New Records of Three Mesopelagic Fish Species from Southwestern Taiwan

Abstract

Mesopelagic fishes are rich in species diversity, yet most of the species are poorly known from taxonomic aspect. The present study provided detailed morphological descriptions on three mesopelagic fish species collected for the first time in Taiwanese waters, including Coccorella atrata (Alcock 1894), Centrobranchus andreae (Lutken 1892), and Dasyscopelus selenops (Taning 1928). These species, belonging to the Evermannellidae and Myctophidae, are poorly known from a taxonomic standpoint. Comparisons between these Taiwanese specimens and their respective congeners were given, facilitating their identification in future studies. This study contributes to a better understanding of the biodiversity of mesopelagic fish in subtropical Northwest Pacific and highlights the need for further taxonomic studies on this rich and important group of fish.