Lophiomus carusoi Chen, Lee & Chen, 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Chen, Hsuan-Pu
name: Lee, Mao-Ying
name: Chen, Wei-Jen
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Lophiiformes
Lophiidae
Lophiomus
Lophiomus carusoi

description: Lophiomus carusoi sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 80F54EA1-8E6B-4C02-BC49-1D5D4A01954C
Figs 14, 15E, 16E–F; Tables 3–6
Lophiomus setigerus (not Vahl, 1797) – Caruso 1983: 13 (in part)
Diagnosis
This new species can be separated from other congeners by the combination of dorsal-fin spines 6, pelvic-fin rays 7, pectoral-fin rays 23–24, ISP 48.6–56.7% of the HL, brown body coloration, peritoneum with dark pigmentation, and reticulate pattern on the floor of the mouth.
Differential diagnosis
Lophiomus carusoi sp. nov. is most similar to its sibling species Lm. nigriventris sp. nov., with the distinctions highlighted in the differential diagnosis of Lm. nigriventris. Furthermore, it can also be differentiated from its potential sympatric species, Lm. laticeps, by the variations outlined previously in the differential diagnosis of Lm. laticeps.
Etymology
The name ‘ carusoi ’ is a Latinized eponym honoring John Caruso, an ichthyologist who made significant contributions to the taxonomy of Lophiidae.
Material examined
Holotype
CORAL SEA • 263.5 mm SL, sample ID: NC2059; West Pacific, Coral Sea, E off New Caledonia, stn CP5131; 20°34′ S, 164°58′42″ E; 354–368 m deep; 1 Jul. 2021; GenBank nos: OR261058 (COI), OR257539 (cytb), OR260578 (rhodopsin), OR257554 (RAG1); Voucher: MNHN 2024-0099.
Paratypes
CORAL SEA • 292.5 mm SL, sample ID: NC1978; West Pacific, Coral Sea, E off New Caledonia, stn CP5126; 20°53.4′ S, 165°32.8′ E; 427–468 m deep; 30 Jun. 2021; RV ALIS; French beam trawl; SPANBIOS exped.; GenBank nos: OR261059 (COI), OR257540 (cytb), OR260575 (rhodopsin), OR257553 (RAG1); Voucher: NTUM17682 • 121.0 mm SL; West Pacific, Coral Sea, E off New Caledonia, “au large passe Yaté”, stn CP3834; 22°06′ S, 167°04′ E; 257–258 m deep; 9 Sep. 2011; EXBODI exped.; Voucher: ASIZP73490 • 235.0 mm SL; West Pacific, Coral Sea, E off New Caledonia, “au large passe de la Sarcelles”, stn CP3844; 22°20′ S, 167°22′ E; 815–970 m deep; 10 Sep. 2011; Voucher: ASIZP73491.
Description
Adult
MEASUREMENTS AND MERISTIC COUNTS. Morphometric values given in Tables 3 and 4. Dorsal-fin spines 6; dorsal-fin rays 8; anal-fin rays 6; pectoral-fin rays 23–24; pelvic-fin rays 7; branchiostegal rays 5; quadrate spine 1; interopercular spines 2; vertebrae 18; outermost row of premaxillary teeth 12–27 (Tables 5–6).
HEAD AND BODY. Head relatively short (28.4%–32.7% of SL, mean 29.8 ± 0.02%) and wide (58.1%– 68.6% of HL, mean 63.2 ± 0.04%); eyes suboval; anterior half of premaxilla with three rows of enlarged teeth, largest on innermost row, followed by single row of small teeth on posterior half; maxilla toothless; palatine with single row of small teeth with some enlarged; dentary with three rows of teeth, outer teeth minute and innermost teeth largest; fifth ceratobranchial with two rows of small teeth, forming V-shaped patch; teeth on second and third pharyngobranchials forming small and rounded patches; gill rakers and pseudobranch absent. Palatine spines sharp, with posterior one stronger; frontal ridges and outer surface of maxilla bones bearing low and conical knobs; frontal spines blunt, with posterior one sharper and stronger; inner sphenotic spines low and blunt; outer sphenotic spines blunt; pterotic spines broad and blunt; parietal, epiotic, and posttemporal spines short and blunt, inconspicuous; articular spines strong and sharp, with single spine anterior to jaw joint and projected upward; quadrate spines strong and sharp; hyomandibular spines blunt; opercular spines blunt; interopercular spines blunt; subopercular spines sharp; cleithral spines strong and blunt; humeral spines well developed, with three to four sharp spinelets at its tip; edge of head and caudal peduncle covered by brown tendrils.
FINS. Illicium relatively long (24.6%–33.7% of SL, mean 27.9 ± 0.04%), without tendrils and extending beyond base of third dorsal spine; esca pennant-like flap without cirri or tassel-like flap with short cirri, sometimes with two dark, small, bulb-like appendages at base of esca; second dorsal-fin spine relatively long (19.7%–23.1% of SL, mean 21.9 ± 0.02%), stout, reaching base of third dorsal-fin spine, with dark tendrils; third dorsal-fin spine moderately long (19.3%–28.9% of SL, mean 23.8 ± 0.04%), slender, reaching base of retracted fourth dorsal-fin spine, base imbedded under skin, without tendrils; fourth dorsal-fin spine slender, about basal ⅓ imbedded under skin and with dark tendrils, reaching base of fifth dorsal-fin spine; fifth and sixth dorsal-fin spines short, mostly imbedded under skin and with dark tendrils; first dorsal-fin ray relatively close to second, both imbedded under skin, last two rays short; anterior three anal-fin rays imbedded under skin.
COLORATION (PRESERVED). Body color brown, covered by minute pale spots densely and irregular blackish-brown spots scarcely on dorsal surface; ventral surface pale, with peritoneum black; floor of mouth light with reticulate dark pattern; dorsal surface of pectoral-fins dark and pattern pigmented as adjacent area of body; dorsal-fin pale; caudal fin dark basally and apically, with pattern same as adjacent area of body.
COLORATION (FRESH). Body color khaki, covered by pale spot scarcely, blackish-brown reticulate marking and pigment spots on dorsal surface; dorsal surface of pectoral-fins blackish brown with pattern same as adjacent area of body basally; dorsal-fin pink; caudal fin dark basally and apically, tinged with pink, with pattern same as adjacent area of body.
Subdult
Unknown.
Distribution
Coral Sea, waters off New Caledonia at depths of 257–970 m (holotype and three adult paratypes); waters off eastern Australia at depths of 132–187 m (ten sequences from the BOLD systems) (this study, Fig. 1).
Remarks
Five specimens collected from the eastern Australian coast were examined by Caruso (1983: 13), suggesting that this new species might previously have been considered as an intraspecific variation of Lm. setigerus. Ten COI sequences initially identified as Lm. setigerus, obtained from the BOLD system, were reevaluated and considered to represent this new species. Photos of these samples (FOAN 1063- 11–FOAN1068-11), available on the BOLD systems, also demonstrate morphological similarities to this new species, particularly in terms of brown body coloration and the reticulate and dark pigmentation of the floor of the mouth, further supporting their conspecific status. Ho & Chen (2013) identified two specimens of Lophiomus (ASIZP 73490 and ASIZP 73491) collected from New Caledonia at depths of 815–970 m to be Lm. setigerus. However, the present morphological examination suggests that they should be Lm. carusoi sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Chen, Hsuan-Pu, Lee, Mao-Ying & Chen, Wei-Jen, 2024, Integrative taxonomy reveals unanticipated hidden diversity in the monotypic goosefish genus Lophiomus (Teleostei, Lophiidae), with description of three new species and resurrection of Chirolophius laticeps Ogilby, 1910, pp. 239-287 in European Journal of Taxonomy 943 on pages 275-276, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.943.2599, http://zenodo.org/record/12806098