Apterichtus moseri

Hibino, Yusuke, 2015, A review of the finless snake eels of the genus Apterichtus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), with the description of five new species, Zootaxa 3941 (1), pp. 49-78 : 70

Apterichtus moseri ( Jordan and Snyder 1901)

Table 1

Sphagebranchus moseri Jordan and Snyder 1901:864, Fig. 14 (type locality Suruga Bay, off Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, holotype USNM 49729).

Apterichtus moseri : Smith 1994:36.

Diagnosis. An elongate species with: tail 1.9–2.1, head 14–18, and body depth 53–74 in total length; 3 preopercular pores and 5 (rarely 6) pores in supratemporal canal; anterior margin of orbit above or behind tip of lower jaw; teeth conical, uniserial on jaws and vomer; 5 vomerine teeth; body coloration in preservative pale with dark brown or dark orange blotches on preopercle and supratemporal, and smaller spots on body and tail, cephalic pores and lateral-line pores in conspicuous pale spots and MVF 66–143, total vertebrae 141–145 (n= 3).

Size. The largest specimen examined is 498 mm, a female with unripened eggs.

Distribution. A deepwater species known from western Japan and central eastern Japan. Specimens were captured using dredge and trawl between 111–240 m depth. Underwater photographs (KPM-NR 1359, 4192, 7819, 15506, 15698, 21679, 22559, 23605, 41744, and 61183) taken from the sandy bottom at Suruga Bay suggest that it might occur as shallow as 15–25 m depth.

Remarks. Smith (1994:36) has clarified the depth of capture and the correct museum catalogue number of the holotype of this small, damaged (in 3 pieces) specimen. Smith was unable to ascertain the precise vertebral numbers of the holotype. We presume that it has 142 total vertebrae. Machida and Ohta (1993) reported upon and illustrated the second known specimen of A. moseri . The holotype has an additional right supratemporal pore. The 2 additional specimens that we examined have 5 supratemporal pores. We therefore presume that this is the normal condition.

Material examined. 5 specimens, 149–498 mm TL, including USNM 49729, the holotype, (149 mm), off Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Honshu Island, Suruga Bay, Japan, ~ 115 m. BSKU 65700, 395 mm, Tosa Bay (33°16.0’N, 133°37.4’E), Japan, 131– 146 m. NSMT-P 104038 (formerly ORIUT –KT-8815-13-001), 498 mm, Kumano-nada Sea, off western Japan (34°15.96’N, 136°59.01’E), 111– 114 m. NSMT-P 105671, 245 mm, Kii Peninsula (33°39.1’N, 135°6.4’E), 200 m. WMNH 2010PIS 159, 448 mm, off Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, 240 m.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Dentition of holotype of Apterichtus mysi, BPBM 11843, 298 mm. Drawn by J. McCosker.