New records of a rare gibberfish, Gibberichthyslatifrons (Stephanoberyciformes, Gibberichthyidae), from the South China Sea, with comments on morphological characters.

Abstract

The gibberfish Gibberichthyslatifrons is recorded for the first time from southwestern Taiwan, northern South China Sea, based on the collection of seven adults and subadults from the Dong-gang fish market, Pingtung. These specimens represent the northernmost extent of the adult range of the species, and they fill a distributional gap in the western Pacific Ocean. Our findings suggest that a population of the species has become recently established in the region. Detailed descriptions, otolith morphology, and fresh coloration are provided with comments on the morphological characteristics of the genus.