Careproctus comus Orr & Maslenikov, 2007, new species

Careproctus comus, new species Comic Snailfish Figures 1 A, 2 A, 3, 4; Tables 1, 2

Holotype.— UW 111841, 78.9 mm, male, north of Unalaska I., 53.67 °N, 167.53 °W, 303 m depth, F/V DOMINATOR, cruise 200001, haul 28, benthic bag, 24 May 2000, J. W. Orr.

Paratypes.— 56 specimens, 32.0– 98.6 mm. UW 111834, 4, 58.1–77.8 mm, 52.28 °N, 172.94 °W, 291 m depth, F/V VESTERAALEN, cruise 200001, haul 65, benthic bag, 3 June 2000, W. C. Flerx; UW 111836, 83.3 mm, 52.63 °N, 172.81 °E, 229 m depth, F/V DOMINATOR, cruise 200001, haul 217, benthic bag, 17 July 2000, K. E. Pearson; UW 111838, 2, 75.3–80.4 mm, 51.82 °N, 174.98 °W, 250 m depth, F/V DOMINATOR, cruise 200001, haul 93, benthic bag, 13 June 2000, K. E. Pearson; UW 111855, 70.7 mm, 52.04 °N, 178.52 °E, 366 m depth, F/V VESTERAALEN, cruise 200001, haul 137, 23 June 2000, W. C. Flerx; UW 111856, 76.3 mm, 51.80 °N, 175.20 °W, 266 m depth, F/V DOMINA- TOR, cruise 200001, haul 95, benthic bag, 14 June 2000, K. E. Pearson; UW 111858, 3, 78.1–88.6 mm, 52.44 °N, 173.774 °W, 246 m depth, F/V SEA STORM, cruise 200201, haul 159, benthic bag, 24 July 2002, J. W. Orr; USNM 387974, 2, 61.2– 74.3 mm, 51.87 °N, 178.55 °E, 395 m depth, F/V DOMINATOR, cruise 200001, haul 157, benthic bag, 30 June 2000, K. E. Pearson; UW 111865, 4, 57.8– 71.7 mm, 52.06 °N, 179.80 °W, 242 m depth, F/V SEA STORM, cruise 200201, haul 128, benthic bag, 14 July 2002, J. W. Orr; UW 111866, 3, 66.9– 79.8 mm, 52.06 °N, 178.30 °E, 343 m depth, F/V SEA STORM, cruise 200201, haul 96, 6 July 2002, J. W. Orr; CAS 224212, 2, 74.6–80.8 mm, 52.28 °N, 173.25 °W, 351 m depth, F/V SEA STORM, cruise 200201, haul 176, benthic bag, 30 July 2002, R. C. Harrison; UW 113634, 2, 77.6 –78.0 mm, 52.05 °N, 179.81 °W, 246 m depth, F/V SEA STORM, cruise 200401, haul 124, 6 July 2004, R. N. Clark; SIO 06- 109, 2, 68.0–71.0 mm, 51.61 °N, 176.29 °W, 345 m depth, F/V SEA STORM, cruise 200201, haul 86, benthic bag, 3 July 2002, J. W. Orr; UW 113636, 32.0 mm, 51.91 °N, 178.25 °E, 249 m depth, F/V VESTERAALEN, cruise 200201, haul 152, 6 July 2002; UW 113642, 7, 45.0– 75.3 mm, 53.31 °N, 170.72 °E, 353 m depth, F/V GLADIATOR, cruise 200401, haul 224, 31 July 2004, R. N. Clark; UW 113643, 68.0 mm, 52.84 °N, 172.36 °E, 308 m depth, F/V VESTERAALEN, cruise 200201, haul 100, benthic bag, 20 June 2002, R. N. Clark; UW 113648, 80.0 mm, 53.67 °N, 167.53 °W, 305 m depth, F/V MORNING STAR, cruise 200201, haul 11, 27 May 2002, J. W. Orr; UW 113649, 78.0 mm, 51.87 °N, 178.55 °E, 400 m depth, F/V VESTERAALEN, cruise 200201, haul 154, 6 July 2002; UW 113650, 85.0 mm, 51.92 °N, 178.25 °E, 244 m depth, F/V GLADIATOR, cruise 200401, haul 177, 21 July 2004, R. N. Clark; UW 113652, 61.0 mm, 54.40 °N, 165.76 °W, 235 m depth, F/V VESTERAALEN, cruise 200201, haul 20, 22 May 2002, W. C. Flerx; UW 113654, 80.0 mm, 51.46 °N, 178.45 °W, 274 m depth, F/V SEA STORM, cruise 200201, haul 72, benthic bag, 26 June 2002; UW 113655, 68.0 mm, 51.61 °N, 178.86 °W, 314 m depth, F/V SEA STORM, cruise 200401, haul 118, 5 July 2004, R. N. Clark; UW 113656, 74.4 mm, 54.20 °N, 166.26 °W, 274 m depth, F/V SEA STORM, cruise 200401, haul 8, benthic bag, 8 June 2004, J. W. Orr; UW 113657, 10, 75.0– 98.6 mm, 52.16 °N, 179.49 °E, 242 m depth, F/V VESTERAALEN, cruise 200201, haul 176, benthic bag, 13 July 2002; UW 113659, 79.6 mm, 52.16 °N, 179.49 °E, 242 m depth, F/V VESTERAALEN, cruise 200201, haul 176, 13 July 2002; UW 113660, 85.3 mm, 52.15 °N, 179.48 °E, 242 m depth, F/V VESTERAALEN, cruise 200201, haul 175, benthic bag, 13 July 2002, R. N. Clark; LACM 56482 -1, 2, 80.3–82.9 mm, 51.90 °N, 178.29 °E, 189 m depth, F/V VESTERAALEN, cruise 200201, haul 156, benthic bag, 6 July 2002, R. N. Clark.

Diagnosis.— Careproctus comus is diagnosed from all other described species of Careproctus by its In addition, the following combination of character states distinguish C. comus from all other species of Careproctus: snout protruding beyond lower jaw; pelvic disk moderate in size, 5.9–8.4 %; pectoral fin with shallow notch and short lower lobe; distal pectoral radials absent from base of 10–14 ventral rays; teeth trilobed.

body coloration of red and gray mottling. It is further distinguished from Careproctus faunus, new species, in having the following character states: dorsal-fin rays 50–56 (vs. 47–51 in C. faunus); anal-fin rays 44–50 (vs. 41–45); caudal vertebrae 45–51 (vs. 42–45); interorbit narrower, 7.0– 13.6 % HL (vs. 11.9–16.7 % HL); maxilla shorter, 32.0–46.0 % HL (vs. 37.4 –49.0 % HL); snout shorter, 16.9–28.2 % HL (vs. 20.1–34.9 % HL); connection of anal-fin membrane to caudal fin shorter, 26.7–45.6 % CL (vs. 34.8–56.3 % CL); caudal-fin base more slender, 10.0– 17.2 % CL (vs. 11.7–19.7 % CL).

Description.— Body slender, tapering strongly posteriorly, moderately compressed; depth at dorsalfin origin 49.2–83.9 (75.1) % HL. Head moderately large, dorsal profile gradually sloping from nape to snout. Snout rounded, strongly projecting beyond upper jaw. Mouth small, maxilla 32.0– 49.6 (42.3) % HL, extending to mid-orbit, oral cleft extending to anterior rim of orbit. Lower jaw inferior, premaxillary tooth plates matching mandibular tooth plates. Premaxillary teeth trilobed in 9–10 oblique rows, increasing from three teeth in anteromedial rows to eight teeth in posterolateral rows. Mandibular teeth trilobed in 9–10 oblique rows, increasing from 4– 6 teeth in anteromedial rows to nine teeth in posterolateral rows. Diastema absent at symphysis of upper and lower jaws. Orbit large, 33.7–44.2 (40.3) % HL, dorsal margin below dorsal contour of head, suborbital depth to oral cleft 26.3–54.6 (39.0) % orbit length; pupil elliptical to round. Interorbital space narrow, 7.0– 15.1 (10.5) % HL, slightly convex. Snout shorter than orbit, 16.9– 28.2 (26.9) % HL. Nostril single, with well-developed tube at level with middle or upper part of orbit; nostril tube length 2.0–4.0 (3.5) % HL.

Pores of cephalic lateralis of moderate size: nasal pores two, maxillary pores six, preoperculomandibular pores seven, suprabranchial pores two (pore pattern 2-6 - 7 - 2); chin pores paired in separate pits. Interorbital pore absent. Free neuromasts (Andriashev and Stein, 1998) about 5–6, small and difficult to discern, originating from above gill slit and extending to a level at mid-body to about level with the anus.

Gill opening small, 16.2–26.6 (19.9) % HL, upper margin at level of mid-orbit or dorsal part of orbit, extending to just above pectoral fin or to pectoral-fin ray 1–5 (ray three). Opercular flap rounded or angular. Branchiostegal rays six.

Dorsal-fin rays 50–56 (53; Table 1), anterior 4– 5 rays uniserial and unsegmented, more posteri- or rays biserial and segmented; all rays simple. Anteriormost dorsal-fin pterygiophore inserted between neural spines two and three, bearing a single ray.

Anal-fin rays 44–50 (46; Table 1), all rays biserial and segmented; all rays simple. One or two anal-fin pterygiophores each bearing a single ray anterior to first haemal spine. Anal-fin origin below vertebrae 11–12 (caudal vertebrae 1–2).

Pectoral fin shallowly notched, with 33–39 (36) rays (Table 1). Upper lobe of 25–32 (26) rays extending to anal-fin origin or beyond to anal-fin ray five, dorsalmost rays lengthening to rays 3–5, more ventral rays gradually shortening to shortest ray of notch. Lower lobe short, with 7–10 rays, extending to about anus; dorsal rays gradually lengthening to thick and fleshy rays 2–5, ventral rays more slender and gradually shortening to ventralmost ray near pectoral symphysis. Tips of rays 5–50 % free of membrane, lower rays more strongly exserted. Rays in notch slightly more widely spaced than rays of lobes. Uppermost pectoral-fin ray level with ventral rim of orbit. Lowermost pectoral-fin ray below anterior part of orbit. Proximal pectoral radials four (3 + 1), robust; proximal radials 2–3 notched (Fig. 2 A). Interradial fenestra one, elliptical, elongate, extending between proximal radials two and three. Scapula with strong helve; coracoid tri-

FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS OF COUNTS OF DORSAL-, ANAL-, AND PECTORAL-FIN RAYS, AND GILL RAKERS AND

angular with broad lamina. Distal radials present at base of pectoral-fin rays one to 24–25, more ventral distal radials reduced, absent from base of ventralmost rays, which articulate directly with pectoral cartilage.

Pelvic disk moderate in size, 24.5–31.8 (26.4) % HL, round, slightly longer than wide, anterior lobe moderately developed or obsolete, flat with margins often slightly upturned. Anus closer to pelvic disk than to anal-fin origin.

Principal caudal-fin rays 10–13 (11; Table 1), dorsal procurrent rays 2–3 (2), ventral procurrent rays 1–2 (1). Membrane of posterior dorsalfin rays attached to caudal fin 15.4–36.7 (27.8) % CL; posterior anal-fin rays, 26.7–45.6 (37.8) % CL.

Skin thin, fragile, prickles absent. Pyloric caeca 16–18, thick, length about 20.7 –37.0 (24.9) % HL.

Vertebrae 56–61 (57), 9–11 (10) precaudal, 45–51 (47) caudal (Table 1). Pleural ribs present on vertebrae 8–10, anteriormost short and slender, those more posterior long and slender. Hypural plate composed of dorsal and ventral plates divided by deep split about 50–75 % length of plate. Single epural present.

Largest specimen examined a 98.6 mm female (UW 113657). Smallest female with yolked eggs 72.8 mm (UW 111834); smallest male with enlarged, swollen testes 61.2 mm (USNM 387974).

Coloration in life.— Body pale to dusky, mottled red and white anteriorly, mottled red and gray posteriorly, posterior fins often edged with black (Fig. 1 A). Head with red band extending from tip of snout to anterior rim of orbit, red mottling on cheek and operculum, with bright white blotches along lower jaw and edge of operculum from near tip of jaw to gill slit; lips unpigmented. Upper pectoral-fin rays bright red; middle rays unpigmented proximally, lighter red distally, with bright patch of white anteriorly at middle part of rays; rays of lower lobe white. Caudal-fin rays dusky to light red, often edged with black. Peritoneum and orobranchial cavity pale; stomach, intestines, pyloric caeca, and urogenital papilla pale.

Distribution.— Careproctus comus has been collect- ed only in the Aleutian Islands, primarily the western and central Aleutians from Stalemate Bank (170.7 ° E), west of Attu Island, to just east of Unalaska Island (165.8 ° W) at depths of 189– 400 m (Fig. 3).

Etymology.— Named for Comus, the Roman god of mirth and son of Bacchus and Circe, a reference to the comical appearance of the species.