Primera cita para Melanocetus johnsoni Gunther, 1864 en aguas del Mar Argentino (Ceratioidei: Melanocetidae).

VOLPEDO, A.V; ECHEVERRÍA, D.D; GARCIA, N; CRESPO, E

NEOTROPICA

Sociedad Zoológica del Plata

Lugar: La Plata, Buenos Aires; Año: 1998 vol. 44 p. 117 - 118

0548-1686

The  aim objective  of  this note is  to  communicate  the record  of a specimen of Melanocetus jhonsoni in waters  of  the Argentine shelf, along with some characteristics of  the  external morphology.  It was caught by the fishing vessel Other, to  the southeast  of  Isla de los Estados (55°05´S; 63°0W)  in  February, 1995.  The  specimen  was  caught  in  a  mid-water  trawl   for Patagonian  grenadier (Macruronus magellanicus, Lonnberg,  1907) and  southern  blue whiting (Micromesistius  australis,  Norman, 1937) at  700 m depth. The  specimen was identified by means of the key for the  family  (Pietsch  and  Van Duzer ,1980), on the base  of  the  following characters:  number  of teeth in the lower jaw  (46),  number  of radials in the anal fin (4);  pectoral fin (17); caudal fin (8). The dorsal fin is deteriorated but we registred 15 radials.  Rate  between  the  length of the lower  jaw  with  respect  to standard  length  (1,01%). The features are concordant with the description of Melanocetus johnsoni  from Pacific Ocean waters reported by Kong and Melendez (1991). The specimen is a female. The scales are conic shaped, with a circularity base and the free edge oriented to the caudal region of the fish. The otoliths are hollow and transparent. Left otolith is described.