BOTHVS IHOMPSOM (FOWLER) 1923, A VALID 



SPECIES OF FLATFISH (PISCESiBOTHIDAE) 



FROM THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS 



Paul Struhsaker and Robert M. Moncrief' 



ABSTRACT 



Boihiis ihumpsoni (Fowler) 1923 is resurrected from the synonymy of B. hleekeri Steindach- 

 ner and redescribed. B. ihonipsuni differs from all other recognized species of the genus in 

 possessing 11-17 gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch and 115-147 lateral line 

 scales. B. ihumpsoni is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands where it inhabits the outer shelf in 

 depths of 70- 115 m. 



Fowler (1923) proposed Platophry^ thonipi^oiti 

 on the basis of a single specimen obtained by 

 John W. Thompson. Although no exact locality 

 data were given, we assume the specimen was 

 from the Honolulu market. PlatopJirys is now 

 considered a synonym of BotJiu.s, while Norman 

 (1934), without comment, relegated Bathus 

 thonipsoui to the synonymy of B. hhtkeri Stein- 

 dachner. Gosline and Brock (1960) followed 

 Norman in listing B. bleekeri from the Hawaiian 

 Islands. Previously, only the holotype of B. 

 thompsoni was available for study. Our examina- 

 tion of numerous specimens collected by the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 

 during recent bottom trawling surveys in the 

 60-700 m depth range of the Hawaiian Islands 

 demonstrates that B. thoinpsoui should be 

 recognized as a valid species. 



MATERIAL AND METHODS 



All specimens were collected with 12.5-m 

 (headrope) shrimp trawls during bottom trawl- 

 ing surveys in the Hawaiian Islands with the 

 NMFS RV Toicnsend Cromwell. Sampling 

 effort and general ichthyological results of these 

 surveys are given by Struhsaker (1973). Most 

 specimens examined (one exception from Maui) 

 were from the north coast of the island of Oahu. 



The following description is based on a series 

 of 29 male (55.8-114.4 mm SL) and 31 female 

 (39.1-103.7 mm SL) specimens all of which are 

 housed in the National Museum of Natural 



' Southwest Fisheries Center. National Marine Fisheries 

 Service, NOAA, Honolulu. HI 968 12. 



History (USNM) and Bernice P. Bishop 

 Museum (BPBM). Additionally, 33 uncata- 

 logued specimens cleared and stained by the 

 method described by Taylor (1967) were utilized 

 in vertebral and gill raker counts, and more un- 

 catalogued specimens were examined, obtaining 

 supplementary dorsal, anal, and caudal ray 

 counts. 



Measurements and counts are usually as 

 defined by Norman (1934), Hubbs and Lagler 

 (1958), and Gutherz (1967). Standard length 

 was taken from tip of snout to end of hypural 

 plate on the blind side. Horizontal eye diameter 

 was taken between edges of the bony orbits. Snout 

 to axis of greatest depth was taken from the 

 snout to a vertical line at the greatest body depth. 

 The last two dorsal and anal rays are each 

 associated with pteiygiophores and are counted 

 as two. Lateral line scale rows just above the 

 lateral line and pored lateral line scales were 

 counted. Vertebral counts were taken from radio- 

 graphs and from cleared and stained speci- 

 mens. Gill rakers were counted as discussed 

 below. 



To evaluate morphometric characters, mea- 

 surements in original units and as percent of 

 standard length were plotted as functions of 

 standard lengths. 



RESULTS 



Description 



Although a figure of B. thompsoui did not 

 accompany the original description, Fowler 

 (1928), in listing the species for Oceania, pro- 

 vided a figure of the type (PI. IV, C) which is 



Manuscript accepted June 1973. 

 FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 72. NO. 



1. 1974. 



237 



