A new deepwater assfish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bassozetus</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">mozambiquensis</Emphasis> sp. nov. (Ophidiiformes: Ophidiidae), from the western Indian Ocean

A new deepwater assfish, Bassozetus mozambiquensis sp. nov., is described from a single specimen (431 mm SL) collected from the western Indian Ocean. Originally identified as Bassozetus compressus (Günther 1878), it was subsequently found to be distinguishable from 12 valid species of the genus due to the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays 117; long rakers on first gill arch 14; oblique scales ca. 30; total vertebrae 65; pelvic-fin length 9.5 % of standard length; a single median basibranchial tooth patch; sagittal otolith lacking a small process on anterior margin, dorsal margin smooth, an ostial channel present.