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The worm eel, Muraenichthys okamurai Machida and Ohta 1996, a junior synonym of Muraenichthys borealis Machida and Shiogaki 1990

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Abstract

The worm eels, Muraenichthys okamurai Machida and Ohta 1996 and M. borealis Machida and Shiogaki 1990, both from Japanese waters, have been distinguished by the difference in dentition on the upper jaw and palatal area, and regarded as valid species of Scolecenchelys. A detailed examination of the dentition of the type specimens and recently caught specimens revealed that the difference in the dentition described in the original descriptions is actually intraspecific variation. Apparently M. okamurai represents the juvenile of M. borealis, and the former is its junior subjective synonym.

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Acknowledgments

We are deeply indebted to J.E. McCosker (CAS) for his critical comments on the manuscript and great help with the English. We express our sincere gratitude to H. Endo (BSKU), Y. Kai and T. Nakabo (FAKU), T. Kawai and M. Yabe (HUMZ), G. Shinohara and K. Matsuura (NSMT), and K. Hatooka (OMNH) for loan of specimens, and we thank T. Hamada, K. Shigemitsu, Y. Kobayashi, S. Okada, and K. Kudo of Oita Prefecture fishermen’s cooperative for their helpful assistance.

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Author notes

  1. Yoshihiko Machida

    Present address: Shikoku Institute of Natural History, 470-1 Shimobun-otsu, Susaki, 785-0023, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oita Marine Palace Aquarium UMITAMAGO, Takasaki-yama-shita-kaigan, Oita, 870-0802, Japan

    Kazuo Hoshino

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

    Yusuke Hibino & Seishi Kimura

  3. Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Science, Kochi University, 2-5-1 Akebono-cho, Kochi, 780-8520, Japan

    Yoshihiko Machida

Authors
  1. Kazuo Hoshino
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  2. Yusuke Hibino
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  3. Seishi Kimura
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  4. Yoshihiko Machida
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seishi Kimura.

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Hoshino, K., Hibino, Y., Kimura, S. et al. The worm eel, Muraenichthys okamurai Machida and Ohta 1996, a junior synonym of Muraenichthys borealis Machida and Shiogaki 1990. Ichthyol Res 58, 184–187 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-011-0210-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-011-0210-x

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