ISSN 1809-127X (online edition) © 2010 Check List and Authors Chec List Open Access | Freely available at www.checklist.org.br Journal of species lists and distribution N Pisces, Ophidiiformes, Ophidiidae, Brotula barbata (Bloch & Schneider, 1801): First record off Ceará, ISTRIBUTIO D northeastern Brazil Carolina Cerqueira de Paiva 1*, Frederico Moreira Osório 2, Bruno Jucá-Queiroz 3 and Tito Monteiro da RAPHIC 1,3 G Cruz Lotufo EO 1 Universidade Federal do Ceará, Instituto de Ciências do Mar, Laboratório de Ecologia Animal. CEP 60165-081. Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. G 2 Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis. CEP 59015-350. Natal, RN, Brazil. N O 3 Universidade Federal do Ceará, Departamento de Engenharia de Pesca. CEP 60455-460. Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. * Corresponding author. E-mail:
[email protected] OTES N Abstract: Brotula barbata known in the western Atlantic from North Carolina to southeastern Brazil, but there are some gaps between these regions. is recorded for the first time from Ceará, northeastern Brazil. The species was previously 2007. We noticed a meristic difference between the specimen examined and the information from the literature. However A single specimen was collected from a traditional line fishing fleet operatingB. barbata in the Mucuripe Sea, Ceará, during August this species in the western Atlantic. this difference did not make the identification difficult. The new record of fills geographic distribution gaps of The genus Brotula Cuvier 1829 currently comprises six marine species, among which only one is known to laterally; opercular spine present; mouth nearly horizontal, the Atlantic Ocean: Brotula barbata (Bloch and Schneider supramaxillaand caudal fin present length 5.6.and Head maxilla scaled surpasses and compressed vertical 1801), with records on both east and west coasts through posterior border of the eye; maxillae, palatine (Eschmeyer and Fricke 2009).