Taxonomy and Distribution of Deep-Sea Bigscales and Whalefishes (Teleostei: Stephanoberycoidei) Collected off Northeastern Brazil, Including Seamounts and Oceanic Islands

Despite the increasing number of studies on systematics Stephanoberycoidei (bigscales, pricklefishes, gibberfishes, hispidoberycids, and whalefishes) globally, knowledge about diversity distribution group in western South Atlantic still remains fragmentary. In this study, we present new anatomical (meristic morphometric) distributional data for 18 species based examination 150 specimens recently collected during ABRACOS (Acoustics along BRAzilian COaSt) expeditions off northeastern Brazil, including Rocas Atoll, Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, seamounts Rio Grande do Norte State, additional museum specimens. Melamphaidae, remarks taxonomy Melamphaes polylepis Poromitra crassiceps P. megalops groups are made examined. addition, Scopeloberyx opercularis, currently considered as a junior synonym robustus, is recognized valid species. Among identified, nine have their distributions extended confirmed records: polylepis, M. typhlops, megalops, sp., opisthopterus, Scopelogadus mizolepis, Cetostoma regani, Rondeletia loricata. Eight further reported first time Brazilian waters: Cetomimus sp. 1, 2, Ditropichthys storeri, Gyrinomimus bruuni, eulepis, leprus, longivelis, Additional also provided.