Psychropotes longicauda Theel 1882

Psychropotes longicauda Théel, 1882 Reports for the Azores:

Psychropotes grimaldii $ Hérouard, 1896: 164, fig. 2, 1902: 25–27, pl. 3, figs. 1–2; Perrier 1902: 276; Mortensen 1927a: 376; Deichmann 1930: 130; García-Diez et al. 2005: 52;

Psychropates fucata Perrier, 1900: 119;

Psychropotes longicauda Théel, 1882 — $ Hansen 1975: 115–126, figs. 49–54, 118, pl. 7, figs. 4–6, pl. 12, fig. 7; $ Gebruk 2008: 50, 51.

Type locality: Pacific (53°55’S, 108°35’E).

See: Hansen (1975).

Occurrence: cosmopolitan, present in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Southern Oceans (Hansen 1975); from the Rockall Trough (Gage et al. 1985) and SE of the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone (Gebruk 2008) south to southern Africa and Antarctic waters (Hansen 1975), including the Azores (Hérouard 1902).

Depth: 2,210 –5,173 m (Hansen 1975); AZO: 2,954 –4,020 m (Hérouard 1902, Gebruk 2008).

Habitat: benthopelagic (juveniles only; Miller & Pawson 1990); on muddy sediments (Perrier 1902).

Larval stage: direct (Tyler & Billett 1987).

Remarks: Psychropotes longicauda is a highly variable species, a fact reflected by its high number of synonyms (Hansen 1975). Historically, two of the junior synonyms were associated with Azorean waters: P. grimaldii by Hérouard (1896) and P. fucata by Perrier (1896b). The first species was known only from the type material collected by Princesse Alice, east of S„o Miguel waters (sta 527: 38°09’N, 23°15’45”W, 4,020 m). Initially, Perrier (1900) listed the Azores as the type area for the second species, but in reality the material of P. fucata was dredged by Talisman between the archipelago and the European continental shores (sta 135, 43°15’N, 21°40’W) (Perrier 1902). Regardless, on the re-examination of P. grimaldii and P. fucata Hansen (1975) remarked that the diagnostic characters found by both Hérouard and Perrier were mere individual differences and thus proposed their synonymy with P. longicauda. Recently, Gebruk (2008) identified P. longicauda from the northern border of the Azorean EEZ (G.O. Sars, MAR–ECO cruise, sta 40/367: 42°55’N, 30°20’W, 2,954 –2,968 m), further substantiating the presence of this species in the archipelago.