2 from Argentina (488.0-785.0 mm TL), FAKU AP 826, 827.
Description:
D 109-112; A 86-89; P1 19; P2 3; GR 2-3+10-13=13-15; BR 7.
HL 19.8-20.2% of TL; 1.3-1.7; BD 10.3-10.6; SN 4.8-5.7; IO 4.5; UJ 7.5-9.3; P1L 13.2-13.7; P2L 3.6-5.0; PreD 19.4-19.9; PreA 42.8; PreP1 19.6-21.1; PreP2 13.8-16.5.
Body elongate, head extremely depressed and tail compressed, body depth 8.5-9.5 times in SL. Head large, 5.5-6.0 times in SL. Head width slightly smaller than head length, with well sowllen cheek muscles. Mouth subterminal and large, with upper jaw produced forward over lower jaw. Both lips well delimited by grooves. Posterior margin of upper jaw slightly beyond posterior marin of eye. Conical teeth on both jaws in a row posteriorly and in up to 3 rows anteriorly. About 15 small conical teeth on vomer. Small conical teeth uniserial posteriorly and up to 3 rows anteriorly on palatines. Eye very small, 10.5-13.0 times in head. Interorbital region flat and wide, its width slightly longer than twice of eye diameter. Nostril single and tubular. Gill-opening extending downward to middle of pectoral fin. Pseudobranchiae present. Cephalic lateral-line system well developed. No occipital canal. Postorbital canal without postocular pore, therefore only one pore just in front of upper insertion of gill-opening. Suborbital canal with 7 pores. Preoperculo-mandibular canal with 2 pores, anterior pore on snout tip and posterior pore posterosuperior to nostril. Lateral line obscure, small lateral-line pores arranged from around upper insertion of gill-opening to tail oblique anteriorly and fairly straight posteriorly. Small scales on tail region. Pectoral fin round, its length about 1.6 times in head. Pelvic fin small, situated fairly anterior to pectoral fin base. Dorsal fin with long base, originating above pectoral fin origin.
Distribution:
Argentine Patagonia and Straits of Magellan.
Remarks:
One of the largest zoarcid species, specimens of about 700 mm TL being not uncommon on the Patagonian littoral (Gosztonyi, 1977).
(Izumi NAKAMURA)
Distribution of Austrolycus laticinctus in Patagonia.