Careproctus rhomboides, a new snailfish (Cottoidei: Liparidae) from the western North Pacific

Abstract

The new snailfish Careproctus rhomboides is described on the basis of four specimens collected from the southern Sea of Okhotsk (570–825 m depth), off Hokkaido, Japan. The new species is most similar to Careproctus bowersianus Gilbert and Burke 1912, with both species having the following characters: teeth trilobed; snout blunt; cephalic pore pattern 2-6-7-2; gill slit small above pectoral fin (or extending down in front of upper ray); pectoral fin shallowly notched; pelvic disk moderately large, ca. 20% in head length; and stomach black. The new species is distinguished from congeners, including C. bowersianus, by the following combination of characters: total vertebrae 59–61; dorsal-fin rays 56 or 57; anal-fin rays 49–52; pectoral-fin rays 32–34; pyloric caeca 13–16; cephalic pore pattern 2-6-7-2, chin pores paired in separate pits; maximum body depth 22.4–30.5% in standard length (SL); inner teeth on both jaws strongly trilobed; pelvic disk oval, slightly longer than width, length 4.3–7.7% SL (18.9–33.9% head length); gill opening small, extending to just above pectoral fin; stomach black and peritoneum pale in preserved specimens.