The taxonomic status of two grenadiers, Coelorinchus tokiensis (Steindachner and Döderlein 1887) and Coelorinchus longicephalus Okamura 1982, is revised based on the examination of their types and 42 additional specimens from Japan. Our examinations confirmed the two nominal species to be synonymous and C. longicephalus is herein regarded as a junior synonym of C. tokiensis. Coelorinchus tokiensis is redescribed and compared with similar congeners. The species belongs to the Coelorinchus tokiensis group (herein redefined) and differs from all other congeners in having the following combination of features: ca. six dark saddles on trunk and tail; light organ short, its length shorter than half orbit diameter; underside of head completely naked except for oval scaly patches on lower surfaces of preopercle; snout long (41-46 % of head length; 70-85 % of postrostral length), its dorsal profile almost straight in lateral view; tip of snout bluntly pointed, armed with three modified tubercles; lateral nasal ridge incompletely supported by nasal bone; premaxillary teeth in long tapered band, with outer series prominently enlarged, posterior end of tooth band almost reaching lateral corner of mouth; body scales covered with short, reclined, blade-like spinules in widely divergent, saw-toothed rows; lips usually pale; oral cavity blackish; gular and branchiostegal membranes dusky.
A new grenadier, Nezumia shinoharai, is described based on two specimens collected from the continental slope off thePacific coast of southern Japan, at depths of 627–700 m. The new species is clearly distinguished from all other congenersby the following combination of characters: pelvic fin rays 10; spinules on body scales needlelike, arranged in discreteparallel rows; underside of head almost completely naked with prominent sensory pores; teeth in broad cardiform bandsin both jaws; snout long (31–34% HL), conically pointed, protruding well beyond upper jaw; first dorsal fin uniformlydark with pale distal tip, second spinous ray not extremely elongated (height of first dorsal fin about equal to HL); no dark band encircling trunk.
Coelorinchus okamurai sp. nov. is described from five specimens collected in the Timor Sea at a depth of 610-690 m. The new species belongs to the Coelorinchus japonicus group (redefined in this study), and differs from all other congeners in having the following combination of features: snout moderately long, sharply pointed in lateral and dorsal views, length 39-42% of head length; lateral nasal ridge completely supported by nasal bone; light organ short, length less than 1/2 orbit diameter, its anterior margin falling far short of pelvic-fin bases; premaxillary teeth in short, uniformly wide band, with posterior end of the tooth band not reaching lateral corner of mouth; no teeth greatly enlarged; body scales covered with short, reclined, narrowly blade-like spinules in widely divergent rows; buttresses of body scale spinules scarcely developed; occipital scales between parietal ridges armed with divergent rows of long, erect, needle-like spinules; nasal fossa usually naked (a few small scales rarely present anteroventrally); patches of small scales sparsely distributed on ventral surface of head; scales on underside of head armed with 1-3 rows of short, erect, needle-like to knife-like spinules; interdorsal space longer than first dorsal-fin base length; subopercle terminating as a long, slender flap; body dark overall without prominent markings; fins uniformly blackish.
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