New collections made by the French research vessel Thalassa and the Brazilian Astro Garoupa on the Brazilian continental slope, between 11° and 23° S revealed a great diversity of deep-sea gadiforms obtained between 200 and 2270 m. Of the 34 species collected, 13 (38%) are being reported for the first time in the western South Atlantic and one may represent a new species. The most species-rich family in the area is Macrouridae (25 species), followed by Moridae (4), Phycidae (2), Merlucciidae (2), and Bregmacerotidae (1). Most of the species collected is also found in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean and have their known ranges of distribution extended into the tropical waters of central Brazil. Four species typically occur in temperate waters and were found only in the southernmost stations. A summary comparison of the bathymetric distributions of each species on the slope is provided.

Recent pelagic and benthic trawling activities over the Brazilian continental slope between 11° and 23°S captured nine species representing five genera of the stomiiform family Sternoptychidae. Among these, three species are new records for Brazilian waters: Sternoptyx pseudodiaphana, Argyripnus atlanticus, and Polyipnus sp. The known distributions of Argyropelecus aculeatus and Maurolicus stehmanni along the Brazilian coast are extended northward to 13°S and 16°S, respectively, while that of Sternoptyx diaphana is extended southward to 13°S. Argyropelecus hemigymnus, Argyropelecus sladeni, and Sternoptyx pseudobscura were rarely caught (n=2–16). A key to the western South Atlantic species of Sternoptychidae is provided.

The myctophid Diaphus adenomus is recorded for the first time in the South Atlantic Ocean based on 139 specimens (83-203 mm standard length) collected from eight trawl stations off eastern Brazil, between 13 and 16°S at 38 and 39°W, at depths from 233 to 1275 m. #

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A review of the deep-sea anguilliform and saccopharyngiform eels collected by the French R/Vs Marion Dufresne (1987), Thalassa (1999, 2000), and the Brazilian Astro Garoupa (2003) revealed a great diversity of these groups on the Brazilian continental slope (11–23 o S, 19–40 o W), in the depth range of 233 to 3450 m. Of the 33 species collected, 13 (39.4%) are being reported for the first time in the western South Atlantic. New taxa are represented by one species recently described and few other are probably undescribed. The most species-rich family in the area was Synaphobranchidae (11 species), followed by Congridae (9), Nettastomatidae (5), Nemichthyidae (3), Serrivomeridae (2), Colocongridae (1), Cyematidae (1), and Eurypharyngidae (1). Regarding the vertical species distribution, a gradual transition of species was observed, without any clear break along the slope.

A collection of fishes from the Brazilian continental slope between 11 degrees and 23 degrees S obtained through trawling revealed nine species of Ipnopidae. Bathypterois bigelowi and Bathytyphlops marionae represent first records from the south-western Atlantic Ocean and Bathypterois grallator is reported off Brazil for the first time. Four species have their distribution extended in Brazilian waters: Bathypterois phenax, Bathypterois quadrifilis, Bathypterois viridensis and Ipnops murrayi. An identification key of Ipnopidae species from the south-western Atlantic Ocean is included.

Malacoctenus brunoi n. sp., a scaled blenny endemic to Trindade Island, is distinguished from its southwest Atlantic congeners by the combination of a higher number of lateral-line scales (typically 62-66), a more elongated body (depth 19-22 % SL), and the presence of two longitudinal series of dark brown spots alongside the body.

A total of 1,471 specimens of 16 species of flatfishes (Pleuronectiformes) were caught during 48 sampling campaigns between July 2005 and June 2007 at ten stations in Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Paralichthyidae was the dominant family, with Etropus crossotus as the dominant species. The outer stations, especially those on the western side of the lower estuary, were distinguished as a result of their higher abundance of flatfishes and number of species. The spatial distribution of E. crossotus and its population structure indicate that this species is an estuarine resident despite the apparent reduction in its area of occupation within the estuarine complex. Among the other species, nine were classified as marine stragglers (Achirus declivis, Bothus ocellatus, Cyclopsetta chittendeni, Etropus longimanus, Paralichthys orbignyanus, P. patagonicus, Syacium micrurum, Symphurus diomedeanus and Trinectes paulistanus) and three as estuarine opportunists (Bothus robinsi, Citharichthys macrops and Syacium papillosum); another three could not be classified due to the small number of captures or lack of previous data (S. tessellatus, A. lineatus and C. spilopterus).