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 10.5281/zenodo.11512126 0068-547X 11512126 Kumba japonica ( Matsubara, 1943 ) Lionurus japonicus Matsubara, 1943:149 , fig. 9 ( holotype , FAKU 1951 ; Kumano-Nada , Japan [not seen in 2007]; 1 paratype , FAKU 1938 [not seen in 2007]). Nezumia japonicus : Okamura, 1970:88–91 , pl. XIX, text-fig. 39 ( 5 spec. , 135–157 mm TL; s. Japan ). Ventrifossa japonica : Okamura in Okamura et al., 1982:147 , 349 ( 10 spec. ; s. Japan and Kyushu-Palau Ridge, 550–710 m ).— Okamura in Masuda et al., 1984:94 , pl. 81–F (compiled).— Nakabo, 2002:421 (compiled). Kumba japonica : Iwamoto and Sazonov, 1994:231 .— Chiou et al., 2004b:45 , fig.14 ( 2 spec. ; sw. Taiwan) .— Shao et al., 2008 : table 2 ( 3 spec. ; Taiwan [ NET , SWT ], 100–600 m ) . MATERIAL EXAMINED ( 10 spec. ).— NET : ASIZP 66371 (1, 93 TL) , Nan-fang-ao; ASZIP 66941 (1, 140 TL) , CD 210, 445+ 1185 m ; ASIZP 70681 (1, 163 TL) , Da-xi. SWT : ASIZP 61240 (1, 162 TL) , Dong-gang; ASIZP 61241 (1, 156 TL) , Dong-gang. Other materials: Japan : NSMT- P 58943 (1, 15.8 HL, 115 TL), 65441 (1, 17.4 HL, 113 TL), 65731 (1, 15.2 HL, 110 TL), 65733 (1, 16.0 HL, 99+ TL), 91535 (1, 16.4 HL, 111 TL). DISTINGUISHING FEATURES .— 1D II 8–11; P i16–i22; V 9–12; inner GR-I 12–14 total; pyl. caeca 40–52. Snout 21–30% HL; preoral 16–22%; internasal width 17–21%; orbit 36–43%; interorbital 22–28%; upper jaw 37–40%; barbel 18–27%; outer gill slit 17–24%; pre-A 142–155%; isthmus to A 78–96%; body depth 63–89%; height 1D 83–88%; 1D-2D interspace 63–86%; length outer V ray 89–171%. Snout bluntly pointed, relatively high, much shorter than orbit diameter; suborbital ridge prominent; upper jaw extends to below posterior ½ to ¼ of orbit; barbel about twothirds of orbit. Underside of head entirely naked; naked areas dorsally on snout extend only to transverse line crossing lateral snout angles; pores on mandible large and prominent. V origin under posterior margin of operculum; P origin slightly in advance of 1D origin; A origin behind 1D. Anus located about midway between A origin and inner V bases; ADW rather large, at or slightly ahead of line connecting inner V bases. Spinules on scales short, conical, aligned in 5–8 parallel crestlike rows. Spinous second ray of 1D sparsely serrated. Three small black blotches above mid-length of A. Species small, probably not attaining more than 170 mm TL. DISTRIBUTION .— Southern Japan , Kyushu-Palau Ridge, and Taiwan , 550–710 m ( Taiwan records from 100 to 600 m ). REMARKS .— The generic placement of this enigmatic species has been problemmatic; its previous allocation to three different genera reflects this. One of the current authors ( HCH ) visited the FAKU collections in Maizuru in 2007 but was unable to locate the type specimens of this species. The three small black blotches (faint in some specimens) above the A fin are unique and highly characteristic of this species .