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Issue: Vol. 5787 No. 2: 7 Apr. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-04-07
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9
Page range: 377-384
Abstract views: 162
PDF downloaded: 10

A new species of the velvetfish genus Cocotropus (Synanceiidae: Aploactininae) from the Philippines

Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History; 499 Iryuda; Odawara; Kanagawa 250-0031; Japan
The Kagoshima University Museum; 1-21-30 Korimoto; Kagoshima 890-0065; Japan
Pisces Cocotropus larvatus Taxonomy Morphology Description Teleostei Pacific Ocean

Abstract

Cocotropus kanding sp. nov. (Synanceiidae: Aploactininae) is described on the basis of a single specimen (MNHN-IC 2025-0487, 42.4 mm standard length: SL) collected north of Panay Island, the Philippines, western Pacific Ocean. The new species is characterized by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays XII, 10; anal-fin rays II, 6; pectoral-fin rays 13; segmented lower caudal-fin rays 6; total vertebrae 26; lacrimal spine short, its length 81.4% of upper-jaw length; pectoral fin short, its posterior tip not reaching anus; caudal fin short, its length 25.4% of SL; no papillae on posterior portion of upper jaw; 7 pairs of papillae on ventral surface of lower jaw; interneural space between 7th and 8th vertebrae lacking dorsal-fin spine proximal pterygiophores; bases of 1st–4th dorsal-fin spines anterior to 3rd neural spine; 5 preopercular spines; vomerine teeth absent; 2nd mandibular pores separated; body of preserved specimen with irregular dark smudges.

 

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How to Cite

Wada, H. & Motomura, H. (2026) A new species of the velvetfish genus Cocotropus (Synanceiidae: Aploactininae) from the Philippines. Zootaxa, 5787 (2), 377–384. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9