MARKLE: TAXONOMY AND DISTRIBUTION OF ROULEINA 



Key to North Atlantic Species 

 of Rouleina 



la. No photophores: testes ribbonlike with 

 many convolutions in mature speci- 

 mens but folds always connected, never 

 with separate lobes (Figure 1); lateral 

 line with 43-48 modified ringlike scales, 

 undetectable in specimens less than 155 

 mm SL; preural vertebrae 19-22 (pre- 

 caudal) + 22-26 (caudal) = 43-46 (total); 

 papillae on body especially near lateral 

 line, along bases of vertical fins, and 

 along all fin rays; mature around 250- 

 300 mm SL R. attrita (Vaillant 1888) 



lb. Flat superficial photophores present, 

 commonly abraded; testes discrete, 

 separate lobes even when immature 

 (Figure 1); lateral line with 50-56 mod- 

 ified ringlike scales, undetectable at 

 131 mm SL; preural vertebrae 20-22 

 (precaudal) + 26-28 (caudal) = 47-50 

 (total); papillae restricted to fins and fin 

 bases, usually peripheral to photo- 

 phores which are more numerous below 

 lateral line; mature around 200-250 

 mm SL R. maderensis Maul 1948 



Rouleina attrita (Vaillant 1888) 

 Figure 2 A 



Bathytroctes attritus Vaillant 1888:158, fig. 2 



(holotype, MNHN 85-166 only; lat. 37°35'N, 



long. 29°26'W, 1,442 m; paratype, MNHN 85- 



169, is Bellocia koefoedi). 

 Bathytroctes mollis Koehler 1896:517, pi. 26, fig. 2 



(holotype, MNHN B-2219, Bay of Biscay, 1,700 



m). 

 Bathytroctes aequatoris Goode and Bean 1896:44, 



fig. 50 (holotype, USNM 44085, lat. 01°03'N, 



long. 80°15'W, 1,355 m). 



Nomenclature 



Quero (1974) suggested that R. attrita be treat- 

 ed as a nomen dubium since Vaillant (1888:158), 

 using a 55-mm shred of skin from the caudal 

 peduncle, had estimated 40-50 scale rows on the 

 body and since Vaillant's dorsal and anal fin ray 

 counts are wrong for Rouleina. The source of the 

 problem is the nature of the skin of Rouleina and 

 the fact that the remaining type-material repre- 

 sents two different genera (Vaillant originally 

 listed four specimens, but two could not be located 



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B 



Figure l. — a. Rouleina maderensis, USNM 215476, about 275 mm SL, testes, showing completely separated lobes (arrow). 

 B. Rouleina attrita, USNM 215483, 369 mm SL, testes, showing convolutions without the formation of separate lobes (arrow). 



81 



