Kali falx Melo, 2008, new species
Creators: name: Melo, Marcelo R. S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Actinopterygii
Perciformes
Chiasmodontidae
Kali
Kali falx

description: Kali falx, new species
(Figs. 1 G, 9, and 10; Tables 1, 3, and 5)
Kali indica Johnson 1969: 587 –588 [in part]; Johnson and Cohen 1974: 39 –41 [in part]; Mundy 2005: 455 [checklist of Hawaiian species, in part].
Holotype. USNM 207618, 162.9 mm, Guinean Province, Atlantic Ocean, 7°32’ N, 20°54’W, 0–1300, 14–IV– 1971, R/V Walther Herwig.
Paratypes. Atlantic, Guinean Province: USNM 392645, 2, 104.0- 145.7 mm (females), collected with holotype, USNM 392646, 1 (114.5 mm, cs, male), collected with holotype. Indian: USNM 207617, 1, 134.3 mm (female), 13°58’ N, 65° 0 2 E, 2870 m, 20–V–1964, R/V Anton Bruun. Pacific, Pacific Plate. FMNH 88147, 1, 126.1 mm, 21°23’ N, 158°18’ W, 20– II –1971, R.E. Young col.; SIO 60–243–60, 1, 164.3 mm, 10°22’ N, 147°18’ W, 0–2100 m, 9–VII–1960, R/V Spencer Baird; SIO 71–294–60, 1, 129.8 mm, 27°28.7’ N, 155°19.6’ W, 29–IX–1971, R/V Thomas Washington. Eastern Pacific: SIO 65–198–60, 1, 159.5 mm, 28°29’ N, 116°22’ W, 12–VI–1965, R/V Horizon
Non-type specimens (poorly preserved specimen). Indian: ISH 5322, 1, 96.3 mm, 15°00’ N, 70°00’ E [coordinates inferred], 18– II –1965.
Diagnosis. Kali falx is diagnosed from its congeners by a unique characteristic: first tooth in lateral remarkably enlarged, 17.2–20.5% in premaxillary length, sickle-shaped, projecting anteriorly (vs. first tooth in lateral series of premaxilla of same size or smaller than adjacent teeth in K. colubrina, K. kerberti, K. macrodon, K. macrura, and K. parri; fang-like, 15.2–16.4% in premaxillary length, slightly curved, not projecting anteriorly in K. indica).
Kali falx can be further distinguished from all species of Kali, except K. indica by the teeth in lateral series of premaxilla six to nine, very elongated, curved, and widely spaced (vs. lateral series of premaxilla with 15 or more teeth; with ventral attachment¸ recurved in K. parri; type 4, needle-like, in K. kerberti and K. macrodon and the anterior third of premaxilla in K. macrura; not very elongated in K. colubrina); mesial series of premaxilla with three teeth developed as fang (vs. mesial series of premaxilla with four or more teeth in all other species, not developed as fangs in K. colubrina, K. macrura, and K. parri); first tooth in lateral series of premaxilla with movement restricted by a tight type 4 ligament, fang-like, positioned at antero-ventral tip (vs. first tooth in lateral series of premaxilla not remarkably elongated in any other species). Kali falx can be further distinguished from K. indica by the smaller eye, orbit width 11.2–16.0% and orbit height 9.7– 12.4% in head length (vs. eye enlarged, orbit width 15.4–22.7% and orbit height 12.5–18% in head length); basihyal reduced and strongly curved, pointing ventrally (vs. basihyal not reduced and curved, pointing forward); first tooth in lateral series of premaxilla anteriorly arched, projecting anteriorly, 17.2–20.5% in premaxillary length (vs. first tooth in lateral series of premaxilla slightly curved, not projecting anteriorly, 15.2– 16.4 % in premaxillary length); first tooth in mesial series of premaxilla below level of anterior nostril, and beside second tooth of lateral series (vs. first tooth in mesial of premaxilla anterior to level of anterior nostril, and to second tooth of lateral series); first tooth in mesial series of dentary between second and third teeth of lateral series (vs. first tooth in mesial series of dentary beside second tooth of lateral series).
Description. Moderate-sized species of Kali, largest specimen examined 159.5 mm SL. Meristic data summarized in table 3, and morphometric in table 5. General body pattern as described for genus.
Dentition. Teeth present on premaxilla, dentary, palatine, upper and lower pharyngobranchials; premaxilla and dentary as illustrated in figure 1 G and summarized in table 1. Tooth crown length 30.6–40.0% in tooth length. Premaxilla elongate, slightly arched in lateral view, with teeth arranged in two series: lateral and mesial. Lateral series in single row; teeth caniniform, with flange, widely spaced. First tooth with tight type 4 attachment, sickle-shaped, with flange, arched anteriorly, remarkably enlarged, 17.2–20.5% in premaxillary length, inserted at antero-ventral tip of premaxilla, tip of tooth pointing slightly caudally, attachment to bone tight, movement restricted. Following teeth in lateral series type 4, curved, with flange, decreasing in size from anterior to posterior, at lateral edge of premaxilla; second tooth halfway between first tooth and anterior nostril; third tooth at level of posterior nostril, fifth below mid-eye, remaining teeth needle-like, at posterior third of premaxilla. Mesial series in single row; teeth with ventral attachment, recurved, with flange, fanglike, largest tooth 23.9–30.0% in premaxillary length. Teeth widely spaced, decreasing in size from anterior to posterior; base of first tooth beside second tooth of lateral series; second tooth below anterior half of eye; and third tooth beside fifth tooth of lateral series.
Dentary elongate, moderately arched in lateral view; teeth arranged in two series: lateral and mesial. Lateral series in single row; teeth type 4, caniniform, with flange, slightly curved, widely spaced; anterior tooth longest, teeth decreasing in size from anterior to posterior, first and second teeth opposite to first and second teeth in lateral series of premaxilla, respectively; third and fourth slightly posterior to third and fourth teeth in lateral series of premaxilla; remaining teeth at posterior third of dentary. Mesial series in irregular single row; teeth with ventral attachment, recurved, with flange, fang-like, largest tooth 18.8–22.6% in dentary length. Teeth widely spaced, decreasing in size from anterior to posterior; base of first mesial tooth at level of anterior nostril, opposite to gap between first and second teeth in mesial series premaxilla; second, at level of mid-eye, slightly posterior to second mesial tooth of premaxilla; third, slightly posterior to third mesial tooth of premaxilla.
Palatine teeth type 4, needle-like, without flange, in single row. Lower pharyngeal teeth type 4, needlelike, without flange, in single row; upper pharyngeal teeth type 4, needle-like, without flange, in small patches. Tooth-like gill rackers absent in gill arches, basihyal and basibranchials.
Color. Skin covering fragile, body missing in most specimens, description mainly based on holotype. Epidermis black, thin and fragile, completely destroyed or restricted to small patches in all specimens examined; dermis thick and gelatinous, whitish or clear gray, with widely spaced melanophores. Peritoneum transparent, with moderate concentration of melanophores. Orobranchial chamber pale, with few widely-spaced melanophores in roof, sides of mouth, opercle, membranes between branchiostegal rays, basihyal, basibranchials, gill arches and gill filaments.
Distribution. Equatorial and tropical regions of the northern hemisphere: from a single locality in eastern Atlantic at 8° N; two localities in Indian at about 14° N; and Pacific Plate and Eastern Pacific, between 29° N and 10° N.
Bathymetric distribution. Bathypelagic zone; known from few localities between 1300 and 2870 m (mean 2090 m).
Etymology. From the Latin falx, sickle; in a reference to the well developed sickle-shaped anterior most tooth, a diagnostic characteristic for the species. A noun in apposition.
description: Published as part of Melo, Marcelo R. S., 2008, The genus Kali Lloyd (Chiasmodontidae: Teleostei) with description of new two species, and the revalidation of K. kerberti Weber, pp. 1-33 in Zootaxa 1747 on pages 28-30, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.181658