Ophiocreas carnosum Lyman, 1879

Ophiocreas carnosum Lyman, 1879

Ophiocreas carnosus Lyman, 1879: 63 View in CoL , pl. 16(435 – 438). — Lyman, 1882: 281, pl. 31(1 – 4). — Seid et al., 2025: 162, fig. 62d – f.

Ophiocreas carnosum . — Clark, H.L., 1915: 177.

Ophiocreas japonicus View in CoL . — McKnight, 2000: 30 – 32, fig. 11, pl. 10. — Okanishi & Fujita, 2013: 568 [Non Ophiocreas japonicus Koehler R, 1907 View in CoL ].

STUDY MATERIAL. — JC066 : stn 4-37, Coral seamount, 41° 21.7673´S, 42° 54.9067´E to 41° 22.4´S, 42° 54.6´E, 740 m, 20/11/2011: 1 ( NHMUK 2025.23 About NHMUK ) GoogleMaps ( DNA code= JC066-695 ) .

COMPARATIVE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Ophiocreas carnosum Lyman, 1879 : Región de Ñuble , Treguaco, 36° 25.2336´S, 73° 42.16896´W, 624 m, 18/10/2010 GoogleMaps , UCN 4250 ( DNA code= UCN4250 ). AT37-13/AD4923, Costa Rica Parrita Seep , 8° 58.555´N, 84° 37.4298´W, 1097 m, 6/6/2017 GoogleMaps , identified by Seid et al. (2025) as Ophiocreas carnosus, SIO E 7072 ( DNA code= SIO E7072 About SIO ). KANADEEP2 / PL744 _PBT-Q-1, Munida , 23° 5.17´S, 168° 15.048´E, 1093 m, 14/9/2019 GoogleMaps , MNHN IE.2019.2949 ( DNA code= IE.2019.2949). Marion Toothfish Survey / T35 , between Prince Edward and Marion Island, 46° 44.6´S, 38° 4´E GoogleMaps to 46° 43.6´S, 37° 45.4´E, 298 m, 24/4/2001, SAMC MB-A83258 ( DNA code= A83258 View Materials ). NA064/005, Galapagos Is marine park, 1° 12.825136´N, 91° 5.412714´W, 1154 m, 27/6/2015 ( DNA code=NA064-005-01-01-A) GoogleMaps . NA064/034, Galapagos Is marine park, 1° 40.564´N, 91° 41.263´W, 974 m, 28/6/2015 ( DNA code=NA064-034-01-01-A) GoogleMaps . TN228/J2-385-005, Z27 Seamount , Huon, 44° 14.715´S, 147° 7.276´E, 1060 m, 21/12/2008 GoogleMaps , MV F168738 ( DNA code= TOH _0908) .

COMPARATIVE MATERIAL NOT EXAMINED. Ophiocreas carnosum Lyman, 1879 : NZOI / Z9592 View Materials , 48° 33.06´S, 164° 57.03´E, 940 – 1180 m, 30/11/1998, identified by McKnight (2000) as Ophiocreas japonicus, NIWA 48407 GoogleMaps . TRIP2494 /14, 47° 32.8´S, 177° 49.7´E to 47° 33.1´S, 177° 49.7´E, 867 – 915 m, 2/9/2007, identified by Okanishi & Fujita (2013) as Ophiocreas japonicus, NIWA 49793 ( DNA code= AB758816 View Materials ) GoogleMaps .

Distribution. New Caledonia ( 1093 m), E Pacific ( 974 – 1886 m), S America ( 250 – 940 m), Marion Is ( 298 m), S Australia ( 810 – 1060 m), New Zealand ( 867 – 915 m), Coral Seamount ( 740 m).

Remarks. The large ( 19 mm dd) JC066 specimen is covered in thick fleshy skin without any hint of embedded granules or ossicles. DNA evidence indicates that this species occurs around the Southern Ocean, including on Marion Island and Southern Chile which are south of the Subtropical Front and as North as New Caledonia in the SW Pacific and Costa Rica in the East Pacific ( Seid et al. 2025).

Okanishi & Fujita (2013) submitted a COI sequence to NCBI ( AB758816 View Materials ) as O. japonicus collected off New Zealand, which appears to be a chimeric sequence, with the first section aligning with our O. carnosum sequences and the second half of unknown origin. McKnight (2000) also recorded a specimen of O. japonicus from New Zealand. This specimen was described as having thick wrinkled skin and is also likely to be O. carnosum .