Abstract
Aldrovandia oleosa, a new halosaur closely related to A. phalacra (Vaillant), is described from the Tongue-of-the-Ocean, a deep oceanic trough in the Bahamas. Characters distinguishing A. oleosa from A. phalacra include the presence in the former of only 16-21 lateral-line scales anterior to the vent and an interspace between the pterygoid and palatine tooth patches that exceeds the length of the palatine patch. Unlike other halosaurs the new species has a very small gas bladder; however, its flesh is richly invested with oil. Fresh specimens of A. oleosa have a black head and a chocolate-brown body; preserved specimens become considerably faded. The new species is parasitized by a large copepod of the genus Lophoura. The parasite, which is highly specific for A. oleosa, attaches near the vent. A. oleosa is known from bathyal depths in the western Atlantic and the Gulf of Guinea region; it probably also occurs in the Indian Ocean.
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