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A new worm eel Neenchelys mccoskeri (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Taiwan and Japan

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Abstract

The myrophine ophichthid eel Neenchelys mccoskeri sp. nov. is described from the holotype and 47 paratypes, 266–522 mm in total length (TL), collected from Taiwan and Japan. The species is characterized by having a small head (6.4–7.7 % TL), a slender body (body depth at gill opening 1.5–3.2 % TL), its dorsal-fin origin located at mid trunk, and a mean vertebral formula of 36.9-65.0-178.7. Neenchelys mccoskeri is similar to Neenchelys daedalus McCosker 1982, but is clearly distinguished from the latter by its shorter tail length (57–63 % TL vs. 73–74 %), the location of its dorsal-fin origin (distance from dorsal-fin origin to a vertical through the anus 46–59 % of trunk length vs. 60–68 %; predorsal length 21–26 % TL vs. 15 %), shorter pectoral fins (1.5–4.3 % of head length vs. 22–23 %), and fewer total vertebrae (172–184 vs. 225–235).

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Acknowledgments

We are deeply indebted to J.E. McCosker (CAS) for his critical comments on our manuscript and help with our English, G. Ogihara (KAUM) for his photographs of the paratype of N. daedalus, and M. Aizawa (BLIH) for his comments on the localities of our specimens. We express our sincere gratitude to the following persons and institutions for their assistance and specimen loans: K.-T. Shao and P.-Y. Lin (ASIZP); D. Catania (CAS); K. Matsuura and G. Shinohara (NSMT); D.G. Smith and J.T. Williams (USNM).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fisheries Research Laboratory, Mie University, 4190-172, Wagu, Shima-cho, Shima, Mie, 517-0703, Japan

    Yusuke Hibino & Seishi Kimura

  2. National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, 2 Houwan Road, Checheng, Pingtung, 944, Taiwan

    Hsuan-Ching Ho

  3. Institute of Marine Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, National Dong Hwa University, 2 Houwan Road, Checheng, Pingtung, 944, Taiwan

    Hsuan-Ching Ho

Authors
  1. Yusuke Hibino
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  2. Hsuan-Ching Ho
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  3. Seishi Kimura
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Correspondence to Seishi Kimura.

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Hibino, Y., Ho, HC. & Kimura, S. A new worm eel Neenchelys mccoskeri (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Taiwan and Japan. Ichthyol Res 59, 342–346 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-012-0297-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-012-0297-8

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