10 from Argentina (207.0-355.8 mm TL), 7 from Chile (183.9-337.4 mm TL), FAKU 42940-42944, 43023, 43383, 47815, 47816; AP 180, CP 181, 529, 602-606.
Description:
D 85-90; A 69-73; P1 17-18; P2 3; GR 0-2+0-1+7-12=9-12; BR 5; X 19-21+68-73=87-94.
HL 18.0-22.0% of TL; ED 3.0-4.7; BD 10.2-13.7; SN 6.6-8.5; IO 4.4-5.6; UJ 7.0-10.9; P1L 8.9-12.6; P2L 2.6-3.9; PreD 21.4-24.4; PreA 39.0-41.2; PreP1 15.7-19.7; PreP2 15.7-19.7.
Head moderately depressed, trunk and tail compressed. Head 4.5-5.0 times, body depth 7.3-8.0 times in SL. Upper margin of eye produced slightly above upper profile of head. Single nostril tube-like. Mouth subterminal, upper jaw much longer than lower, posterior margin of upper jaw reaching middle of eye. Interorbital region slightly convex, its width slightly longer than eye diameter and slightly shorter than snout length. Lips very thick, fleshy and well delimited from adjacent skin by a deep groove. Teeth sharp conical, in several irregular rows near symphysis, in a single row posteriorly on both jaws. About 10 sharp conical teeth on vomer. Several sharp conical teeth uniserial on palatines. Gill-opening large, extending downward beyond lower end of pectoral fin base and to a point anterior to pelvic fin origin. Pseudobranchiae present. Pectoral fin round, its length about half of head. Pelvic fin small, situated extremely anterior to pectoral fin. Dorsal fin higher and longer in base than anal fin. Lateral line running along midlateral body. Fine cycloid scales embedded in skin, not imbricated. Opercular region, trunk, tail and proximal parts of dorsal, anal and pectoral fins scaled, but anterior part of head naked.
Distribution:
Both Chilean and Argentine Patagonia; the bathymetric distribution is very wide with specimens regularly found from the intertidal zone to depths of 600 m (Gosztonyi, 1977).
Remarks:
Young specimens have been found in the littoral zone as well as on the continental shelf and slope, which suggests for this species a spawning area covering the whole of the continental shelf (Gosztonyi, 1977).
(Izumi NAKAMURA)
Distribution of Iluocoetes fimbriatus in Patagonia.