First southeastern Pacific record of Balloon Alfonsin, Beryx mollis Abe, 1959 (Beryciformes, Berycidae), with notes on geographical meristic variations

Abstract

Four specimens (151–156 mm in standard length) of Beryx mollis Abe, 1959 were collected from the Nazca Ridge, southeastern Pacific Ocean. These specimens represent the first record of the species from the south-eastern Pacific Ocean and extend the distributional range of the species eastward by ca. 10,000 km from New Caledonia, the previously known eastern limit. Comparison with specimens from other regions reveals geographical variations of some meristic characters in the species.