A new deep-sea ophidiid fish,Bassozetus levistomatus, from the Izu-Bonin Trench, Japan

Abstract

A new deep-sea ophidiid fish,Bassozetus levistomatus, is described on the basis of a single specimen trawled from the Izu-Bonin Trench, Japan, at a depth of 5,160 m. This species differs from its congeners by having the toothless head of its prevomer covered with the oral epithelium. It is further distinguished by the following combination of characters: no median basibranchial tooth patches, 29 pectoral fin rays, and 11 developed rakers on the first gill arch.