Two new species of linebellies (genus Pseudoscopelus) with a revised key of species (Perciformes: Chiasmodontidae)

The swallowerfishes previously identified as Pseudoscopelus altipinnis and P. cf. altipinnis (Prokofiev, Kukuev, 2005) are described as a complex of two new, closely-related, allopatric species having antitropical distribution. P. astronesthidens-superspecies is most closely related to P. altipinnis due to its dark orobranchial cavity and the details of its photophore arrangement, but is unique within the genus in the disconnection between the mxf and apf series of photophores and in the details of jaws dentition. P. astronesthidens sp. n. (North Atlantic) differs from P. australis sp. n. (Southern Hemisphere) mainly in the long upper jaw and pectoral fins and in the presence of the ppf series of photophores. P. altipinnis Parr, 1933 is considered as a senior synonym of P. microps Fowler, 1934. A revised key for identification of the linebellies of the genus Pseudoscopelus is given. © 2006 Pleiades Publishing, Inc.