Ophichthus hyposagmatus McCosker et Böhlke, 1984

Del Moral-Flores, Luis Fernando, Wakida-Kusunoki, Armando T., Ramos-Hernández, Rafael & George-Zamora, Arturo, 2024, First records of two species of snake eels, Aplatophis chauliodus and Ophichthus hyposagmatus (Actinopterygii: Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), from Mexico, Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 54, pp. 103-108 : 103-108

Ophichthus hyposagmatus McCosker et Böhlke, 1984

English common name: faintsaddled snake eel Spanish common name: Lairón menor Fig. 3 ; Table 1

Ophichthus hyposagmatus McCosker et Böhlke, 1984. — McCosker and Böhlke (1984): 24 (Type locality: Gulf of Mexico, South of Destin, Florida.)

Material examined.

CIFI- 1909 , 1 specimen (486 mm TL); ca. 8.1 km to the North of El Carrizal, Catemaco , Veracruz; Mexico; 18 ° 37 ′ 15.6 ′′ N, 094 ° 55 ′ 01.0 ′′ W (Fig. 4 ); 7 Oct. 2021; Armando Campos Pérez leg.

Description.

Morphometric data presented in Table 1. Elongated body, without scales and cylindrical body on transverse axis; trunk shorter than tail region (34.6 % of TL); tail length 55.1 % of TL. Head length moderate, 10.6 % of TL; snout conical, length 20.5 % of HL, larger than eye diameter; eyes large, length 12.0 % of HL; interorbital region flat, its width 15.1 % of HL. Two nostrils, with anterior nostril tubular and posterior nostril covered by a flap. Mouth inferior, upper jaw slightly larger than snout, length 43.9 % of HL; both jaws with two rows of subequal conical teeth; series of vomerine teeth. Dorsal-fin origin above posterior part of pectoral fins, predorsal distance 13.3 % of TL; pectoral fins elongated and larger than eye, length 27.7 % of HL. Cephalic pores: preoperculomandibular 6 + 3, infraorbital 4 + 2, supraorbital 1 + 3. Total vertebrae 138, predorsal vertebral 12, preanal vertebral 55.

Coloration (fresh).

Body yellowish brown, with whitish shades in ventral region and with greater intensity on dorsum; 16 brown bars that contrast as saddles on dorsum; dorsal region of snout and interorbital space dark brown. Pectoral and dorsal fins translucent, with light brownish shades.

Figures

Figure 3. Ophichthus hyposagmatus (CIFI- 1909, 486 mm TL) collected off the coasts of Mexico. (A) Preserved specimen. (B) A close-up of the cephalic region. (C) X-ray of the entire specimen.

Figure 4. D Map showing the distribution in previous records (circles) in the western Atlantic and new record (triangle) of Ophichthus hyposagmatus in Mexico.