Examination of the congrid genus Bathyuroconger in northwestern Pacific reveals six species are present. albus sp. nov. differs from congeners having a pale coloration, moderately reduced gill opening that is close to but not touching pectoral-fin base, trunk length 2.0-2.9 times HL, preanal vertebrae 45-54, lateral-line pores 42-48. dolichosomus has 3.2 63, and 61. fowleri small distant 1.7-2.1 head length, dorsal-fin origin over middle pectoral fin, predorsal 10-14, 48-52, total 173-178....

Three snailfish species of Careproctus (Cottoidei: Liparidae), including two new species, are described from the deep Pacific Ocean off northern Honshu Island, Japan. cyanogladius sp. nov., collected depths 2,698–3,223 m, can be distinguished congeneric by having following combination characters: vertebrae 63; dorsal-fin rays 57–58; anal-fin 50; principal caudal 7; pectoral-fin 29–31; pectoral fin without a notch; uppermost base below horizontal through posterior margin maxillary; pelvic...

Pseudorhombus elevatus Ogilby, 1912 and P. quinquocellatus Weber de Beaufort, 1929 (Teleostei: Paralichthyidae) are newly recorded from Japan, based on 35 two specimens, respectively, Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands. Although both species have previously been Taiwan, no Japanese records known to date. is characterized, readily distinguished congeners, by numerous minute teeth jaws, three dark blotches along the straight section of ocular-side trunk lateral line, dorsal- anal-fin ray numbers....

Puffer and porcupine fishes (families Diodontidae Tetraodontidae, order Tetradontiformes) are known for their extraordinary ability to triple body size by swallowing retaining large amounts of seawater in accommodating stomachs. This inflation mechanism provides a defence predation; however, it is associated with the secondary loss stomach's digestive function. Ingestion alkaline during would make acidification inefficient (a potential driver gastric digestion), paralleled acid–peptic genes....

We collected stomach contents of sea kraits, Laticauda laticaudata, L. colubrina, and semifasciata around Ishigaki Iriomote Islands the southern Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Twelve species belonging to three families Anguilliformes (Congridae, Muraenidae, Ophichthidae) were detected as prey fifteen individuals laticaudata seven colubrina. On other hand, four Labridae, Opistognathidae, Ptereleotridae found in semifasciata. These results indicate that colubrina northern limit their distribution...

An old museum specimen of the rare deep-sea species Ophichthus exourus McCosker, 1999 (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) (685 mm in total length) collected near Saipan and a recently example from Okinawa, Japan (634 represent first Northern Hemisphere records species, previously known only southwestern Pacific waters off New Caledonia Fiji, but now believed to be widely distributed western Ocean.A detailed morphological observation based on above specimens re-examination holotype resulted...

A taxonomic review of the snailfish genus Careproctus (Liparidae) with a reduced pelvic disk—the gilberti species group—from western North Pacific recognized three new from southern Sea Okhotsk, and confirmed validity gilberti, mederi, ostentum, parvidiscus. One newly described species, longibarbatus sp. nov., had been previously confused C. but was readily distinguishable on basis counts vertebrae (61–66 vs. 57–63), dorsal- (56–60 52–56) anal-fin rays (50–54 47–52), as well length pectoral...

Two genera of the poorly known family Cetomimidae (flabby whalefishes), Cetomimus Goode and Bean, 1895 Gyrinomimus Parr, 1934, are morphologically similar but differ in jaw tooth row (indistinct diagonal rows vs. distinct longitudinal Gyrinomimus) vomerine plate morphology (domed, round or rarely oval flat, rectangular oval). Three examples these genera, recently collected off Pacific coast Honshu Island, Japan, were respectively identified as hempeli Maul, 1969 (two specimens; characterized...

Chelidoperca pleurospilus (Günther, 1880) (Perciformes: Serranidae) is redescribed on the basis of lectotype (designated herein) and 69 non-type specimens from eastern Indian western Pacific oceans, ranging Andaman Sea east to New Caledonia, northwestern Australia north Japan. Literature records species Red Madagascar are considered applicable occipitalis Kotthaus 1973. characterized by following combination characters: pectoral-fin rays 14-16 (modally 15); pored lateral-line scales 40-43...

Psenes arafurensis, belonging to the family Nomeidae, is described based on four specimens (184.8–199.0 mm in standard length) collected from Korea. The species most similar congeneric P. maculatus and pellucidus, but differs them number of lateral–line scales. (44–47 arafurensis vs 67–70 120 pellucidus) vertebrae (31 34–38 40–42 pellucidus). present study a new record with voucher Korean waters.

A single muraenid specimen (genus Uropterygius), recovered from the stomach of a live Yellow-lipped Sea Krait, Laticauda colubrina (Schneider, 1799), captured at Iriomote Island, Japan, was found to possess intermediate traits between 2 rare species, Uropterygius  xenodontus McCosker & Smith, 1997 and golanii 1997. The is provisionally identified as U. xenodontus described below with its morphs, an important addition material specimens genus in western North Pacific.