Revision of the Genus Scopelogadus (Melamphaidae): 1. S. beanii

Abstract

The Bean’s bigscale, S. beanii, is redescribed in the first part of the species revision of the genus Scopelogadus. Information on its morphological features is provided based on the material obtained from several areas of the World Ocean: the northern and southeastern parts of the Atlantic Ocean, from the waters adjacent to Australia, and from the southwest and southeastern parts of the Pacific Ocean. When comparing the fish from these areas, differences were found in a number of characters, probably indicating the presence of a subspecies. The species inhabits the North Atlantic Ocean in the Gulf Stream system, the East Atlantic Ocean, and the southern parts of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans in the subtropical zone (between 30°–45° S). Habitat depths vary from 150 to 2000 m.