Document Type

Article

Department/Program

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Publication Date

1982

Journal

Bulletin of Marine Science

Volume

32

Issue

12

First Page

207

Last Page

212

Abstract

A new ee]pout, Lycenchelys rnonstrosa, is described from the lower continental slope of the Gulf of Panama, eastern Pacific Ocean. It is distinguished from all other Lycenchelys in the region by possessing nine preopercu]omandibular pores, eight or nine suborbital pores, one postorbital pore, no occipital or interorbital pores, 126-132 vertebrae and far posterior dorsal fin origin, with three to seven free dorsal pterygiophores. The species appears to be somewhat peculiar among eel pouts in that 11 of the 12 known specimens lack pelvic fins; one of the fish without pelvic fins is the only one known with palatine teeth. Both characters have been used at the generic level in eelpouts . The species appears closest to three other congeners with nine preopercu]omandibular pores, known from the North Pacific and Antarctic lower slopes. Characters of the new species lend support to earlier conclusions that the deeper living Lycenchelys have undergone morphological modification in a similar manner, though they do not necessarily form a monophyletic group.

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