Memoirs of the Museum of Victoria 48(1): 75-77 (1987)
ISSN 0814-1827
NEW AUSTRALIAN FISHES. PART 17.
NEW SPECIES OF GADELLA AND PHYSICULUS (MORIDAE)
By C. D. Paulin
Department of Ichthyology, National Museum of New Zealand,
Private Bag, Wellington, New Zealand
Abstract
Paulin, CD., 1987. New Australian fishes. Part 17. New species of Gadella and. Physiculus (Mori-
dae). Mem. Mus. Vict. 48: 75-77.
The following species are here described: Gadella norops and Physiculus iherosidems. G. norops
has a very small light organ placed closer to the anus than the interventral line, elongate ventral
fins, second dorsal ray count more than 72 and an inter-orbital width greater than 7.9% SL.
P. therosideros has a large light organ placed closer to the anus than the interventral line, equal
sized teeth and a lateral line reaching the origin of the second dorsal fin.
Introduction
Morid fishes of the genera Gadella and Physic-
ulus are distributed in all tropical, subtropical and
warm temperate regions of the world's oceans,
in depths of 40-1500 m, usually 100-600 m. Both
genera are currently being revised on a worldwide
basis: Gadella is represented by six nominal and
two undescribed species; Physiculus is
represented by 25 nominal and nine undescribed
species (Paulin, in prep). One new species of
Gadella, and one new species of Physiculus which
form the basis of the present account, are found
in Australia in addition to four known species of
Physiculus: P. longifilis Weber, P. luminosa Pau-
lin, P. nigrescens Smith & Radcliffe and P. roseus
Alcock.
Species of these genera can be identified by
measurements of the size and position of the der-
mal fossa of the ventral light organ, expressed as
a percentage of ventral fin base to anal fin ori-
gin distance (InV-af) (Paulin, in prep).
Material is lodged in these institutions: Aus-
tralian Museum, Sydney (AMS); Queensland
Museum, Brisbane (QM); Museum National
d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN); National
Museum of Natural History (USNM); Zoologisk
Museum, Copenhagen (ZMC).
Gadella norops sp. nov.
Physiculus edelmanni.-Paulm 1983: 116 (not Brauer, 1908).
Material examined. Holotype: Western Australia, Port Hed-
land (18°41'S, U6°46'E), 506-508 m, 13 Apr 1982, AMS 1.
22827-003.
Paratypes: New South Wales, off Sydney (33°45'S,
151°5.5'E), AMS I. 17857-008; east of Clarence River (29°26'-
20'S, 153°49'-59'E), 450 m; AMS 1.19096-005.
Queensland. Off Tweed Heads, (28°3'S, 154°4'E), 731 m,
6 Nov 1978, AMS 1.21795-003.
Non-type material: Queensland. Off Brisbane (27°19'S,
153°54'E), 535 m, QM 1.21030.
New South Wales. Newcastle (33°8'S, 157°27'E), 586 m,
AMS 1.21805-001. Ballina-Tweed Heads (28°17'S, 153°53'E),
200 m, AMS 1.23993.
Western Australia. Port Hedland (17°59'S,118°17'E), 404-
420 m, 3 Apr 1982, AMS 1.22808-024. Port Hedland (18°29'S,
116°36'E), 696-704 m, 6 Apr 1982, AMS 1.22814-017. North-
east of Bluff Point (27°916"S, 112°7'50"E), 294-297 m, 22 Aug
1979, USNM 262075; (27°9'16"S, 112°47'50"E), 294-297 m,
22 Aug 1979, USNM 262073; (27°32'41"S, 112°58'59"E), 226-
302 m, 27 Jul 1979, USNM 262074.
New Zealand. Bay of Plenty, NMNZ P20267.
New Caledonia?. USNM 262076.
Diagnosis. Barbel absent; light organ very small,
4.0% (1.4-6.4% InV-af and placed closer to anus
than interventral line; distance from interventral
line to anterior margin of light organ 39.6%
(36.2-42.5%) InV-af;distance from posterior mar-
gin of light organ to anterior margin of anus
30.6% (25.9-35.6%) InV-af; gular scales absent;
ventral fins reaching 10th anal ray; first dorsal
75
BioStor
