Aphyonus gelatinosus Günther, 1878

Table 1, Figs. 1–2

Aphyonus gelatinosus Günther, 1878: 22 (type locality off NE Australia). Aphyonus gelatinosus: Nielsen 1969: 15; Nielsen et al. 1999: 137; Nielsen 2015: 324; Nielsen & Møller, 2015: 736 (key), 737, fig. 99.1.

Holotype. BMNH 1887.12.7.59a, female, 132 mm SL, off Cape York, Qld, Australia, Challenger station 184, 12°08'S, 145°10'E, 2550 m.

Material examined. (10 specimens, 68–148 mm SL) Australia. AMS I 29315-004, male, 86 mm SL, Lord Howe Is. Rise, 29°10.29’S, 160°29.78’E, RV Franklin, field no: FR 0589–21, epibenthic sledge, 1590 m, 4 May 1989. AMS I 29340-005, female, 140 mm SL and male, 120 mm SL, off Sydney, NSW, 33°45’S, 152°03’E, FRV Kapala, field no: K 89-13-02 , bottom trawl, 1120–1170 m, 30 June 1989. AMS I 29742-009, female, 103 mm SL, east of Tuncurry, NSW, 32°09’S, 153°09’E, FRV Kapala, field no: K 89-17-07 , bottom trawl, 1079–1143 m, 17 Aug. 1989. AMS I 29745-004, female, 148 mm SL, east of Nowra, NSW, 34°54’S, 151°16’E, FRV Kapala, field no: K 89-18-02 , bottom trawl, 1097–1143 m, 22 Aug 1989. CSIRO H 2307-01, female, 140 mm SL, east of Seymour, Tas., 41°42.3’S, 148°43.0’E, FRV Soela, st. SO 04/86/3 , demersal trawl, 1168– 1152 m, 11 July 1986. CSIRO H 6036-03, male, 113 mm SL, Lord Howe Rise, 32°03.98’S, 159°52.80’E, RV Tangaroa, st. TAN 0308/071, bottom trawl, 1920–1934 m, 24 May 2003 . NMV A 31828-002, female, 96 mm, Central Eastern Commonwealth Marine Reserve, NSW, 30°05.86’S, 153°53.92'E, RV Investigator, st. IN2017_VO3/086, beam trawl, 2429–2518 m, 5 June 2017 . NMV A 31841-012, female, 68 mm SL, Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve, Qld, 23°35.22'S, 154°11.64'E, RV Investigator, st. IN2017_VO3/121, beam trawl, 1013–1093 m, 13 June 2017 .

Taiwan. ASIZ P0067364, female, 133 mm SL, off Su-ao, eastern Taiwan, 24°15’N, 122°10.84’E, RV Haiyan No. 1, stn. CP373, French type beam trawl, 2227 – 2664 m, 26 Aug. 2006 .

Other material: 22 non-Australian specimens (62–147 mm SL) listed in Nielsen 2015 from the Atlantic, Indian and western Pacific Oceans.

Size. Largest known specimen (148 mm SL) is a ripe female.

Remarks. Table 1 shows agreement in all 20 characters between the data for the two recently collected Australian specimens (NMV A 31828-002 and NMV A 31841-012) and the data from 29 specimens from most oceans (Nielsen 2015: 327).

Diagnosis. See generic diagnosis.

Distribution (Fig. 1). The present material was caught off southern Qld and northern NSW at 1013–2518 m depth and earlier 29 specimens were caught in the Atlantic, Indian and West Pacific Oceans (including seven from Australian waters) at depths of 625–2560 m.