Black Batfish

diagnosis

Diagnosis. A species of Halicmetus distinguished by the following combination of characters: disk moderately broad, 62 – 71 % SL; orbit very large, 78.9 – 11.6 % SL; interorbit broad, 6.1 – 8.1 % SL; illicial trough opening low; mid-dorsal disk covered with mixed simple and multicuspid spinules; tiny bucklers evenly distributed on dorsal surface, imperceptible without magnification; belly covered with closely spaced, simple spinules and slightly larger, scattered multicuspid tubercles; dorsal-fin rays absent; pectoral-fin rays 12 – 15 (modally 13 – 14); uniformly black dorsally, paler grayish ventrally; peritoneal membrane with dense coverage of melanophores; fins dark banded or black.

Review of the batfish genus Halicmetus Alcock, 1891 from Australian waters, with descriptions of two new species (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae)

discussion

Remarks. The diagnosis given above is consistent with the description of this species provided by Ho et al. (2008). The name is apparently an adjective and should be spelled niger when in Halicmetus.

Review of the batfish genus Halicmetus Alcock, 1891 from Australian waters, with descriptions of two new species (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae)

materials_examined

Material examined. 10 specimens, 46.7 – 87.2 mm SL. AMS I. 29756007 (1, 87.2, paratype), FRV Kapala sta. K 89 - 15 - 04, eastern Broken Bay, bottom trawl, 33 ° 38 ’ S, 152 ° 0 ’ E, 677 – 750 m, 4 Aug. 1989; AMS I. 30304003 (2, 53.9 – 60.6, paratypes), FRV Kapala sta. K 89 - 17 - 09, eastern Cape Hawke, 32 ° 13 ’ S, 153 ° 6 ’ E, 820 – 857 m, 17 Aug. 1989. AMS I. 20920019 (6, 46.7 – 58.9, paratypes), 6 – 17.6 km NE of Raine I., 11 ° 32 ’ S, 144 ° 10 ’ E, 1 prawn trawl, 1000 m, 12 Feb. 1979. CSIRO H. 4070 - 48 (1, 74.7), NNW of Port Hedland, 18 ° 12 ’ S, 118 ° 14 ’ E, 269 m, 8 Sep. 1995.

Review of the batfish genus Halicmetus Alcock, 1891 from Australian waters, with descriptions of two new species (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae)