal pharyngeal papillae saclike,

1b. Lateral line absent, without enlarged pored
scales ……………………………………… 2

multifid papillae absent inside mouth.
Remarks. The genus Platyberyx, which includes

2a. Suborbital series expanded, overlapping bones

six species, is distinguished from all other caristiidof upper jaw and forming a broad space be-－ 27 －

Two manefishes in the North Pacific

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