Pachycara caribbaeum Anderson, Somerville & Copley, 2016

Family:  Zoarcidae (Eelpouts), subfamily: Lycodinae
Max. size:  19.9 cm SL (male/unsexed); 19.7 cm SL (female)
Environment:  bathydemersal; marine; depth range 2309 - 2313 m,
Distribution:  Caribbean Sea: nown from the hydrothermally active Von Damm Vent Field on the Mid-Cayman Spreading Centre.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 99-104; Anal soft rays: 77-82; Vertebrae: 107-112. Diagnosis: vertebrae 31–33 + 76–79 = 107–112; pectoral fin rays 12–14; pelvic fin rudimentary, rays 2; single mediolateral branch of the lateral line system; scales present on nape and cheeks (Ref. 112624). Description: head ovoid, deeper than wide in larger specimens than smallest, snout gently sloping in all; scales cycloid, relatively sparsely distributed in these juveniles, absent on fins and pectoral base and axil; scales present in nape to about 1 eye diameter posterior to eye in smallest specimen, to interorbital area in others; eye small, rounded, entering dorsal profile of head in larger fish; gill slit moderate, reaching ventrally to lower edge of pectoral base or just below it; opercular lobe at dorsal margin of gill slit slightly rounded posteriorly, extending forward about 1 eye diameter; pectoral-fin origin slightly below body midline, insertion on abdomen; posterior margin of fin wedge-shaped, with rays 4– 6 from dorsalmost the longest; ventralmost rays not noticeably thickened, no ray tips exserted; mouth very slightly subterminal and oblique, upper jaw extending posteriorly to middle of eye; epidermal prickles absent on head; nostril tube not reaching forward to upper lip; oral valve reaching just posterior to anterior edge of vomer; jaw teeth small, conical; premaxilla with single row of teeth in smallest, 2-3 anterior rows blending into single posterior row in larger specimens; dentary with 3 rows of teeth anteriorly blending into single posterior row in all; vomerine teeth few in juveniles; palatine teeth in single row, also relatively few; cephalic lateralis system with no variation in pore counts; 2 postorbital pores; suborbital pores 6 + 0 on both sides of all; 8 preoperculomandibular pores; 2 anterior supraorbital (nasal) pores, 1 set anteromesial to nostril tube, the other dorsoposteriorly; interorbital and occipital pores absent; body lateral line system with single, mediolateral branch originating just posterior to postorbital pore 4, running to tail tip; no trace of ventral or dorsolateral neuromasts; dorsal-fin origin associated with vertebrae 7–8, with no free pterygiophores; anal fin origin associated with vertebrae 30–31 (ultimate precaudal), with 3–5 pterygiophores inserted anterior to haemal spine of 1st caudal vertebra; last dorsal ray associated with 4th preural vertebra, last anal ray associated with 2nd preural vertebra; caudal fin with 2 epural, 4 upper hypural and 4 lower hypural rays; gill rakers short, those on upper limb (epibranchial) acute, lower rakers (ceratobranchial and hypobranchial) blunt, roughly triangular; pseudobranchial filaments short and slender; branchiostegal rays 4 + 2 (Ref. 112624). Coloration: Fresh colouration: uniformly pinkish white, edges of unpaired fins translucent; abdomen bluish black, eye blue (Ref. 112624). In preservative: dull whitish, orobranchial chamber pale (Ref. 112624).
Biology:  Known from two bathyal collections at chemosynthetic environments; depth ca. 2300 m (Ref.112624)
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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