Vol. 48 No. 3, 2009

A New Species of the Batfish Genus Malthopsis (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae) from the Northwestern Indian Ocean

Hsuan-Ching Ho^1,2, Artém M. Prokofiev³, and Kwang-Tsao Shao^2,*

¹Institute of Marine Biology, National Taiwan Ocean University, 2 Peining Rd., Keelung 202, Taiwan.  E-mail:ogcoho@gmail.com
²Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
³A. N. Severtsov’s Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 33, Moscow 119071, Russia  E-mail:prokart@rambler.ru

Hsuan-Ching Ho, Artém M. Prokofiev, and Kwang-Tsao Shao (2009) Malthopsis retifera sp. nov. is described from 17 specimens collected in the northwestern Indian Ocean off Somalia at depths of 375-420 m.  The new species can be distinguished from its congeners in having a reticular color pattern on its dorsal surface and 5 pairs of dark spots on the disk margin and tail; bucklers on the dorsal surface are relatively pointed, and areas between the principal bucklers lack small tubercles or bucklers; bucklers on the belly are rounded and flat; the reclined anal fin reaches the base of the caudal fin; there are no black ocelli or dots on the dorsal surface; there are 6 lateral line scales in the opercular series and 7 or 8 in the tail series; there are 11-13 (mainly 12) pectoral fin rays; and there are 4 or 5 (mainly 5) dorsal fin rays.

Key words: Taxonomy, Fish, New species, Malthopsis retifera, Indian Ocean.

*Correspondence: E-mail:zoskt@gate.sinica.edu.tw