Enchelycore schismatorhynchus ( Bleeker 1853 ), 2010

Smith, David G., Bogorodsky, Sergey V., Mal, Ahmad O. & Alpermann, Tilman J., 2019, Review of the moray eels (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) of the Red Sea, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4704 (1), pp. 1-87 : 15-16

Enchelycore schismatorhynchus ( Bleeker 1853) —Funnel-nostril Moray

( Figure 6 )

Muraena schismatorhynchus Bleeker 1853: 301 ( Benkulen [Bengkulu], Sumatra, Indonesia). Holotype (unique), BMNH 1867.11 .28.248.

Muraena hemprichii Klunzinger 1871: 613 ( Al-Quseir [Kosseir], Egypt, Red Sea). Holotype (unique), ZMB 4048 .

Enchelycore schismatorhynchus: Golani & Bogorodsky 2010: 9 ; Golani & Fricke 2018: 20.

Red Sea material. Egypt: ZMB 4048 (1, 585, holotype of Muraena hemprichii ), El Quseir .

Comparative material. Cargados Carajos Shoals: USNM 312172 (1, 633) ; USNM 312174 (2, 380–514) . Mauritius: USNM 342103 (1, 314) . Taiwan: BPBM 23335 (1, 502) . Philippines: USNM 343388 (2, 112–199) ; USNM 379229 (1, 207) . Indonesia: BMNH 1867.11 .28.248 (1, 764, holotype); BMNH 1867.11 .28.348 (1, 466, holotype of Muraena congeroides Bleeker ); RMNH 3776 (1, 426, holotype of Eurymycterus crudelis Kaup) ; USNM 312173 (2, 203–545) . Wallis I.: USNM 374952 (1, 340) . Samoa: USNM 51717 (1, 586, holotype of Rhinamuraena [sic] eritima Jordan & Seale. French Polynesia, Austral Is.: USNM 423355 (1, 178); USNM 423413 [AUST-100] (1, 178).

Description. In TL: preanal length 2.0–2.2, predorsal length 9.5–11, head length 6.9–8.3, body depth at anus 17–29. In head length: snout length 4.9–5.7, eye diameter 9.5–12, upper-jaw length 2.2–2.6. Pores: LL 2, SO 3, IO 4, POM 6. Vertebrae: predorsal 4–6, preanal 61–65, total 137–146.

Body moderately elongate; anus at or slightly before midlength; dorsal fin moderately tall, begins anterior to gill opening; anal fin begins immediately behind anus. Jaws slender, arched, not completely closing, leaving an elliptical gap between jaw tips and rictus, this gap generally more strongly developed in larger specimens. Eye well developed, at about midpoint of upper jaw. Gill opening small, broadly tubular, midlateral in position. Anterior nostril relatively long, reaching slightly beyond edge of upper lip when depressed, distal end distinctly flared and slightly funnel-shaped; posterior nostril rounded, located above anterior margin of eye.

Teeth slender, conical, sharply pointed. Intermaxillary with a peripheral series of about 4–5 large teeth on each side, with several much smaller teeth in between; 3 median teeth, increasing in size from back to front. Maxilla with 3–6 enlarged inner teeth anteriorly, and about 16–26 much smaller outer teeth. Dentary with 4–5 large inner teeth anteriorly, and about 27–45 smaller outer teeth. Vomerine teeth uniserial, about 5–11, moderate in size and somewhat stouter than other teeth.

Color: uniform medium brown, paler ventrally on head and trunk; fins with a conspicuous white edge; tip of anterior nostril dark brown.

Maximum size at least 764 mm.

Distribution and habitat. Widely distributed from the Indian Ocean, where it is known from the Red Sea, Mauritius, and Chagos Archipelago, to French Polynesia; absent from Hawaiian Islands. In shallow water, commonly found on coral reefs at depths of 3–35 m; very secretive.

Remarks. The only record of this species from the Red Sea is the holotype of Muraena hemprichii . Randall & Golani (1995) listed it as a synonym of G. hepaticus in their introduction but did not include it in the species account of the latter. Böhlke & Smith (2002: 114) determined that it is conspecific with Enchelycore schismatorhynchus , thus becoming its junior synonym. It has 137 vertebrae; specimens examined from elsewhere have 137–146. There is no clear pattern of geographic variation. The species was also not collected during this study. Enchelycore schismatorhynchus (the barcode sequence comes from a voucher specimen collected from the Austral Islands that was originally identified by the first author of this study) formed part of a well-supported clade with species assigned to Gymnothorax including the Red Sea species G. hepaticus .

Figures

FIGURE 6. Enchelycore schismatorhynchus. A: USNM 312174, 514 mm TL, preserved, Cargados Carajos Shoals; B: BPBM 23335, 502 mm TL, fresh specimen, Taiwan. Photos by D.G. Smith (A), J.E. Randall (B).