東北沖太平洋で採集された日本初記録の粒状発光器を欠くクロボウズギス属魚類

抄録

A single specimen (121.5 mm in standard length) belonging to the genus Pseudoscopelus was collected off the Pacific coast of Tohoku region, Japan. The specimen was unique among Pseudoscopelus inhabiting Japanese waters in completely lacking discrete photophores. Although identification was uncertain, primarily due to the taxonomic confusion among species lacking discrete photophores, the specimen was provisionally identified as Pseudoscopelus vityazi Prokofiev and Kukuev, 2007, based on the following characteristics: silver-colored structures present on head and body instead of discrete photophores, and internal area of orobranchial chamber dark, at least posteriorly. Although the original description indicated that the silver-colored structures were “luminescent tissue”, whether or not those structures are true luminescent organs still requires verification. A subsequently revised publication date (2008) for P. vityazi is discussed. The new standard Japanese name “Ginsen-kurobozugisu” is proposed for the species.