Bathycongrus Ogilby, 1898

Smith, David G. & Ho, Hsuan-Ching, 2018, The congrid eel genus Bathycongrus of Taiwan, with descriptions of three new species (Anguilliformes: Congridae), Zootaxa 4454 (1), pp. 118-146 : 119-120

Genus Bathycongrus Ogilby, 1898

Bathycongrus Ogilby, 1898:292 (type species Congromuraena nasica Alcock, 1894 , by original designation).

Rhechias Jordan, 1921:644 (type species Rhechias armiger Jordan, 1921 , by original designation).

Congrina Jordan & Hubbs, 1925:192, 196 (type species Congermuraena aequorea Gilbert & Cramer, 1897 , by original designation).

Pseudoxenomystax Breder, 1927:6 (type species Pseudoxenomystax dubius Breder, 1927 , by monotypy).

Microcephalocongrus Fowler, 1934:270 (type species Bathycongrus megalops Fowler, 1934 , by original designation; described as a subgenus of Bathycongrus ).

Uranoconger Fowler, 1934:274 (type species Uranoconger odontostomus Fowler, 1934 , by original designation).

Distinguishing characters (after Smith, 1989). Body moderately elongate, anus at about 30–40 %TL; tail slender, moderately to markedly attenuate at tip. Dorsal fin begins over or slightly behind pectoral fin; anal fin begins directly behind anus; dorsal and anal fins continuous with caudal fin; pectoral fin well developed.

Snout projects beyond lower jaw, intermaxillary teeth at least partially visible when mouth closed; fleshy part of snout projects beyond intermaxillary teeth. Flange present on lower lip, rudimentary or absent on upper lip. Anterior nostril tubular, near tip of snout, directed ventrolaterally. Posterior nostril elliptical, in front of middle or upper part of eye.

Head pores moderate to large (see Fig. 1 for typical arrangement of pores). Supraorbital pores 3–6 (modally 3), 1 at tip of snout near edge of lip, 1 above that in front of anterior nostril, 1 above anterior nostril, 0–3 on snout and interorbital area. Infraorbital pores 5–8 (5), 4 along upper jaw, 1 in line with these behind rictus, 0–3 (0) behind eye; adnasal pore absent. Preoperculomandibular pores 10–11 (10). Supratemporal pores 1 or 3 (1).

Teeth moderately small to moderately large. Intermaxillary teeth in 2 to several rows, separated from maxillary and vomerine teeth, mostly exposed when mouth closed. Vomerine teeth variable, some species with a slightly elongate multiserial patch of small teeth, some with a few large teeth (usually 2) surrounded by a variable number of smaller teeth. Maxillary and mandibular teeth in bands.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Illustration of head pore systematic of a typical Bathycongrus. AN, anterior nostril; IO, infraorbital pores; LL, Lateral-line pores; PN, posterior nostril; POM, preopercular-mandibular pores; SO, supraorbital pores; ST, supratemporal pore (arrowed).