10 from Argentina (236.3-310.0 mm SL), FAKU 42775, 42809, 43006-43008, 43444, 43574-43576; AP 680.
Description:
D ]U-]V, 15-16; A U, 8; P1 15-17; P2 T, 5; GR 6-7+1+13-15=20-23; BR 7; LLS 84-98.
HL 39.2-42.8% of SL; ED 5.5-7.6; BD 31.8-37.5; SN 9.0-11.0; IO 5.4-6.9; UJ 18.0-19.1; CP 9.9-11.4; P1L 22.0-24.3; P2L 16.8-20.1; D1H 12.3-15.8; D2H 14.9-17.8; AH 17.8-21.0.
Body deep, compressed. Dorsal profile of body evenly arched. Mouth large and slightly protractile, posterior end of upper jaw reaching to below posterior margin of eye. Fleshy lips well developed on upper jaw, lower jaw extending anterior to upper jaw. Eye large, about equal to interorbital width, situated nearer to dorsal profile than to ventral profile of head. Teeth in villiform bands on both jaws, those of outer series fairly enlarged. Villiform tooth band V-shaped on vomer and elongate on palatines. Two nostrils small circular, anterior nostril with two large spines and one small spine below. Preopercle with serrations on posterodorsal margin, two spines ventrally directed on posteroventral margin and one or two spines on corner. Head and opercle covered with small ctenoid scales except anterior part of snout and almost all part of lips. Body covered by small ctenoid scales. Pectoral fin moderate, its length over half of HL. Pelvic fin large, extending to nearly below tip of pectoral fin. First dorsal fin with very strong spines, fifth longest. Caudal fin round. Lateral line running from upper margin of opercle to caudal fin base, gradually curved anteriorly and fairly straight posteriorly. Brownish, with 3-4 dark bands on lateral side of body. Small irregular shaped dark spots on body and dorsal and anal fins.
Distribution:
Off central Argentina.
Remarks:
A closely related species, Acanthistius brasilianus (Cuvier, 1828) is distributed in more northern waters (Rio de Janeiro to Santos).
(Izumi NAKAMURA)
Distribution of Acanthistius patachonicus in Patagonia.