PIETSCH and VAN DUZER: SYSTEMATICS AND DISTRIBUTION OF ANGLERFISHES 



crests absent (Figure 27); integument as in M. 

 johnsoni. 



Number of upper jaw teeth 29-86; dorsal fin rays 

 14-15; pectoral fin rays 18-21 (Table 2). 



Distribution. — All six known specimens of M. 

 niger were collected in the Gulf of Panama and 

 adjacent waters of the eastern tropical Pacific 

 Ocean as far west as approximately long. 90" W 

 (see Distribution, p. 83). Eighty-three percent of 

 the material was captured by open nets fished at 

 maximum depths of 1,500 m and below. 



Comments. — Melanocetus niger was briefly de- 

 scribed by Regan ( 1925) from seven specimens col- 

 lected in the Gulf of Panama without type desig- 

 nation and without a listing of individual sizes, 

 station numbers, or other means of identification. 

 Regan (1926) added four more specimens without 

 providing means of separating the original seven. 

 All 11 specimens bear labels indicating cotype 

 status and all are treated here as part of the origi- 

 nal type material. One of these is designated the 

 lectotype (ZMUC P9252, 80 mm), three are re- 

 ferred to M. polyactis (BMNH 1925.8.11.30, 26 

 mm; ZMUC P9251, 29 mm; ZMUC P9253, 47 mm), 

 three unidentifiable specimens are listed below as 

 Melanocetus sp. (ZMUC P9255, 13.5 mm; BMNH 

 1925.8.11.31, 14 mm; BMNH 1925.8.11.28, 43 

 mm), and one is unaccounted for and presumed 

 lost [Dana stn. 1209(3), 37 mm total length). The 



remaining three specimens are recognized as 

 paralectotypes of M. niger. 



Melanocetus eustalus n. sp. 

 Figures 18, 28, 30 



Melanocetus ferox, Pietsch 1972b: 10 (misiden- 

 tification, luminescence); Brewer 1973:25 (after 

 Pietsch 1972b, distribution). 



Melanocetus sp. Pietsch 1976:782, 783 (reproduc- 

 tion). 



Material. — A single female, the holotype, LACM 

 30037-12, 111 mm, Velero IV stn. 11748, eastern 

 Pacific off Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, 21°39' N, 

 106°58' W, 3 m IKMT, 0-1,675 m, bottom depth 

 2,820 m, 1320-2136 h, 11 November 1967. 



Diagnosis. — A species of Melanocetus unique in 

 having the following combination of characters: 

 anterior margin of vomer nearly straight; least 

 outside width between frontals 18.0% SL; number 

 of lower jaw teeth 60; longest lower jaw tooth 5.9% 

 SL; illicium length 30.6% SL; width of pectoral fin 

 lobe 9.9% SL; escal bulb width 11.3% SL; esca 

 without crests (Figures 18, 28); integument rela- 

 tively thick. 



Description of holotype. — Escal bulb large 

 (length 14.4% SL), slightly compressed, with a low 

 conical distal prolongation, pigment absent; pos- 



, 1 mm 



Figure 27.— Escae of Melanocetus niger: A. Paralectotype, ZMUC P9256, 37 mm SL; B. Paralectotype, BMNH 1925.8.11.29, 47 mm SL; 



lOAN uncatalogued, 77 mm SL; D. Lectotype, ZMUC P9252, 80 mm SL. 



79 



