Notolepis annulata Post 1978

Notolepis annulata Post, 1978

Notolepis annulata Post, 1978:10, fig. 2 (type locality: Antarctic Ocean, 50°47’S, 50°01’W, depth 2000–2050 meters). Post, 1987:101. Post, 1990:140. Duhamel et al., 2005:154.

Material examined. MNHN 2000-0284 (in poor condition), “Kerguelen de Trémarec”, Bottom trawl 64, 49°16’1.2”S, 67°6’0”E, Kerguelen Island, Southern Ocean, 16 Mar. 1997.

Description. Dorsal-fin rays 11; pectoral-fin rays 11/11; anal-fin rays 25; pelvic-fin rays 9. Scale and vertebral counts not available due to condition of the specimen.

Body slender, body depth ca. 17 in SL. Head long, its length ca. 4.4 in SL. Snout slender and pointed; eye moderately large, 3.7 in snout length. Two nostril closed together, at about one eye diameter before eye and slightly behind vertical of posterior end of maxilla. Lower part of opercle and subopercle divided into branches. Mouth gape extends to slightly before the nostrils. Caudal peduncle longer than eye diameter.

Pectoral fin moderately long, not especially filamentous. DFO and VFO slightly behind middle of the fish. DFO slightly behind VFO, about above anterior third of pelvic fin. Anus right behind VFO, about same level of DFO. Dorsal adipose fin damaged, but with very long base evidently.

Scales cycloid, with a mix of sizes, irregularly arraigned; scales mostly embedded under skin; lateral-line complete, extending to caudal-fin base, each scale with very long upper and lower extensions, extending to dorsal and ventral margin of body.

No trace of teeth on gill arch, pharyngeal arches and upper jaw. Teeth on palatines and lower law rudimentary, tiny and scattered.

Body deep brown with many regular pale bands created by the extensions of the lateral-line scales; all fins darker.

Remarks. The species is undoubtedly a N. annulata because the highly modified lateral-line scales. The scale structure is highly distinct compared to other members in Paralepidinae. This is the first observation of the loss of teeth on the jaws and gill rakers in N. annulata. We also examined 18 large adults of Notolepis coatsorum Dollo, 1908 collected from the Southern Ocean and all possess well-developed jaw teeth and gill rakers. Thus, the loss of teeth and rakers may not occur in N. coatsorum.