Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa” 63(1): 93-115, doi: 10.3897/travaux.63.e48237
A revision of the abandoned snailfish genus Menziesichthys with description of a new species (Teleostei, Scorpaeniformes, Liparidae)
expand article infoArtem M. Prokofiev§, Alexandru Iftime|
‡ P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nakhimovsky prospect 36, Moscow, Russia§ A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii prospect 33, Moscow, Russia| "Grigore Antipa" National Museum of Natural History, Bucharest, Romania
Open Access
Abstract

The genus Menziesichthys is revised and re-diagnosed, its type-species, M. bacescui, is redescribed and a new species is described. Menziesichthys shares intermediate morphological characters between the genera Psednos and Rhodichthys. It is unique within all liparid genera in the combination of strongly humpbacked body, uninterrupted infraorbital canal with huge pore openings, relative position of sec- ond nasal pore and nostril, very large gill slits, and diminutive size of adult specimens. A new species, M. alaid, is described from the Sea of Okhotsk off the northern Kuriles. It differs from the type-species (distributed in the southeastern Pacific) in having a lower pectoral-fin ray count, more anteriorly situ- ated anus, minute (vs. well-developed) protrusion at the posterior end of the maxilla and in other minor characters.

Keywords
Snailfishes, Menziesichthys, Psednos, Rhodichthys, new species, taxonomy, Pacific Ocean