Synopsis of the Grenadier Fishes (Gadiformes; Teleostei) of Taiwan Author Iwamoto, Tomio Section of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA; Author Nakayama, Naohide Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Science, Kochi University, 2 - 5 - 1 Akebono-cho, Kochi, 780 - 8073, Japan; Author Shao, Kwang-Tsao Research Center for Biodiversity, Academia Sinica No. 128, Sec. 2, Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan; Author Table, Hsuan-Ching Ho text Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 2015 2015-04-15 62 3 31 126 journal article 299670 10.5281/zenodo.11512126 522b8de7-880d-40ca-803e-aa5a3a05c5f6 0068-547X 11512126 Ventrifossa longibarbata Okamura, 1982 Ventrifossa longibarbata Okamura in Okamura et al., 1982:157–159 , pl. 94 ( holotype BSKU 29494; Tosa Bay, Japan , 32°58.0ʹN, 133°32.0ʹE, 605 m ; 4 paratypes , Tosa Bay, Suruga Bay, and Okinawa Trough, in 382–620 m ).— Okamura in Masuda et al., 1984:94 .— Okamura in Okamura and Kitajima, 1984:215, 361.— Iwamoto and Williams, 1999:228 (comparisons with V. nigrodorsalis et al.).— Chiou et al., 2004b:48 , fig.20 ( 2 spec. ; sw. Taiwan). MATERIAL EXAMINED ( 45 spec. ).— NET : ASIZP 65609 (1, 301 TL), CD 209, 508– 522 m ; ASIZP 70242 (1, 133 TL), Da-xi . SWT : ASIZP 61242 (1, 272 TL), Dong-gang ; ASIZP 61243 (2, 182–268 TL), Dong-gang and CAS 224884 [ex ASIZP 61243 ] (1, 238+ TL), Dong-gang ; ASIZP 64114 (5, 185–225+ TL) and ASIZP 66950 (5, 53–55 TL), CD 194, 507 m ; ASIZP 65532 (1, 290 TL) and ASIZP 65556 (1, 180 TL), CD 137, 316– 477 m ; ASIZP 65602 (1, 185 TL), CD 138, 441 m ; ASIZP 65629 (1, 155 TL), CD 233, 448– 526 m ; ASIZP 65537 (1, 260 TL), CD 133, 690– 748 m . SCS : ASIZP 66102 (1, 58 HL, 285+ TL), CP 315, 509 m ; ASIZP 66257 (1, 35.5 HL, 155+ TL) , ASIZP 66267 (1, 31.6 HL, 140+ TL), and ASIZP 66779 (7, 23–36 HL, 110+-180+ TL), CD 311, 516 m ; ASIZP 66948 (2, 150–210 TL), CD 136, 998– 1211 m ; ASIZP 66263 (1, 37 HL, 200+ TL), CD 310, 364 m ; ASIZP 66749 (3, 25–31 HL, 110+-170+ TL),) and ASIZP 66778 (2, 30–37 HL, 150+-160+ TL), CP 314, 506 m ; ASIZP 66777 (2, 145–145+ TL, 24–30 HL; CP 313, 513 m ; ASIZP 66812 (2, 24–25.5 HL, 120+-130+ TL), OCP 317, 515 m ; ASIZP 66829 (2, 100+-130+ TL), CP 315, 509 m . DISTINGUISHING FEATURES ( data from six Taiwan specimens ) .— 1D II,10–11; P i18–i21; V 8–9; total GR-I (lat/mesial) 10–12/15–17, GR-II 14–17/14–16; scale rows below midbase 1D 4.5–7.5, below 2D 5.0–6.5(9.0); lateral line scales over distance equal to predorsal length 37–41. Snout length 26–28% HL; preoral length 16–17%; interorbital 25–31%; orbit 29–36%; suborbital 12–14%; postorbital 42–48%; orbit to preopercle 41–46%; upper jaw 40–47%; barbel 28–39%; outer gill slit 26–28%. Color in life (from Okamura in Okamura et al., 1982:159 ) dark gray or swarthy dorsally, silvery on sides of head and body, black over gular region, lips, lower jaw, gill membranes, chest and ventrally on trunk; abdomen bluish under silvery reflections, suborbital region and ventral and posterior margin of gill cover blackish; mouth pale, gill cavities blackish posteriorly; leading edge of snout blackish; 1D with wide dusky to blackish midlateral section, but pale distally and along base; V black; P blackish; base of P silvery but with black distal edge and mesial lunate area. Attains at least 31 cm TL. DISTRIBUTION .— From s. Japan to Taiwan ( SWT ) and South China Sea in 382–1211 m . REMARKS .— This species closely resembles V. garmani in general physiognomy but differs in having a slightly longer barbel (28–39% HL vs. 21–29%), a darker midlateral region of 1D, more pyloric caeca (about 70 vs. <53 fide Okamura 1970:77 ), slender scale spinules (vs. triangular), and possibly darker V (black vs. dusky or blackish) and P (which appears to be blackish in Okamura’s [ in Okamura et al., 1982:156 ] photograph of the holotype vs. “light” in V. garmani [ Okamura, 1970:77 ]). The six Taiwan specimens from which the above measurements and counts were taken agree closely with the original description of V. longibarbata except for slight differences in interorbital width (25–31% HL cf. 21–26.5%), postorbital length (42–48% cf. 39–44%), P ray count (i18–i21 cf. i21–i26”), and scale rows (below 1D origin 7–12 cf. 12–14, below mid-base 1D 4.5–7.5 cf. 8.5–11.5, and below 2D origin 5.0–9.5 cf. 9.0–10.0). The 1D was also almost entirely dusky, with only faint trace of a midlateral stripe. Four additional examples taken off Kochi , Japan ( BSKU 12919, 12920, 12922, and 12923) were examined by TI many years ago; they agree well with the original description of the species.