First record of slender barracudina, Lestidiops ringens, (Aulopiformes: Paralepididae), from Japan

Abstract

Two specimens of slender barracudina, Lestidiops ringens (Jordan and Gilbert, 1881) (198-204 mm in standard length), were collected by midwater trawl (0-750m) from east of Aomori and Iwate, northern Japan, Oyashio and transition waters, respectively. Lestidiops ringens is distinguished from other congeners by having the following combination of characters: short snout (ca. 8-10% of standard length), dorsal fin posterior to pelvic fins, lateral line segments 96-130, terminating at caudal fin base, anal fin rays 26-32, and vertebrae number 82-91. This is the first record of the species from Japan, and it is given a new Japanese name, Kita-namehadaka.