Macrocephenchelys brachialis

description

Description. MeASUReMeNTS IN % TL: PAL 24.8 – 31.0 TAIL 69.8 – 74.9, TR 16.1 – 22.6, PDL 14.9 – 17.9, HL 7.1 – 9.5, DA 2.2 – 5.9. IN % PAL: TR 63.4 – 80, PDL 55.4 – 64.8, HL 25.6 – 36.2. IN % HL: S 11.2 – 20.5, E 10.0 – 18.7, IOW 6.9 – 18.4, UJ 16.0 – 21.9, LJ 10.4 – 15.2, GO 3.9 – 6.7, IB 22.9 – 46.8, PL 42.4 – 74.5. POReS: PDLL 16 – 18, PALL 33 – 36, SO 3, IO 5, POM 5 (2 + 3), ST 1. FIN RAYS: PAD 39 – 42, PR 11 – 14. VeRTeBRAe: PDV 14 – 20, PAV 28 – 38, PCV 45 – 54, TV 173 – 183. BODY eLONgATe, DORSAL-fIN ORIgIN BeHIND TIP Of PeCTORAL fIN BY A DISTANCe ABOUT eqUAL TO LeNgTH Of PeCTORAL fIN. HeAD SMOOTH, WITHOUT fLeSHY PAPILLAe DORSALLY, AND WITHOUT ROWS Of SMALL SeNSORY PITS VeNTRALLY ON HeAD AND ABDOMeN. ANTeRIOR eND Of UPPeR AND LOWeR LIPS WITH fLeSHY LOBeS AND RIDgeS. TeeTH SMALL, CONICAL, MULTISeRIAL ON MAxILLA AND DeNTARY, ROWS WIDeR AT ANTeRIOR eND; INTeRMAxILLARY TeeTH SOMeWHAT LARgeR, CONICAL, IN ABOUT 2 IRRegULAR TRANSVeRSe ROWS; VOMeRINe TeeTH SMALL, IN A SHORT OVAL PATCH, ReACHINg LeSS THAN HALfWAY TO eND Of MAxILLARY TOOTH ROW. BODY gReY WITH A HINT Of PINK-PURPLe COLOR; HeAD PINK-ReD IN COLOR WHeN fReSH, DeeP-PURPLe WHeN PReSeRVeD. SMALLeR SPeCIMeNS WITH A feW SMALL

The eel genus Macrocephenchelys (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan, with description of a new species

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Macrocephenchelys brachialis IS DISTINgUISHeD fROM THe OTHeR SPeCIeS BY THe fOLLOWINg CHARACTeRS: BODY MORe eLONgATe (DA 2.2 – 5.9 % TL), MORe DeLICATe AND fLexIBLe; HeAD SHORTeR (7.1 – 9.5 % TL, 25.6 – 36.2 % PAL, 1.8 – 2.8 TIMeS IN TRUNK); DORSAL-fIN ORIgIN WeLL BeHIND TIP Of PeCTORAL fIN; VeRTeBRAe MORe NUMeROUS (173 – 183); ST PORe PReSeNT; fLeSHY PAPILLAe PReSeNT ON LOWeR jAW BUT NOT DORSALLY ON HeAD; SeNSORY PITS ON VeNTRAL SURfACe Of HeAD AND ANTeRIOR BODY ABSeNT.

The eel genus Macrocephenchelys (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan, with description of a new species

discussion

Remarks. THe NUMBeR AND PLACeMeNT Of THe POM POReS DeSeRVeS COMMeNT. We COUNTeD fIVe Of THeSe, ALL VeRY SMALL, THe fIRST TWO IN THe MANDIBULAR SeCTION NeAR THe TIP Of THe LOWeR jAW, AND THe LAST THRee IN A ROW IN THe LOWeR PART Of THe PReOPeRCULAR SeCTION BefORe IT TURNS DORSALLY TOWARD THe ANTeRIOR eND Of THe LL CANAL. ROBINS AND ROBINS (1971) DeSCRIBeD THeSe SOMeWHAT DIffeReNTLY, fROM BACK TO fRONT, BegINNINg WITH TWO SMALL POReS AT THe UPPeR eND Of THe PReOPeRCULAR CANAL CLOSe TO ITS jUNCTION WITH THe LL CANAL. We SAW THeSe TWO POReS, VeRY SMALL AND PAPILLA- LIKe, ON THe LefT SIDe AS ILLUSTRATeD IN ROBINS AND ROBINS (1971: fIg. 1), BUT We DID NOT fIND THeM ON THe RIgHT SIDe OR IN OUR SPeCIMeNS fROM TAIWAN. THeY MAY Be ANOMALOUS OR IRRegULAR. WHAT ROBINS AND ROBINS DeSCRIBeD AS THe SIxTH POM PORe LOCATeD BeHIND THe gAPe We INTeRPReT AS THe fIfTH IO PORe, WHICH IS IN THe SAMe POSITION IT OCCUPIeS IN MOST OTHeR CONgRIDS. ROBINS AND ROBINS DeSCRIBeD A SeVeNTH POM PORe “ jUST ANTeRIOR TO THe CORNeR Of THe gAPe ALONg THe NeARLY TRANSVeRSe LOWeR jAW. ” We WeRe UNABLe TO fIND THIS PORe IN THe HOLOTYPe OR IN OUR SPeCIMeNS. THIS IS THe MOST DISTINCTIVe SPeCIeS Of Macrocephenchelys, WITH I

The eel genus Macrocephenchelys (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan, with description of a new species

distribution

Distribution. KNOWN fROM A feW WIDeLY SCATTeReD LOCATIONS IN THe INDIAN OCeAN AND WeSTeRN CeNTRAL PACIfIC: eAST COAST Of MADAgASCAR; MAKASSAR STRAIT, INDONeSIA (HOLOTYPe); NORTHeASTeRN BORNeO, MALAYSIA (PARATYPe); TAIWAN; AND VANUATU. DePTH 635 – 1012 M.

The eel genus Macrocephenchelys (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan, with description of a new species