Taxonomy and Distribution of the Deep-Sea Batfish Genus Halieutopsis (Teleostei: Ogcocephalidae), with Descriptions of Five New Species

• Published in: Journal of marine science and engineering Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 34
• Main Author: Ho, Hsuan-Ching
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.01.2022
• Subjects: anglerfish; biodiversity; Collections; Congeners; Deep sea; Deep sea environments; Deep water; Dibranchus; Halieutopsis; ichthyology; Identification keys; Lophiiformes; Marine fishes; Marine invertebrates; Morphology; Morphometry; National museums; New species; pisces; Science; Systematics; Taxonomy; Zoology; Indian Ocean; United States > US; Philippines; Bay of Bengal; Japan; Taiwan; California; Australia
• ISSN: 2077-1312; 2077-1312
• DOI: 10.3390/jmse10010034

The deep-sea batfish genus Halieutopsis is reviewed based on worldwide collections. Sixteen species are recognized, including five newly described species: Halieutopsis echinoderma sp. nov. from eastern Taiwan and northeastern Australia, Halieutopsis kawaii sp. nov. from Taiwan and Indonesia, Halieutopsis okamurai sp. nov. from southeastern Japan, Halieutopsis murrayi sp. nov. from the Gulf of Aden, and Halieutopsis taiwanea sp. nov. from northeastern Taiwan. These species differ from their congeners in escal morphology, squamation, and morphometric proportions. Dibranchus nasutus Alcock, 1891, a senior synonym of Halieutopsis vermicularis Smith & Radcliffe, 1912, as well as Dibranchus nudiventer Lloyd, 1909 and Coelophrys oblonga Smith & Radcliffe, 1912, are recognized as valid species in Halieutopsis. Comments on the systematics and biogeographic distributions of the species of Halieutopsis are provided, along with a key to the species.