274 
THE CORAL TRIANGLE: HEARST BIODIVERSITY EXPEDITION 
Sternoptychidae (Marine hatchetfishes) 
Polyipnus spinifer Borodulina, 1979 (Fig. 29) 
Material.— CAS 235509 (6 spec.); HEPD-003, beam trawl in 272-291 m. CAS 233991 (46.8 mm SL, DC- 
1281); HEPD-004, otter trawl in 154-245 m. CAS 234000 (21, 15.7-60.0 mm SL, DC-1282); HEPD-009, 
otter trawl in 322-336 m. CAS 235477 (5, 48.5-58.0 mm SL); HEPD-035, beam trawl in 397-439 m. 
Remarks. — Known from Suruga Bay, Japan, East China Sea, and off Philippines in South China and Sulu 
Seas. Depth usually about 220-380 m. Previously conRised with P. tridentifer and P. soelae, but distin¬ 
guishable from these by multidentate ACB photophore scales. 
Polyipnus triphanos Schultz, 1938 
Material.— CAS 235510 (23.7 mm SL); HEPD-009, otter trawl in 322-336 m. CAS 235473 (2, 30.9-35 
mm SL); HEPD-016, otter trawl in 892-966 m. 
Remarks. — Known from the Philippines and Taiwan in the South China and Indonesian islands south to the 
Coral Sea. Small adult size, < 50 mm SL 
Polyipnus unispinus Schultz, 1938 ? 
Material.— CAS 235471 (31.4 mm SL); HEPD-014, beam trawl in 865-944 m. CAS 235472 (8, 24.5-27 
mm SL); HEPD-016, otter trawl in 892—966 m. 
Remarks.— A miniature species, not attaining adult size exceeding about 35 mm SL. The low gill-raker 
count (11 or 12 total) is characteristic only of P. unispinus. The low A-ray count (13-14, rarely 15), absence 
of lateral pigment bar and the ill-defined pigmentation on dorsum distinguish it from P danae and all other 
Polyipnus. The HEPD specimens did not fully agree with the description provided by Harold 
(1994:502-504, fig. 41) in lacking denticulation on the PV photophore scales, in shape of preopercular and 
ptei^giophore spines, and in characters of the ACB photophores. If these specimens are conectly identi¬ 
fied, they represent the first record of the species from the South China Sea. Previous records are from the 
Sulu Sea south through Indonesia and east and south to the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, and to north 
of New Zealand. 
Sternoptyx diaphana Herman, 1781 
Material.— CAS 235474 (2, 28.5-29.2 mm SL); HEPD-016, otter trawl in 892-966 m. 
Remarks. — Worldwide in temperate to tropical seas; bathypelagic; depth range usually between 200 and 
1800 m, but many records exceeding 1800 m. 
Stomiidae (Scaly dragonfishes) 
Stomias nebulosus Alcock, 1889 (Fig. 30) 
Material.— CAS 233992 (106 mm SL, DC-1294); HEPD-005, beam trawl in 459^96 m. 
Remarks. — One of five Stomias species in the area. Absence of a greatly enlarged fanghke premaxillary 
tooth and the more numerous upper-jaw teeth distinguish the species from its congeners. 
Stomias sp. 
Material.— CAS 234024 (123 mm SL, DC-1397); HEPD-014, beam trawl in 865-944 m. 
Remarks. — Harold (1999:1908) lists five species from the western-central Pacific {S. affinis, S. boa, 
S. danae, S. longibarbatus, and S. nebulosus). 
Astronesthidae (Snaggletooths) 
Astronesthes chiysophekadion (Bleeker, 1849) 
Material.— CAS 235748 (98 mm SL); HEPD-006, otter trawl in 454-457 m. 
Remarks. — The HEPD specimen had PV 19, AC 12, OV 18, VAV 19, and OA 37: the last two counts fell 
outside the range given by Nakabo (2000), but the specimen otherwise closely agrees with his description. 
