126: BERYCIDAE (BERYCIDS)
Head and body scarlet dorsally, silvery white below; fins
scarlet. Attains 60 cm. Both sides of Atlantic, also
Australia, Japan and Hawaii; in our area from Saldanha
Bay to Natal.
Slender beryx
126.2 8eryx sp/endens
Lowe, 1834
Siank beryx
Beryx splendens Lowe, 1834: 142 (text only, Fig. is B. decadactylus;
Madeira); Krefft, 1961*; Smith, SFSA No. 286*; Karrer, 1973: 221;
Woods & Sonoda, 1973: 286*; Krefft, 1976: 74*; Busakhin, 1982: 6*.
Beryx mollis Abe, 1959: 157, Pis. 4-6 (Sagami Bay, Japan).
D IV,13-15; A IV,25-30; P 16-18; V 1,10-12; LL 65-70 (+ 10-12 on C);
GR (6-7)+(18-20). Body depth 2.4-2.6, head length 2.7-2.9 in SL. Eye
2.5-3.1 in head. No accessory spine on preorbital spine of adults. Some
specimens with 1st D soft-ray greatly prolonged.
Attains 45 cm. Colour and distribution as for B. decadactylus.
126.2 Beryx splendens: 24 em (off Cape Town).
Genus Centroberyx Gill, 1862
D spines 6 or 7. Vertebrae 24 or 25. Midventral scales of
belly V -shaped, forming a more or less distinct ventral keel.
Three species in Australia and an undescribed species in
Japan. Trachichthodes Gilchrist, 1903 is a synonym of
Centroberyx.
126.3 Centroberyx spinosus
(Gilchrist, 1903)
PLATE 18
Short alfonsino
Kort alfonsino
Trachichthodes spinosus Gilchrist, 1903: 204, PI. 13, Fig. 1 (off Cape
Morgan, 32°42'S, 28°22'E; 45 fms); Smith, SFSA No. 293*. Centroberyx
spinosus: Busakhin, 1982: 14*.
D V-VI,14-15; A IV,14-16; P 13; V 1,7; LL43-47; GR (10-11)+(20-22);
vertebrae 10+ 15. Body depth 1.9-2.0, head length 2.6-2.7 in SL. Eye
2.9-3.0 in head.
Head and body reddish orange dorsally; body below LL
golden; C reddish with a narrow bluish white margin.
Attains 20 cm. Known only from off Storms River to
Durban.
410
126.3 Centroberyx spinosus: 6 em (off Port Alfred).
Family No. 127: TRACHICHTHYIDAE
by P.C. Heemstra
Slimeheads
Slymkoppe
Body oval, compressed. Head with large, skin-covered
mucous cavities, the walls between these cavities often with
serrated crests; preopercle with a prominent spine at the
angle; one supramaxilla; jaws with bands of minute teeth.
Dorsal fin with 3-8 striated spines and 10-19 soft-rays, its
base about twice length of anal-fin base. Anal fin with 2 or 3
spines and 8-12 soft-rays. Lateral-line scales more or less
enlarged; scales along midventral part of belly enlarged,
forming a row of well-developed scutes in most species.
Medium-sized fishes (to about 60 cm total length) occurring near the bottom in depths of 100 to 1 000 m. Several
species of slimeheads are worldwide in distribution and
some are reported to be common in certain areas. Five
genera with about 30 species. Trachichthodes spinosus Gilchrist was assigned to this family by Smith (SFSA No. 293),
but this species is here placed in the Berycidae.
KEY TO GENERA
la D spines 7 or 8; spinous D base not shorter
than A base .................................................... Gephyroberyx
1 b D spines 4-7; spinous D base shorter than A
base ................................................................ Hoplostethus
Genus Gephyroberyx Boulenger, 1902
Scutes along ventral midline of belly well developed; LL
scales with a median spine. Vomer and palatine teeth well
developed. Two or 3 species, 1 in our area.
127.1 Gephyroberyx darwini
(Johnson, 1866)
Trachichthys darwini Johnson, 1866: 311, PI. 32 (Madeira).
Gephyroberyx orbicularis Smith, 1947: 796 (off Algoa Bay, 120 fms);
SFSA No. 292*. Gephyroberyx darwini: Smith, SFSA No. 291 *.
Head and body scarlet dorsally, silvery white below; fins
scarlet. Attains 60 cm. Both sides of Atlantic, also
Australia, Japan and Hawaii; in our area from Saldanha
Bay to Natal.
Slender beryx
126.2 8eryx sp/endens
Lowe, 1834
Siank beryx
Beryx splendens Lowe, 1834: 142 (text only, Fig. is B. decadactylus;
Madeira); Krefft, 1961*; Smith, SFSA No. 286*; Karrer, 1973: 221;
Woods & Sonoda, 1973: 286*; Krefft, 1976: 74*; Busakhin, 1982: 6*.
Beryx mollis Abe, 1959: 157, Pis. 4-6 (Sagami Bay, Japan).
D IV,13-15; A IV,25-30; P 16-18; V 1,10-12; LL 65-70 (+ 10-12 on C);
GR (6-7)+(18-20). Body depth 2.4-2.6, head length 2.7-2.9 in SL. Eye
2.5-3.1 in head. No accessory spine on preorbital spine of adults. Some
specimens with 1st D soft-ray greatly prolonged.
Attains 45 cm. Colour and distribution as for B. decadactylus.
126.2 Beryx splendens: 24 em (off Cape Town).
Genus Centroberyx Gill, 1862
D spines 6 or 7. Vertebrae 24 or 25. Midventral scales of
belly V -shaped, forming a more or less distinct ventral keel.
Three species in Australia and an undescribed species in
Japan. Trachichthodes Gilchrist, 1903 is a synonym of
Centroberyx.
126.3 Centroberyx spinosus
(Gilchrist, 1903)
PLATE 18
Short alfonsino
Kort alfonsino
Trachichthodes spinosus Gilchrist, 1903: 204, PI. 13, Fig. 1 (off Cape
Morgan, 32°42'S, 28°22'E; 45 fms); Smith, SFSA No. 293*. Centroberyx
spinosus: Busakhin, 1982: 14*.
D V-VI,14-15; A IV,14-16; P 13; V 1,7; LL43-47; GR (10-11)+(20-22);
vertebrae 10+ 15. Body depth 1.9-2.0, head length 2.6-2.7 in SL. Eye
2.9-3.0 in head.
Head and body reddish orange dorsally; body below LL
golden; C reddish with a narrow bluish white margin.
Attains 20 cm. Known only from off Storms River to
Durban.
410
126.3 Centroberyx spinosus: 6 em (off Port Alfred).
Family No. 127: TRACHICHTHYIDAE
by P.C. Heemstra
Slimeheads
Slymkoppe
Body oval, compressed. Head with large, skin-covered
mucous cavities, the walls between these cavities often with
serrated crests; preopercle with a prominent spine at the
angle; one supramaxilla; jaws with bands of minute teeth.
Dorsal fin with 3-8 striated spines and 10-19 soft-rays, its
base about twice length of anal-fin base. Anal fin with 2 or 3
spines and 8-12 soft-rays. Lateral-line scales more or less
enlarged; scales along midventral part of belly enlarged,
forming a row of well-developed scutes in most species.
Medium-sized fishes (to about 60 cm total length) occurring near the bottom in depths of 100 to 1 000 m. Several
species of slimeheads are worldwide in distribution and
some are reported to be common in certain areas. Five
genera with about 30 species. Trachichthodes spinosus Gilchrist was assigned to this family by Smith (SFSA No. 293),
but this species is here placed in the Berycidae.
KEY TO GENERA
la D spines 7 or 8; spinous D base not shorter
than A base .................................................... Gephyroberyx
1 b D spines 4-7; spinous D base shorter than A
base ................................................................ Hoplostethus
Genus Gephyroberyx Boulenger, 1902
Scutes along ventral midline of belly well developed; LL
scales with a median spine. Vomer and palatine teeth well
developed. Two or 3 species, 1 in our area.
127.1 Gephyroberyx darwini
(Johnson, 1866)
Trachichthys darwini Johnson, 1866: 311, PI. 32 (Madeira).
Gephyroberyx orbicularis Smith, 1947: 796 (off Algoa Bay, 120 fms);
SFSA No. 292*. Gephyroberyx darwini: Smith, SFSA No. 291 *.