Pycnocraspedum, Alcock, 1889

Schwarzhans, Werner W., Psomadakis, Peter N. & Nielsen, Jørgen G., 2025, Revision of the bathydemersal fish genus Pycnocraspedum (Ophidiidae; Teleostei), with description of two new species, Zootaxa 5636 (3), pp. 443-472 : 450-451

Key to the species of Pycnocraspedum

(see also Table 2 for the complete set of measurements and Table 3 for measurement and meristic ranges of selected traits; data for P. microlepis from Matsubara 1943)

1 Dorsal-fin rays 78; D/V 1....................................................................... P. fulvum

- Dorsal-fin rays 88–103; D/V-1– -5....................................................................... 2

2 Anal-fin rays 57–65; total vertebrae 47–51; pseudobranchials 1–2; HL 29.6–31.5% of SL; predorsal 25–29% of SL; transversal scale rows 52–58; preopercle with single, weak spine (number 2)................................... P. squamipinne

- Anal-fin rays 68–79; total vertebrae 51–59; pseudobranchials 4–7; HL 22.7–27.6% of SL; predorsal 17–24.5% of SL; transversal scale rows 60–90; preopercle with 2 to 4 mostly strong spines................................................. 3

3 Dorsal-fin rays 87–92; preopercle with 2 spines............................................................. 4

- Dorsal-fin rays 95–103; preopercle with 3 or 4 spines........................................................ 5

4 Transversal scale rows 85–90; scale rows above lateral line 22–23; fleshy flap present between lower and upper spines on hind margin of preopercle; OL:OH (specimens larger than 15 mm OL) = 2.5–2.7............................ P. africanum

- Transversal scale rows 70; scale rows above lateral line 17; fleshy flap absent on hind margin of preopercle; OL:OH (at 16.5 mm OL) = 2.1............................................................................ P. rowleyensis

5 Transversal scale rows 60–68, scale rows above lateral line 15–20; pyloric coeca 12–16; preopercle with 4 spines................................................................................................... P. armatum

- Transversal scale rows 72–78 or not known, scale rows above lateral line 20–25; pyloric coeca 18–21; preopercle with 3 spines or not known........................................................................................ 6

6 Transversal scale rows above lateral line 20–21.................................................. P. phyllosoma

- Transversal scale rows above lateral line 25...................................................... P. microlepis