Published November 28, 2018 | Version v1
Taxonomic treatment Open

Ophichthus cephalozona Bleeker 1864

Authors/Creators

Description

Ophichthus cephalozona Bleeker, 1864

Fig. 7

Ophichthys cephalozona Bleeker, 1864: 49, pl. 156 (from “ Singapore; Ambon Island, Molucca Islands, Indonesia.”

Zonophichthus marginatus Whitley, 1930: 250. Replacement name for Muraenopsis marginatus Bleeker, 1863, proposed as a senior synonym of Ophichthys cephalozona Bleeker, 1864.

Ophichthus cephalozona Bleeker, 1864: McCosker 1977:81; Allen & Swainston 1988:34; Paxton et al. 1989:119; Mohsin & Ambak 1996:171; Allen 1997:56; Randall et al. 1997:494; Myers 1999:57; Smith & McCosker 1999:1669; McCosker in Randall & Lim 2000:586; Hutchins 2001:17; Allen & Adrim 2003:24; Myers & Donaldson 2003:612; Mishra & Krishnan 2003:19; Randall et al. 2004:6; Tang & Zhang 2004:20; Randall 2005:33; McCosker et al. 2006:271; Zhang et al. 2010:334; Fricke et al. 2011:352; Allen & Erdmann 2012:109; McCosker 2014:339; McCosker & Ho 2015:72; Ho et al. 2015:172.

English name: Dark-shouldered snake eel (En)

Material examined. Myanmar: USNM 438267, 780 mm TL, mature male, off Ayeyarwady Delta (15 o 38.31 N,

94 o 13.12 E), R/ V Dr. Fridtjof, Sta. 63, bottom trawl, 40 m depth, 9 May 2015, collected by P. N. Psomadakis. Yap: CAS 200272, 460. Palau: CAS 20073, 181 mm; CAS 200244, 2 (358-493 mm); CAS 200 258, 319 mm; CAS 200259 2(231-484 mm). Fiji: BPBM 28750, 1120 mm, Viti Levu. Australia: IA. 216, 460 mm, Dunk Island; IA 217, 431 mm, Dunk Island; IA. 6161, 510 mm, Linden Island.

Diagnosis. Body moderately elongate, cylindrical, tapering and laterally compressed posteriorly; snout and tail tip pointed; body depth behind gill openings 33 37 in TL; anus at midbody; HL 10.1 10.8 in TL; lower jaw reaches tip of anterior nostril bases; dorsal fin arises above mid-pectoral fin; pectoral fin rounded, 3.2 4.0 in HL; a notable barbel beneath mid-snout; posterior nostril along edge of lip, covered by a minute flap, opening into mouth; eye ends above corner of jaw; teeth pointed, uniserial, medium-sized and retrorse; 3 rd preopercular pore present. Vertebral formula 12/66/156, total vertebrae 154 157. Color (Fig. 7) of head and body uniform brown, throat and belly paler; anus in a pale spot; fins pale, median fins dark, becoming black ca. 1 HL before tail tip; pectoral fins pale with white margins; snout and chin nearly black, a pale band behind eye, followed by a black saddle followed by a pale band.

Sze: To 115 cm TL.

Distribution. Known from Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Queensland, Palau, Marshalls and Marianas Islands, Society Islands, Fiji, and Myanmar. Nocturnally active. Occupies shallow sand and mud bottoms.

Remarks. This specimen is a male with mature testes.

Notes

Published as part of Psomadakis, Peter N., 2018, Snake eels of the genus Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Myanmar (Indian Ocean) with the description of two new species, pp. 71-83 in Zootaxa 4526 (1) on pages 78-79, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4526.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/2611426

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Linked records

Additional details

Biodiversity

Collection code
CAS , USNM
Material sample ID
CAS 200272, 460, 181, CAS 200244, 2, CAS 200, CAS 200259, BPBM 28750, 1120 , USNM 438267, 780
Event date
2015-05-09
Verbatim event date
2015-05-09
Scientific name authorship
Bleeker
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Order
Anguilliformes
Family
Ophichthidae
Genus
Ophichthus
Species
cephalozona
Taxon rank
species
Taxonomic concept label
Ophichthus cephalozona Bleeker, 1864 sec. Psomadakis, 2018

References

  • Bleeker, P. (1864) Atlas ichthyologique des Indes Orientales Neerlandaises, publie sous les auspices du Gouvernement colonial neerlandaises. Tome IF. Murenes, Synbranches, Leptocephales. Frederic Muller, Amsterdam, 150 pp., pls. 145 - 193.
  • Whitley, G. P. (1930) Five new generic names for Australian fishes. Australian Zoologist, 6, 250 - 251.
  • McCosker, J. E. (1977) The osteology, classification and relationships of the eel family Ophichthidae. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Series 4, (41), 1 - 123.
  • Allen, G. R. & Swainston, R. (1988) The marine fishes of north-western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Western Australian Museum, Perth, vi + 201 pp., 70 pls.
  • Paxton, J. R., Hoese, D. F., Allen, G. R. & Hanley, J. E. (1989) Zoological catalogue of Australia. Fol. 7. Pisces. Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, xii + 665 pp.
  • Mohsin, A. K. & Ambak, M. A. (1996) Marine fishes and fisheries of Malaysia and neighbouring countries, iv-xxxvi + 744 pp.
  • Allen, G. R. (1997) Marine fishes of tropical Australia and south-east Asia. Western Australian Museum, Perth, 292 pp.
  • Randall, J. E., Allen, G. R. & Steene, R. C. (1997) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. 2 nd Revised Edition. Crawford House Press, Bathurst, NSW, xx + 557 pp., 7 pls.
  • Myers, R. F. (1999) Micronesian reef fishes. A comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia. 3 rd revised ed. Coral Graphics, Guam, vi + 330 pp, 192 pls.
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  • 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 (1), 16 - 22. [in Chinese, English abstract]
  • Randall, J. E. (2005) Reef and shore fishes of the South Pacific. New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu, xii + 707 pp.
  • McCosker, J. E., Allen, G. R., Hoese, D. R., Gates, J. E. & Bray, D. J. (2006) Ophichthidae. In: Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Fol. 35. Fishes. Pt. 1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, pp. 264 - 277.
  • Liu, D., Tang, W. & Zhang, C. (2010) Ophichthus retrodorsalis sp. nov., In: Zhang, C. (Ed.), Fauna Sinica. Osteichthyes: Anguilliformes and Notacanthiformes. Science Press, Beijing, 332 - 333.
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  • McCosker, J. E. & Ho, H. - C. (2015) New species of the snake eels Echelus and Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Taiwan. Zootaxa, 4060 (1), 71 - 85. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4060.1.11