Magadania skopetsi, a new genus and species of Zoarcidae (Teleostei: Perciformes) from the Sea of Okhotsk

Abstract

A new genus and species of zoarcid fish, Magadania skopetsi, is described on the basis of 17 specimens (83.4–115.9 mm SL) from the intertidal zone of the northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, near Magadan, Russia. This species differs from other known zoarcid genera and species by having the following combination of characters: suborbital bones 5, the suborbital canal with 6–8 small pores; first epibranchial fan-shaped; palatopterygoid series reduced; supraoccipital broadly contacting exoccipital; posttemporal ventral ramus weak; upper lip continuous at symphysis; palatine teeth, pelvic fins and scales present; lateral line configuration mediolateral, incomplete, absent on posterior half of body; vertebrae 18–22 + 78–83 = 97–104. The closest genus cannot be determined cladistically except that the species is a member of the subfamily Gymnelinae. During the spawning season, M. skopetsi lives under stones near the outer marginal area of the intertidal zone.