Reexamination of Bregmaceros lanceolatus Shen, 1960 with description of a new species Bregmaceros pseudolanceolatus (Gadiformes: Bregmacerotidae)

Abstract

Based on our reexamination of the 9 specimens including the neotype, Bregmaceros lanceolatus is recharacterized and diagnosed by the following combination of features: caudal fin rounded; scales present on gill cover; dorsal surface of snout unpigmented or with a few chromatophores; isthmus pigmented with punctate chromatophores; two parapophyses on abdominal vertebrae; dorsal rays (D) 65–74; anal rays (A) 67–74; vertebrae (V) 58–61; longitudinal scales (LS) ca. 82–88; principal caudal rays (PC) 16–18; head length (HL)/standard length (SL) 14.0–15.5%; caudal peduncle depth/SL 3.2–4.2%. Based on 27 specimens, B. pseudolanceolatus sp. nov. is described. This species is closely similar to B. lanceolatus, but is diagnosed by the following combination of features: caudal fin rounded; scales present on gill cover; dense concentration of chromatophores on dorsal surface of snout; isthmus colorless; one board-like parapophysis on the last three abdominal vertebrae; D 58–64; A 58–67; V 52–55; LS ca. 68–77; PC 14–16; HL 15.5–18.4% SL; caudal peduncle depth 4.1–5.2% SL. Bregmaceros pseudolanceolatus is known from around the Taiwan Strait, southern East China Sea, South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand, Timor Sea, Arafura Sea, and eastern Bay of Bengal.