Zebra Garden Eel

description

Description of Taiwanese specimen. Head length 6.3 % of TL; preanal length 31.9; predorsal length 7.6; trunk length 25.6; tail length 68.1. Head length 19.8 of % PAL; predorsal length 23.8; trunk length 80.2. Depth at gill opening 39.9 % of HL; depth at anus 38.0; interorbital width 10.8; interbranchial width 25.2; eye diameter 10.1; snout length 13.6; upper jaw length 17.1; lower jaw length 16.5. Body moderately elongate, anteriorly cylindrical in cross section, becoming oval posteriorly; anus at about anterior third of total length; tail much longer than body. Dorsal-fin origin slightly behind gill opening. Anal fin beginning immediately behind anus. Gill opening relatively small, slightly smaller than eye diameter; interbranchial width larger than gill opening and eye diameter. Head medium size; snout short, rounded; eye large, slightly longer than snout. Upper and lower jaws with fleshy lips; posterior end of upper jaw located slightly behind vertical line of anterior margin of eye. Anterior nostril tubular, located in front of upper lip, and directed forward. Posterior nostril hole-shaped, located in front of eye, about same level as dorsal margin of eye. Lateral line complete

Three new records of the conger eels (Anguilliformes: Congridae) from Taiwan and the Dongsha Islands

discussion

Remarks. The Taiwan specimen generally agrees well with the description of Heteroconger polyzona provided by Castle and Randall (1999). Only some minor differences are noted. The present specimen has the preanal length slightly longer (31.9 % vs. 29.2 – 31.5 % TL), depth at gill opening slightly larger (39.9 % vs. 36.3 – 39.1 % HL), gill opening slightly smaller (8.7 % vs. 9.8 – 13.5 % HL), eye diameter slightly smaller (10.1 % vs. 13.1 – 18.4 % HL), and snout length slightly larger (13.6 % vs. 9.4 – 11.8 % HL). Adding the present new record, four species of garden eels are now known in Taiwan. The other three species are Gorgasia japonica Abe, Miki & Asai, 1977; G. taiwanensis Shao, 1990; and H. hassi (Klausewitz & Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1959).

Three new records of the conger eels (Anguilliformes: Congridae) from Taiwan and the Dongsha Islands

distribution

Distribution. Known previously only from the Indo-West Pacific: Ryukyu Islands, Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and now recorded on the southern coasts of Taiwan, at depths of 5 – 8 m.

Three new records of the conger eels (Anguilliformes: Congridae) from Taiwan and the Dongsha Islands