Verilus sordidus Poey 1860

Verilus sordidus Poey, 1860.

(Plates 2 & 3)

Black Verilus (English), João-Mole (proposed Portuguese name, Brazil), Escolar Chino, Berregüello (Cuba); Pargo Negro (Venezuela).

In May 18, 2006, two small and unusual fishes were collected by the TAMAR, 10 miles off Praia do Forte, Mata de São João, Bahia, Brazil, in 430 m deep (12o39´91”S and 37º 54´30”W), with electric reel, circle carbon steel hooks n. 12/0, a 0.60 multifilament line, 1 kg sinker and sardines as bait. They measured 245 and 224 mm SL and were identified by the first author as the extremely rare acropomatidae Verilus sordidus.

This fish is very rare and only a few specimens are deposited in collections around the world besides the Brazilian pair. The meristic and morphometric data for these specimens and that of selected literature are in Tables 2.A–B.

The specimens from Bahia are the 12th and 13th ever deposited in scientific institutions, (not considering USNM 271959 (1, skull, dry osteological preparation, SL unknown, off Cuba, coll. by F. Poey, apparently the same specimen of USNM 271973), and present the first record of the species for the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean and Brazil. The species range is extended by about 3,800 km southwards in a straight line and 4,600 km along the South American coastline.

Counts Poey. Yamanoue Cervigón Jordan & Ruiz-Carus Present Study

(1861) et al.. (2009) (1993) Evermann (1898) (2006)

Diagnostic characters. Based on the examined specimens and literature data (Poey, 1860; Jordan & Evermann, 1898; Cervigón, 1996; Cervigón et al., 1993; Heemstra & Yamanoue, 2002; Ruiz-Carus, 2006; Yamanoue et al., 2009). For counts and proportions see Table 2.A–B.

Body compressed, moderately deep; head moderate, covered, as the body, with somewhat caducous cycloid and very weakly ctenoid scales; bases of soft portions of dorsal fin, anal fin, pectoral fin, pelvic fin and caudal fin covered with scales. Spinous and soft dorsal fins nearly separate, the last two spines very small and connected with first soft ray by a rather low membrane; anal fin shorter than soft dorsal-fin, its origin under the third or fourth dorsal fin soft ray; proximal-middle radial of first anal-fin pterygiophore slender and without a hollow or trough. Mouth oblique and reaching to a point below pupil; a pair of canine teeth near symphysis of both jaws, eventually with a second large tooth behind in upper jaw; villiform and conical canine-like teeth posterior to the large teeth in upper and lower jaws, respectively; villiform teeth on vomer and palatine, and conical teeth on posterior surface of vomer. Preopercular margin smooth, the opercle with two weak spines and a membranous edge. Anus near origin of anal fin. Caudal fin forked. Color of fresh specimens dull black, darker on dorsum and lighter on belly; cheeks and belly suffused with purple; lower part of head with golden to yellowish cast; preserved specimens with body yellowish to dusky, darker on dorsum and silvery on belly. Grows to about 30 cm SL.

Range. The species is reported from the Western Atlantic: Bahamas, Virgin Islands, Honduras, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, Belize, Colombia, Venezuela and Bahia, Brazil.

Proposed Brazilian name. “João-Mole”, as called by local artisanal fishermen.

Depth of occurrence. Both examined specimens were collected at 430 meters of depth. The range of depth from literature is between 100 and 600 meters (Bunkley-Williams & Williams, 2004).