A Rare Cottid Fish, Artediellus aporosus (Actinopterygii: Cottoidei: Cottidae), from the Sea of Okhotsk off Hokkaido, Japan

抄録

A single specimen of the rare cottid fish, Artediellus aporosus Soldatov, 1921, was collected from the Sea of Okhotsk off Esashi, Kitami, Hokkaido, Japan. The species is characterized by having a soft body covered with loose skin, nasal bones concealed under the skin with no or rudimentary spines, and no sensory pores on top of the head. The identification of the present specimen has been confirmed by a comparison with the type series of the species. Although this species has been reported from the Sea of Okhotsk and the northern Sea of Japan, the present specimen represents the first record of it from Japanese waters. Differences between A. aporosus and the close relative A. miacanthus Gilbert and Burke, 1912 are discussed.