Pachycara caribbaeum Anderson, Somerville & Copley 2016

Diagnosis: vertebrae 31–33 + 76–79 = 107–112; pectoral fin rays 12–14; pelvic fin rudimentary, rays 2; single mediolateral branch of the lateral line system; scales present on nape and cheeks (Ref. 112624).Description: head ovoid, deeper than wide in larger specimens than smallest, snout gently sloping in all; scales cycloid, relatively sparsely distributed in these juveniles, absent on fins and pectoral base and axil; scales present in nape to about 1 eye diameter posterior to eye in smallest specimen, to interorbital area in others; eye small, rounded, entering dorsal profile of head in larger fish; gill slit moderate, reaching ventrally to lower edge of pectoral base or just below it; opercular lobe at dorsal margin of gill slit slightly rounded posteriorly, extending forward about 1 eye diameter; pectoral-fin origin slightly below body midline, insertion on abdomen; posterior margin of fin wedge-shaped, with rays 4–6 from dorsalmost the longest; ventralmost rays not noticeably thickened, no ray tips exserted; mouth very slightly subterminal and oblique, upper jaw extending posteriorly to middle of eye; epidermal prickles absent on head; nostril tube not reaching forward to upper lip; oral valve reaching just posterior to anterior edge of vomer; jaw teeth small, conical; premaxilla with single row of teeth in smallest, 2-3 anterior rows blending into single posterior row in larger specimens; dentary with 3 rows of teeth anteriorly blending into single posterior row in all; vomerine teeth few in juveniles; palatine teeth in single row, also relatively few; cephalic lateralis system with no variation in pore counts; 2 postorbital pores; suborbital pores 6 + 0 on both sides of all; 8 preoperculomandibular pores; 2 anterior supraorbital (nasal) pores, 1 set anteromesial to nostril tube, the other dorsoposteriorly; interorbital and occipital pores absent; body lateral line system with single, mediolateral branch originating just posterior to postorbital pore 4, running to tail tip; no trace of ventral or dorsolateral neuromasts; dorsal-fin origin associated with vertebrae 7–8, with no free pterygiophores; anal fin origin associated with vertebrae 30–31 (ultimate precaudal), with 3–5 pterygiophores inserted anterior to haemal spine of 1st caudal vertebra; last dorsal ray associated with 4th preural vertebra, last anal ray associated with 2nd preural vertebra; caudal fin with 2 epural, 4 upper hypural and 4 lower hypural rays; gill rakers short, those on upper limb (epibranchial) acute, lower rakers (ceratobranchial and hypobranchial) blunt, roughly triangular; pseudobranchial filaments short and slender; branchiostegal rays 4 + 2 (Ref. 112624).Coloration: Fresh colouration: uniformly pinkish white, edges of unpaired fins translucent; abdomen bluish black, eye blue (Ref. 112624). In preservative: dull whitish, orobranchial chamber pale (Ref. 112624).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 99 - 104; Analsoft rays: 77 - 82; Vertebrae: 107 - 112

Known from two bathyal collections at chemosynthetic environments in the Caribbean at thehydrothermally active Von Damm Vent Field on the Mid-Cayman Spreading Centre (depth ca. 2300 m) (Ref. 112624).

Known from two bathyal collections at chemosynthetic environments; depth ca. 2300 m (Ref.112624)

fisheries: