Ventrifossa longibarbata Okamura 1982
Creators: name: Iwamoto, Tomio
name: Nakayama, Naohide
name: Shao, Kwang-Tsao
name: Table, Hsuan-Ching Ho
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Gadiformes
Macrouridae
Ventrifossa
Ventrifossa longibarbata

description: Ventrifossa longibarbata Okamura, 1982
Ventrifossa longibarbata Okamura in Okamura et al., 1982:157–159, pl. 94 (holotype BSKU 29494; Tosa Bay, Japan, 32°58.0ʹN, 133°32.0ʹE, 605 m; 4 paratypes, Tosa Bay, Suruga Bay, and Okinawa Trough, in 382–620 m).— Okamura in Masuda et al., 1984:94.— Okamura in Okamura and Kitajima, 1984:215, 361.— Iwamoto and Williams, 1999:228 (comparisons with V. nigrodorsalis et al.).— Chiou et al., 2004b:48, fig.20 (2 spec.; sw. Taiwan).
MATERIAL EXAMINED (45 spec.).— NET: ASIZP 65609 (1, 301 TL), CD 209, 508– 522 m; ASIZP 70242 (1, 133 TL), Da-xi. SWT: ASIZP 61242 (1, 272 TL), Dong-gang; ASIZP 61243 (2, 182–268 TL), Dong-gang and CAS 224884 [ex ASIZP 61243] (1, 238+ TL), Dong-gang; ASIZP 64114 (5, 185–225+ TL) and ASIZP 66950 (5, 53–55 TL), CD 194, 507 m; ASIZP 65532 (1, 290 TL) and ASIZP 65556 (1, 180 TL), CD 137, 316– 477 m; ASIZP 65602 (1, 185 TL), CD 138, 441 m; ASIZP 65629 (1, 155 TL), CD 233, 448– 526 m; ASIZP 65537 (1, 260 TL), CD 133, 690– 748 m. SCS: ASIZP 66102 (1, 58 HL, 285+ TL), CP 315, 509 m; ASIZP 66257 (1, 35.5 HL, 155+ TL), ASIZP 66267 (1, 31.6 HL, 140+ TL), and ASIZP 66779 (7, 23–36 HL, 110+-180+ TL), CD 311, 516 m; ASIZP 66948 (2, 150–210 TL), CD 136, 998– 1211 m; ASIZP 66263 (1, 37 HL, 200+ TL), CD 310, 364 m; ASIZP 66749 (3, 25–31 HL, 110+-170+ TL),) and ASIZP 66778 (2, 30–37 HL, 150+-160+ TL), CP 314, 506 m; ASIZP 66777 (2, 145–145+ TL, 24–30 HL; CP 313, 513 m; ASIZP 66812 (2, 24–25.5 HL, 120+-130+ TL), OCP 317, 515 m; ASIZP 66829 (2, 100+-130+ TL), CP 315, 509 m.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES (data from six Taiwan specimens).— 1D II,10–11; P i18–i21; V 8–9; total GR-I (lat/mesial) 10–12/15–17, GR-II 14–17/14–16; scale rows below midbase 1D 4.5–7.5, below 2D 5.0–6.5(9.0); lateral line scales over distance equal to predorsal length 37–41. Snout length 26–28% HL; preoral length 16–17%; interorbital 25–31%; orbit 29–36%; suborbital 12–14%; postorbital 42–48%; orbit to preopercle 41–46%; upper jaw 40–47%; barbel 28–39%; outer gill slit 26–28%. Color in life (from Okamura in Okamura et al., 1982:159) dark gray or swarthy dorsally, silvery on sides of head and body, black over gular region, lips, lower jaw, gill membranes, chest and ventrally on trunk; abdomen bluish under silvery reflections, suborbital region and ventral and posterior margin of gill cover blackish; mouth pale, gill cavities blackish posteriorly; leading edge of snout blackish; 1D with wide dusky to blackish midlateral section, but pale distally and along base; V black; P blackish; base of P silvery but with black distal edge and mesial lunate area. Attains at least 31 cm TL.
DISTRIBUTION.— From s. Japan to Taiwan (SWT) and South China Sea in 382–1211 m.
REMARKS.— This species closely resembles V. garmani in general physiognomy but differs in having a slightly longer barbel (28–39% HL vs. 21–29%), a darker midlateral region of 1D, more pyloric caeca (about 70 vs. <53 fide Okamura 1970:77), slender scale spinules (vs. triangular), and possibly darker V (black vs. dusky or blackish) and P (which appears to be blackish in Okamura’s [in Okamura et al., 1982:156] photograph of the holotype vs. “light” in V. garmani [Okamura, 1970:77]). The six Taiwan specimens from which the above measurements and counts were taken agree closely with the original description of V. longibarbata except for slight differences in interorbital width (25–31% HL cf. 21–26.5%), postorbital length (42–48% cf. 39–44%), P ray count (i18–i21 cf. i21–i26”), and scale rows (below 1D origin 7–12 cf. 12–14, below mid-base 1D 4.5–7.5 cf. 8.5–11.5, and below 2D origin 5.0–9.5 cf. 9.0–10.0). The 1D was also almost entirely dusky, with only faint trace of a midlateral stripe. Four additional examples taken off Kochi, Japan (BSKU 12919, 12920, 12922, and 12923) were examined by TI many years ago; they agree well with the original description of the species.
description: Published as part of Iwamoto, Tomio, Nakayama, Naohide, Shao, Kwang-Tsao & Table, Hsuan-Ching Ho, 2015, Synopsis of the Grenadier Fishes (Gadiformes; Teleostei) of Taiwan, pp. 31-126 in Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 62 (3) on pages 110-111, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.11512126