Review of the Brazilian species of Physiculus (Gadiformes: Moridae), with description of a new species from Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago, equatorial Atlantic

Abstract

Three valid species of the genus Physiculus are known from the Brazilian marinewaters. A fourth, new species, Physiculus cirm n. sp.., is described based on seventeen specimens collected in the surroundings of Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago, equatorial Atlantic. A review of the Brazilian species of Physiculus is provided, as well as a key to the species of the genus reported from the Atlantic Ocean. The new species is distinguished from all its congeners, except P. cynodon and P. karrerae, by the large number of longitudinal series of scales (156–189 vs. 70–150). P. cynodon from the Northern Pacific has about 200 longitudinal series of scales, and it differs from the new species by the number of rays of the first dorsal fin (6–8 vs. 10 in P. cynodon), pectoral-fin rays (20–25 vs. 27 in P. cynodon), and the presence of an outer row of large canine teeth on upper and lower jaw. From P. karrerae, which has 134–160 longitudinal series of scales, the new species differs by the presence of scales on the tip of the snout and dorsal-fin membrane, and the number of pectoral-fin rays (20–25 vs. 24–27 in P. karrerae). [Zoobank URL: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1AFBC251-2BB1-4479-98A4-307188EC5D66]

The Scientific Explorations for Deep-Sea Fishes in Brazil: The Known Knowns, the Known Unknowns, and the Unknown Unknowns

“…Several projects developed at the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco obtained samples from the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago (ASPSP) and the continental slope off Pernambuco. According to Nunes (2016), the fishing boat FV Transmar I was used between 2012 and 2014 to deploy longlines and fish traps at depths from 200 to 700 m in the ASPSP, resulting on records of 11 species of Actinopterygii, one of which was recently described by Pires et al (2019) as Physiculus cirm Carvalho-Filho and Pires 2019 (Moridae).…”

Fish biodiversity of Saint Peter and Saint Paulʼs Archipelago, Mid‐Atlantic Ridge, Brazil: new records and a species database

“…Previous studies described mesophotic reefs with the dominance of black corals and sponges, which provide shelter and food for endemic and juvenile fishes (Francini-Filho et al, 2019;Rosa et al, 2016). While exploring rariphotic and disphotic reefs (170-700 m) of SPSPA using baited bottom traps, Nunes et al (2016) found 10 fish species, most of them previously unrecorded and one new species (Pires et al, 2019), showing that the composition of fish assemblages is strongly structured by depth.…”

“…While exploring rariphotic and disphotic reefs (170–700 m) of SPSPA using baited bottom traps, Nunes et al . (2016) found 10 fish species, most of them previously unrecorded and one new species (Pires et al ., 2019), showing that the composition of fish assemblages is strongly structured by depth.…”

First report of the rare morid Laemonema robustum (Gadiformes) from the Southwestern Atlantic

“…Deep-sea research off Brazil has been sparse, but recent exploratory fishing efforts have resulted in several new records, range extensions, and descriptions of new species from the southwestern Atlantic (e.g., Bernardes et al 2005;Mincarone et al 2008;Carvalho-Filho et al 2009Carvalho-Filho and Paiva 2017;Pires et al 2019). Several of these records resulted from a research project conducted by the Projeto TAMAR (Projeto Tartaruga Marinha, the Brazilian environmental institution that protects and studies sea turtles) team, which aims to evaluate the efficiency of the circle hook in pelagic and bottom longline fisheries (Carvalho-Filho et al 2009).…”