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Bathydraconidae (Notothenioidei) are a group of benthic fishes endemic to the Southern Ocean. Because of their recent evolutionary radiation and limited sampling efforts due to their occurrence in remote regions, their diversity is likely underestimated. Akarotaxis nudiceps, currently the only recognized member of its genus, is an especially poorly known bathydraconid. Although A. nudiceps has a circumpolar distribution on the Antarctic continental shelf, its deep habitat and rarity limit knowledge of its life history and biology. Using a combination of morphological and genetic analyses, we identified an undescribed species of this genus, herein named Akarotaxis gouldae sp. nov. (Banded Dragonfish). The separation of this species was initially identified from archived larval specimens, highlighting the importance of early life stage taxonomy and natural history collections. All currently known adult and larval A. gouldae sp. nov. specimens have been collected from a restricted ~400 km coastal section of the western Antarctic Peninsula, although this is possibly due to sampling bias. This region is targeted by the epipelagic Antarctic krill fishery, which could potentially capture larval fishes as bycatch. Due to the extremely low fecundity of A. gouldae sp. nov. and near-surface occurrence of larvae, we suggest the growing Antarctic krill fishery could negatively impact this speces.  

Abstract The notothenioid family Bathydraconidae is a poorly understood family of fishes endemic to the Southern Ocean. There is especially little information onAkarotaxis nudiceps, one of the deepest‐dwelling and least fecund bathydraconid species. Using genetic and morphological data, we document and describe the larval stages of this unique species, offer a novel characteristic to distinguish it from the morphologically similar bathydraconidPrionodraco evansiiand use the sampling locations to infer a possible spawning area ofA. nudicepsalong the western Antarctic Peninsula. These results provide important baseline information for locating, identifying and studying the biology ofA. nudiceps, an important component of the Southern Ocean ecosystem.