Biodiversity Literature Repository

Submit to community
Liberated Data
Published March 13, 2025 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Two new snake eels (Anguilliformes, Ophichthidae, Ophichthus) from Viet Nam, with redescriptions of O. macrochir (Bleeker) and O. rutidoderma (Bleeker)

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Institute of Oceanography, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Nha Trang, Vietnam
  • 2. Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History, Kitakyushu, Japan
  • 3. National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan|Australia Museum, Sydney, Australia
  • 4. Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Malaysia

Description

Two new extremely elongate snake eel of the genus Ophichthus are described based on specimens collected from Vietnamese waters. Ophichthus cuulongensis Vo, Hibino & Ho, sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by having the dorsal-fin origin slightly behind the pectoral-fin tip, mean vertebral formula 14-63-202, range 12–17/60–64/199–207; teeth on jaws biserial to triserial; dorsal body dark brown, ventral body pale, anal fin initially white but changing to darker towards its tip. Ophichthus nguyenorum Vo, Hibino & Ho, sp. nov. is distinguished by having a snout rather pointed but the occipital convex (duck-shaped); body with numerous longitudinal wrinkles, weak on posterior abdomen; dorsal-fin origin slightly behind the pectoral-fin tip; one row of teeth on the maxilla anteriorly but increasing posteriorly; two rows on the lower jaw; all teeth small; body dark, usually including abdomen; dorsal fin darker with dark margin; anal fin initially pale but changing to darker towards tip; mean vertebral formula: 15-62-192, range 13–17/61–64/190–196. Descriptions of two related species, O. macrochir (Bleeker, 1852) and O. rutidoderma (Bleeker, 1852), are provided with updated morphological data.

Files

ZK_article_137323.pdf

Files (1.7 MB)

Name Size
md5:b8b727438d20d75916161128a3f1630d
1.7 MB Preview Download

System files (183.3 kB)

Name Size
md5:7ddfa63bb63d5ebd900ec200258d96fd
183.3 kB Download

Linked records

Additional details

Cites
Publication: 10.1896/054.064.0104 (DOI)
Publication: 10.5343/bms.2023.0084 (DOI)
Publication: 10.5962/bhl.title.59540 (DOI)
Publication: 10.1007/s10228-018-00677-3 (DOI)
Publication: 10.11646/zootaxa.4702.1.17 (DOI)
Publication: 10.3897/zookeys.1220.126337 (DOI)
Publication: 10.26107/RBZ-2022-0015 (DOI)
Publication: 10.1111/jfb.15617 (DOI)
Publication: 10.1007/s10228-023-00927-z (DOI)
Publication: 10.1643/0045-8511(2007)7 (DOI)
Publication: 10.11646/zootaxa.2505.1.1 (DOI)
Publication: 10.11646/zootaxa.4060.1.11 (DOI)
Publication: 10.11646/zootaxa.4526.1.5 (DOI)
Publication: 10.11646/zootaxa.4750.1.2 (DOI)
Publication: 10.11646/zootaxa.4586.1.13 (DOI)
Publication: 10.26107/RBZ-2021-0006 (DOI)
Publication: 10.6620/ZS.2019.58-43 (DOI)
Publication: 10.15625/1859-3097/18415 (DOI)
Has part
Figure: 10.3897/zookeys.1231.137323.figure4 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/zookeys.1231.137323.figure5 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/zookeys.1231.137323.figure2 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/zookeys.1231.137323.figure1 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/zookeys.1231.137323.figure3 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/zookeys.1231.137323.figure6 (DOI)

References

  • Allen GR, Erdmann MV (2012) Reef fishes of the East Indies. Volumes I. Tropical Reef Research, Perth Australia, x + 424 pp. https://doi.org/10.1896/054.064.0104
  • Behera RK, Acharya S, Misra SS, Mohapatra A (2024) Morphological and molecular evidences confirm a new species in Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the east coast of India. Bulletin of Marine Science 100: 1–10. https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2023.0084 [online 13 June 2024]
  • Bleeker P (1852) Bijdrage tot de kennis der Muraenoïden en Symbranchoïden van den Indischen Archipel. Verhandelingen van het Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen 25: 1–62. [preprint part]
  • Böhlke EB (1982) Vertebral formulae of type specimens of eels (Pisces: Anguilliformes). Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 134: 31–49.
  • Chen JTF (1929) A review of the Apodal fishes of Kwangtung. Bulletin of the Biology Department, Science College, Sun Yatsen University 1: 1–46. [pls 1–3]
  • Fricke R, Eschmeyer WN, Fong JD (2024) Eschmeyer's catalog of fishes: genera/species by family/subfamily. http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp [accessed 02 May 2024]
  • Günther A (1870) Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum. Catalogue of the Physostomi, containing the families Gymnotidae, Symbranchidae, Muraenidae, Pegasidae, and of the Lophobranchii, Plectognathi, Dipnoi, Ganoidei, Chondrooterygii, Cyclostomata, Leptocardii, in the British Museum. British Museum of Natural History, London, xxv + 549 pp.
  • Hamilton F (1822) An account of the fishes found in the river Ganges and its branches. Archibald Constable, Edinburgh, 405 pp. [pls 1–39] https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.59540
  • Hibino Y (2019) Ophichthidae. In: Koeda K, Ho H-C (Eds) Fishes of Southern Taiwan. National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, Pingtung, 118–154.
  • Hibino Y, McCosker JE, Tashiro F (2019a) Four new deepwater Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Japan with a redescription of Ophichthus pallens (Richardson 1848). Ichthyological Research 66: 289–306. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-018-00677-3
  • Hibino Y, Chiu Y-C, Chen H-M, Shao K-T (2019b) Two new species of the genus Ophichthus from the western central Pacific Ocean, with a redescription of Ophichthus megalops Asano, 1987 (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae). Zootaxa 4702: 140–154. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4702.1.17
  • Hibino Y, Ho H-C, Huang J-F (2024) Descriptions of two new dark-body snake eels of the genus Ophichthus (Anguilliformes, Ophichthidae) from Taiwan. ZooKeys 1220: 63–78. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1220.126337
  • Ho H-C, Ng S-L, Lin T-Y (2022) Description of a new Ophichthus eel from Dongsha Atoll, South China Sea, and a range extension of Ophichthus kusanagi Hibino, McCosker & Tashiro, 2019. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 70: 312–319. https://doi.org/10.26107/RBZ-2022-0015
  • Kodeeswaran P, Kathirvelpandian A, Mohapatra A, Kumar TTPA, Sarkar UK (2024a) A new snake eel species of the genus Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the southeast coast of India, Bay of Bengal, with the taxonomic account of Ophichthus chilkensis. Journal of Fish Biology 104(3): 737–745. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15617
  • Kodeeswaran P, Mohapatra A, Kumar TTPA (2024b) A new species of deep-water snake eel, Ophichthus nigroventralis (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the Arabian Sea, southwest coast of India. Ichthyological Research 71: 268–275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-023-00927-z
  • Lee C-L, Asano H (1997) A new ophichthid eel, Ophichthus rotundus (Ophichthidae, Anguilliformes) from Korea. Korean Journal of Biological Sciences 1: 549–552.
  • Mai DY, Nguyen VT, Nguyen VT, Le HY Hua BL (1992) Identification of freshwater fish species, Southern region, Viet Nam (Định loại các loài cá nước ngọt Nam bộ). Science and Technics Publishing House, Ha Noi, 351 pp. [in Vietnamese]
  • McCosker JE (2007) Luthulenchelys heemstraorum, a new genus and species of snake eel (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from KwaZulu-Natal, with comments on Ophichthus rutidoderma (Bleeker, 1853) and its synonyms. Smithiana Bulletin 7: 3–7. https://doi.org/10.1643/0045-8511(2007)7[783:ANDSOT]2.0.CO;2
  • McCosker JE (2010) Deepwater Indo-Pacific species of the snake-eel genus Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), with the description of nine new species. Zootaxa 2505: 1–39. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2505.1.1
  • McCosker JE (2022) Family Ophichthidae, Snake-eels, sand-eels and worm-eels. In: Heemstra PC, Heemstra E, Ebert DA, Holleman W, Randall JE (Eds) Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean. Vol. 2. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Makhanda, 101–137.
  • McCosker JE, Ho H-C (2015) New species of the snake eels Echelus and Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Taiwan. Zootaxa 4060: 71–85. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4060.1.11
  • McCosker JE, Psomadakis PN (2018) Snake eels of the genus Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Myanma (Indian Ocean) with the description of two new species. Zootaxa 4526: 71–83. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4526.1.5
  • McCosker JE, Ide S, Endo H (2012) Three new species of ophichthid eels (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Japan. Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science, Series A, Supplement 6: 1–16.
  • McCosker JE, Bogorodsky SV, Mal AO, Alpermann TJ (2020) Description of a new snake eel Ophichthus olivaceus (Teleostei: Anguilliformes, Ophichthidae) from the Red Sea. Zootaxa 4750: 31–48. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4750.1.2
  • Mishra SS, Mohapatra A, Ray D, Mohanty SR, Tudu PC (2019) Ophichthus chilkensis Chaudhuri, 1916 (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) – resurrection as a valid species from India, with re-description. Zootaxa 4586: 194–200. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4586.1.13
  • Nagao Natural Environment Foundation (2021) Fishes of the Indochinese Mekong. Nagao Natural Environment Foundation, Tokyo, xii + 546 pp.
  • Nguyen KH (1993) Marine Fishes of Vietnam. Vol. 2, part 2. (Anguillomorpha, Cyprinomorpha, Atherinomorpha) (Cá biển Việt Nam: Anguillomorpha, Cyprinomorpha, Atherinomorpha. Tập 2, quyển 2). Science & Technology Publishers, Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, 176 pp. [In Vietnamese]
  • Nguyen HP (2001) Fauna of Vietnam: Elopiformes, Anguilliformes, Clupeiformes, Gonorynchiformes. Vol. 10 (Động vật chí Việt Nam: Cá biển – Bộ Cá cháo biển Elopiformes, Bộ Cá Chình Anguilliformes, Bộ Cá trích Clupeiformes, Bộ Cá sữa Gonorynchiformes. Tập 10). Science and Technics publishing House, Ha Noi, 330 pp. [in Vietnamese]
  • Nguyen HP, Nguyen NT (1994) Checklist of marine fishes in Vietnam. Elopiformes to Mugiliformes (Vol. II. Osteichthyes) (Danh mục cá biển Việt Nam. Tập II: Lớp Cá Xương (Osteichthyes), từ bộ Cá Cháo biển (Elopiformes) đến bộ Cá Đối (Mugiliformes). Science and Technics Publishing House, Ha Noi, 269 pp. [in Vietnamese and English]
  • Rainboth WJ (1996) Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong. Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Mekong River Commission, DANIDA, 265 pp.
  • Rainboth WJ, Vidthayanon C, Mai DY (2012) Fishes of the greater Mekong ecosystem with species list and photographic atlas. Miscellaneous Publications, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan 201: 173 pp. [31 figs, 121 pls]
  • Tang W-Q, Zhang C-G (2004) A taxonomic study on snake eel family Ophichthidae in China with the review of Ophichthidae (Pisces, Anguilliformes). Journal of the Shanghai Ocean University 13: 16–22. [In Chinese with English abstract]
  • Tran DD, Shibukawa K, Nguyen PT, Ha HP, Tran LX, Mai HV, Utsugi K (2013) Fishes of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Can Tho University Publishing House, Can Tho, 174 pp. [in Vietnamese and English]
  • Vo QV, Ho H-C (2021) A new species of the snake eel genus Ophichthus from Vietnam, with a new record of Echelus polyspondylus McCosker & Ho, 2015. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 69: 71–79. https://doi.org/10.26107/RBZ-2021-0006
  • Vo QV, Hibino Y, Ho H-C (2019) A new species of the snake eel genus Ophichthus, with additional records from Vietnam (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae). Zoological Studies 58: 43. https://doi.org/10.6620/ZS.2019.58-43
  • Vo QV, Ho H-C, Hibino Y, Le TTT, Tran HHT, Tran TC (2024) Records of species of the snake eels genus Ophichthus (family Ophichthidae) from Vietnam. Vietnam Journal of Marine Science and Technology 24: 55–68. https://doi.org/10.15625/1859-3097/18415
  • Whitley GP (1941) Ichthyological notes and illustrations. Australian Zoologist 10: 1–50. [pls 1, 2]