Laemonema rhodochir (Gadiformes: Moridae) recorded from the Emperor Seamount Chain and Sagami Bay, with comments on the morphological characteristics.

Abstract

Nine specimens (126.9–194.6 mm standard length) of the morid Laemonema rhodochir Gilbert, 1905, previously recorded in the North Pacific Ocean from the Hancock Seamount, Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount Chain, Hawaiian Islands, Kyushu-Palau Ridge, and Taiwan, were collected from the Koko, Yuryaku, and Colahan Seamounts (Emperor Seamount Chain) and Sagami Bay, representing the first record from each locality and northernmost range extension of the species (Sagami Bay, off Zushi City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, ca. 35˚15′N). Re-examination of the type specimens of L. rhodochir and L. palauense supported a previous view that the former species is the senior synonym of the latter.