Second record of the scaly prickled eelpout Krusensterniella squamosa from Japan

Abstract

A single specimen of Krusensterniella (Perciformes: Zoarcidae), collected off Tsugaru Peninsula, Aomori, Japan, was identified as Krusensterniella squamosa Chernova, 2022, characterized by three pungent spines in the dorsal fin, 47 dorsal-fin spines, at least 101 dorsal-fin rays and 103 vertebrae, and previously known only from the holotype, collected off Iwate, Japan. The new standard Japanese name “Uroko-haregaji”, referring to the scaled body, is proposed for the species. Records of Krusensterniella notabilis from Japan are unlikely to be that species, since many identification sources for Japanese fishes in correctly described K. notabilis as having a broad scaled area on the body.