Abstract
Two new barbeled dragonfishes, Eustomias oshoromaru sp. nov. and E. clarkei sp. nov., are described on the basis of a single specimen collected from the Ogasawara Islands and two specimens from the Hawaiian Islands, respectively. The two new species are included in the subgenus Triclonostomias Regan & Trewavas, 1930, characterized primarily by 8 pelvic-fin rays, and 3 branches arising together from the externally pigmented barbel stem. Both species are similar to E. furcifer Regan & Trewavas, 1930 and E. drechseli Regan & Trewavas, 1930 in having the barbel swollen and externally unpigmented distal to the origins of the barbel branches. However, E. oshoromaru sp. nov. is distinguishable from these species by the following combination of characters: 5 pectoral-fin rays; 3 barbel branches arising together from a part slightly before the barbel mid-point [barbel stem base to origin of branches 45.1% of barbel length (BL)]; terminal swelling with single lengthwise dark line extending to near base of terminal bulb. Eustomias clarkei sp. nov. is diagnosed by the following combination of characters: 7 pectoral-fin rays; 3 barbel branches arising together from a part clearly beyond the barbel mid-point (barbel stem base to origins of branches ca. 67.8–76.3% of BL); proximal part of medial barbel branch with single elaborately ramified branch; single lengthwise dark line on terminal swelling barely reaching mid-point. A revised diagnosis of the subgenus Triclonostomias and key to species are also provided.
References
- Amante, C. & Eakins, B.W. (2009) ETOPO1 1 arc-minute global relief model: procedures, data sources and analysis. NOAA Technical Memorandum NESDIS NGDC-24. National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA. Available from: https://doi.org/10.7289/V5C8276M (accessed 1 December 2025)
- Borodin, N.A. (1930) Some more new deep-sea fishes. Proceedings of the New England Zoölogical Club, 11, 87–92.
- Carneiro, M., Martins, R., Reiner, F. & Batista, I. (2019) Ichthyofauna of Portugal: taxonomic diversity, common and scientific names of marine fishes. Volume 1. Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Lisboa, 376 pp.
- Chang, S., Heiple, Z., Hays, D., Melendez-Vazquez, F., Lee, C., Frable, B.W., Pogonoski, J., Martinez, C.M., Betancur-R, R. & Arcila, D. (2025) Genome-wide phylogeny reshapes our understanding of the evolution of deep-sea dragonfishes, bristlemouths, viperfishes, and allies (Stomiiformes). BMC Ecology and Evolution, 25, 111. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-025-02453-0
- Filhol, H. (1884) Explorations sous-marines. Voyage du “Talisman”. La Nature, (559), 182–186.
- Gibbs, R.H. Jr. (1971) Notes on fishes of the genus Eustomias (Stomiatoidei, Melanostomiatidae) in Bermuda waters, with the description of a new species. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 84, 235–244.
- Gibbs, R.H. Jr. & Barnett, M.F. (1990) Melanostomiidae. In: Quéro, J.-C., Hureau, J.-C., Karrer, C., Post, A. & Saldanha, L. (Eds.), Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic. CLOFETA. Vol I. UNESCO, Paris, pp. 308–337.
- Gibbs, R.H. Jr., Clarke, T.A. & Gomon, J.R. (1983) Taxonomy and distribution of the stomioid fish genus Eustomias (Melanostomiidae), I: subgenus Nominostomias. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 380, i–iv + 1–139. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.380
- Gomon, J.R. & Gibbs, R.H. Jr. (1985) Taxonomy and distribution of the stomioid fish genus Eustomias (Melanostomiidae), II: Biradiostomias, new subgenus. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 409, i–iii + 1–58. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.409
- Grandperrin, R. & Rivaton, J. (1966) “Coriolis”: croisière “Alizé”: individualization de plusieurs ichtyofaunes le long de l'équateur. Cahiers O.R.S.T.O.M., Série Océanographie, 4, 35–49.
- Harold, A.S. (2016) Melanostomiidae. In: Carpenter, K.E. & De Angelis, N. (Eds.), FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Eastern Central Atlantic. Volume 3. Bony fishes part 1 (Elopiformes to Scorpaeniformes). FAO, Rome, pp. 1809–1815.
- Hartel, K.E., Kenaley, C.P., Galbraith, J.K. & Sutton, T.T. (2008) Additional records of deep-sea fishes from off greater New England. Northeastern Naturalist, 15, 317–334. https://doi.org/10.1656/1092-6194-15.3.317
- Kimura, K., Tsuda, Y. & Nakayama, N. (2023) Eustomias shunyo, a new species of barbeled dragonfish (Stomiiformes, Stomiidae) from the western North Pacific. Ichthyological Research, 71, 48–55. [First published online, pp. 1–8, 24 June 2023. Volume, issue and pages added 6 Jan. 2024.] https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-023-00911-7
- Morrow, J.E. Jr. (1964) Family Chauliodontidae. In: Olsen, Y.H. (Ed.), Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research. No. 1. Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Pt. 4. Sears Foundation for Marine Research, Yale University, New Haven, pp. 274–289. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvbcd0k1.9
- Morrow, J.E. Jr. & Gibbs, R.H. Jr. (1964) Family Melanostomiatidae. In: Olsen, Y.H. (Ed.), Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research. No. 1. Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Pt. 4. Sears Foundation for Marine Research, Yale University, New Haven, pp. 351–511. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvbcd0k1.12
- Parin, N.V. & Pokhil’skaya, G.N. (1974) A review of the Indo–Pacific species of the genus Eustomias (Melanostomiatidae, Osteichthyes). Trudy Instituta Okeanologii Imeni P.P. Shirshova, 96, 316–368.
- Prokofiev, A.M. (2015) New species of Eustomias (Melanostomiidae) from the Canary Basin with notes on E. parri. Journal of Ichthyology, 55, 125–127. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0032945215010142
- Prokofiev, A.M. (2018) Three new species of Eustomias (Melanostomiidae) from the southern subtropical waters with the description of a new subgenus. Journal of Ichthyology, 58, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0032945218010113
- Prokofiev, A.M. (2020) On some little-known Melanostomiidae with the description of a new species of Eustomias. Journal of Ichthyology, 60, 345–354. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0032945220030121
- R Core Team (2025) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. Available from: https://www.R-project.org/ (accessed 1 December 2025)
- Regan, C.T. & Trewavas, E. (1930) The fishes of the families Stomiatidae and Malacosteidae. The Danish “Dana”-Expeditions 1920–22 in the North Atlantic and the Gulf of Panama. Oceanographical Reports, (6), 1–143, pls. I–XIV. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004629493_001
- Sabaj, M.H. (2020) Codes for natural history collections in ichthyology and herpetology. Copeia, 108, 593–669. https://doi.org/10.1643/ASIHCODONS2020
- Stewart, A.L., Kenaley, C.P. & Sutton, T. (2024) A new species of Eustomias (Nominostomias) (Stomiiformes: Stomiidae) from the Kermadec Ridge—Tonga Trench region, western South Pacific Ocean, with notes on the barbel morphology of E. trewavasae. Zootaxa, 5458, 93–107. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5458.1.5
- Sutton, T.T., Hulley, P.A., Wienerroither, R., Zaera-Perez, D. & Paxton, J.R. (2020) Identification guide to the mesopelagic fishes of the central and south east Atlantic Ocean. FAO, Rome, xvi + 327 pp. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb0365en
- Tatsuta, N., Imamura, H., Nakaya, K., Kawai, T., Abe, T., Sakaoka, K., Takagi, S. & Yabe, M. (2014) Taxonomy of mesopelagic fishes collected around the Ogasawara Islands by the T/S Oshoro-Maru. Memoirs of the Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, 56, 1–64.
- Villarins, B.T., Fischer, L.G., Prokofiev, A.M. & Mincarone, M.M. (2025) A new species of Eustomias (Stomiiformes: Stomiidae) from the western tropical Atlantic, with further descriptions of E. braueri Zugmayer, 1911 and E. macrurus Regan and Trewavas, 1930. Ichthyology & Herpetology, 113, 723–740. https://doi.org/10.1643/i2025032
