Leptobrotula breviventralis, a New Bathyal Fish Genus and Species from the Indo-West Pacific (Ophidiiformes, Ophidiidae)

Abstract

This new genus and species of Ophidiidae is described on the basis of four bathyally caught specimens, three from off the Hawaiian Islands and one from off Southeast Africa. It is characterized by a high, compressed body with a nonattenuate tail, an eye-diameter almost as long as the snout, a relatively strong opercular spine, short ventral fins, head of vomer enlarged with strong dentition and three basibranchial tooth patches, one median and a pair. Leptobrotula is closest to Glyptophidium with which it shares some advanced characters such as presence of paired basibranchial tooth patches, a large eye and head bones with thin crests. Leptobrotula differs from Glyptophidium in its compressed, high body, the non-attenuate tail, short ventral-fin rays and few, short pseudobranchial filaments (0-2).