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Vertebrae counting—a way to resolve species identification of the genus Trachipterus (Osteichthyes:Trachipteridae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2009

Ivone Figueiredo ,
Teresa Moura  and
Leonel Serrano Gordo
Ivone Figueiredo*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Recursos Marinhos, IPIMAR, Avenida Brasília, 1449-006 Lisboa, Portugal
Teresa Moura
Affiliation:
Departamento de Recursos Marinhos, IPIMAR, Avenida Brasília, 1449-006 Lisboa, Portugal
Leonel Serrano Gordo
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologia Animal and Instituto de Oceanografia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Bloco C2, Campo Grande, 1749–016 Lisboa, Portugal
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Ivone Figueiredo, Departamento de Recursos Marinhos, IPIMAR, Avenida Brasília, 1449-006 Lisboa, Portugal email: ivonefig@ipimar.pt
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Abstract

A ribbonfish caught by a long-liner operating on the Portuguese continental slope was identified and assigned to the genus Trachipterus. However, the identification keys available were inappropriate to proceed with species identification. The specimen possessed diagnostic characteristics common to the two species occurring in the north-eastern Atlantic, Trachipterus trachypterus and Trachipterus arcticus. This problem was resolved by counting the vertebrae using X-ray analysis, since the ranges of the number of vertebrae are quite different for the two species. Based on this, the specimen was clearly assigned to Trachipterus arcticus.

Keywords

species identificationTrachipterus arcticusTrachipterus trachypterusVertebrae counting
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 1 , January 2008 , e65
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2007

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References

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