#NewSpeciesAlert - ๐
โ๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, a new species of long-nosed chimaera (Rhinochimaeridae) is described from the eastern Pacific Ocean, caught off Costa Rica between 2000 and 2023, at depths of 390โ787 m.
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mapress.com/zt/article/view/โฆ
"This discovery improves our knowledge of deep-sea fish diversity in the region and underscores the importance of integrative approaches in species identification, delimitation, and characterization."
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ง๐ถ๐๐น๐ฒ
A new species of ๐
โ๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ Garman 1901 (Holocephali: Chimaeriformes: Rhinochimaeridae) from the Eastern Pacific Ocean
๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Vidaurre-Quesada, N.V., Salas-Jimenez, A., Carvajal-Rodriguez, J.M., Lara-Quesada, N., Santos, S., Araripe, J. & Angulo, A. (2026) A new species of ๐
โ๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ Garman 1901 (Holocephali: Chimaeriformes: Rhinochimaeridae) from the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Zootaxa, 5828 (3), 535โ548.
doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.582โฆ
๐๐ฏ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐
A new species of ๐
โ๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ is described based on a unique combination of morphological traits, further supported by molecular evidence. The type series comprises three males (775โ830 mm total length) collected off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica between 2000 and 2023, at depths of 390โ787 m.
A total of 49 morphometric measurements were obtained from the three specimens and compared with published and unpublished data from 90 additional specimens representing the three currently recognized species of ๐
โ๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐
โ๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by a shorter snout, a larger and taller first dorsal-fin spine, a higher first dorsal fin, a wider interdorsal space, and a reduced number of caudal tubercles. Molecular analyses of COI sequences from two specimens of ๐
. ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ sp. nov. revealed genetic divergences of 3.9% from ๐
. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, 4.5% from ๐
. ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐, and 4.7% from ๐
. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, exceeding the commonly accepted interspecific divergence threshold. Species delimitation methods (ASAP, bPTP, GMYC) likewise support the recognition of this taxon as distinct from all congeners.
This discovery improves our knowledge of deep-sea fish diversity in the region and underscores the importance of integrative approaches in species identification, delimitation, and characterization.
๐ฃ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐
Cover image from the study. Preserved specimens of ๐
โ๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
ยฉ 2026 the Author(s). Published in the journal Zootaxa.
#NewSpecies #Ichthyology #Taxonomy #Biodiversity #Sharks #Shark #Rhinochimaera #Chimaera #Holocephali #Chimaeriformes #Rhinochimaeridae #CostaRica #PacificOcean #Ocean #DeepSea