First Record of Loppe's Tadpole Fish Ijimaia Loppei (Ateleopodidae) in the Gulf of Cadiz (SW Iberian Peninsula), Including Notes on its Diet

Abstract

This paper reports the first record of a rare deep-sea fish Ijimaia loppei Roule, 1922 (Ateleopodiformes: Ateleopodidae) in the Southwest Iberian Peninsula, based on a single specimen (total length 1271 mm) bottom trawled in the mud volcano field in the Gulf of Cadiz, Spain (36º 28′ 54'' N, 7º 07′ 47'' W), at a depth of 585 m, on April 24, 2024. The morphometric and meristic measurements of I. loppei and its congener, I. antillarum, are presented and compared to previously published data. Further, this study provides insights into the diet of I. loppei and fills a gap in the known geographical distribution of the species, thereby contributing to the understanding of the ichthyofaunal biodiversity in the Gulf of Cadiz and establishing conservation strategies for habitats of ecological importance, such as the mud volcanoes.