Hoplostethus roseus Su, Lin & Ho, 2022
Rosy roughy

Family:  Trachichthyidae (Slimeheads)
Max. size:  21.4 cm SL (male/unsexed); 24.7 cm SL (female)
Environment:  bathydemersal; marine; depth range 200 - 400 m
Distribution:  Western Pacific: Japan, Taiwan and New Caledonia.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 6-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-13; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 9-10; Vertebrae: 26-26. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: pyloric caeca 65-84; predorsal scales 18-22; pectoral-fin rays 14-17 (modally 15-16); total gill rakers on first-gill arch 18-19; HF1 2.2%-3.7% SL; HF2 5.1%- 6.0% SL; postorbital width 17.1%-20.6% SL. Colouration: oral cavity, branchial cavity, top and underside of tongue, and peritoneum are uniformly black; base of caudal fin brownish; spinous dorsal-fin membrane with black distal margin. (Ref. 129008).
Biology:  The mature female specimen (24.7 cm SL) with well-developed eggs and the male specimen (21.4 cm SL) with well-developed testes; females (19.5-20.9 cm SL) with mature eggs, suggests that this species is a small species, which reproduces at a length c. 20.0 cm SL (Ref. 129008).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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