Ophichthus altipennis ( Kaup 1856 )

Hibino, Yusuke & Mccosker, John E., 2020, Resurrection of Ophichthus zophistius (Actinopterygii: Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) with a revised diagnosis of O. altipennis, Zootaxa 4801 (2), pp. 328-342 : 329

Ophichthus altipennis ( Kaup 1856)

(English name: Highfin Snake Eel; new Japanese standard name: Tongari-hotate-umihebi)

( Figs. 1–3 ab, 4, 5a, 6a, 7ab; Table 1 )

Microdonophis altipennis Kaup 1856:43 (type locality: Makassar , Sulawesi, Indonesia).

Ophichthys melanochir Bleeker 1864:44 (type locality: Ambon, Indonesia).

Ophichthus altipennis: Randall et al. 2002:155 (Society Islands); McCosker & Randall 2002:798 ( Indonesia and Marshall Islands); Randall 2005:32 (Sulawesi, Indonesia: underwater photo); Allen & Erdmann 2012:108 (photo from Indonesia); Hatooka 2013:70 (key; in part; Ie and Miyako islands, Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea, northeastern coast of Australia, Marianas, Marshall Islands, Society Islands); Hibino et al. 2019:302 (key; West Pacific).

Ophichthus melanochir: Myers & Donaldson 2003:608 ( Guam: record based on underwater photo).

Pisodonophis cancrivorus (not of Richardson): Myers 1999:57, Fig. 2i ( Guam: record based on underwater photo).

Pisodonophis zophistius (not of Jordan & Snyder): Senou et al. 2006:68 (Ie-jima Island, Ryukyu Islands: record based on underwater photo); Senou et al. 2007:48 (Miyako-jima and Irabu-jima islands, Ryukyu Islands: record based on underwater photos).

Cirrhimuraena inhacae (not of Smith): Fricke et al. 2018:43, figure 6 (Toliara, southern Madagascar).

Syntypes. MNHN 2151, 958 mm TL , RMNH. PISC. 3722, 936 mm TL (data of RMNH specimen provided by Harutaka Hata in part), Makassar , Sulawesi Island, Indonesia .

Other materials. 25 specimens. JAPAN : FRLM 10672, 701 mm TL, Funauki Bay, Iriomote-jima Island, Yaeyama Group of Ryukyu Island ; FRLM 52317, 214 mm TL, 52318, 190 mm TL, FRLM 52319, 158 mm TL; KMNH VR 100271, 296 mm TL, Kume-jima Island , Okinawa Group, Ryukyu Islands ; KPM-NI 34558, 903 mm TL, Tokashiki-jima Island, Kerama Group , Ryukyu Islands ; OCF-P03173, 251 mm TL, Makiya, Nago, Okinawa (Okinawa Island), Ryukyu Islands . MICRONESIA: BPBM 27793, 443 mm TL, Enewetak (not measured in detail). AUSTRALIA : ANSP 97862 , 9 specimens, 89–165 mm TL, Queensland , S. of Cookstown (not measured in detail); AMS I.20779-031, 440 mm TL, Queensland , Cape York; WAM P. 8703, 912 mm TL, Freemantle , Western Australia ; WAM P. 15713, 670 mm TL, Rockingham , Western Australia (not measured in detail) . INDONESIA: BMNH 1867.11 .28.283, 692 mm TL, Ambon Island , Maluku Islands (holotype of Ophichthys melanochir ) ; BPBM 37089 , 1032 mm TL, Lembeh Strait , northern Sulawesi Island (not measured in detail). THE PHILIPPINES: USNM 135140, 714 mm TL, Bagacay Bay, Escapada Island ; USNM 379256, 615 mm TL, Mindoro Island (data provided by Fumihito Tashiro ). INDIAN OCEAN : BMNH 1908.3 .23.16, Maldives (not measured in detail) .

Diagnosis based on larger specimens (> 150 mm TL). A species of Ophichthus with the following combination of characters: HL 9.5–10.9% TL; tail length 58.1–65.6% TL, tapering rapidly; snout acute, its length 20.0– 24.4% HL; three preopercular pores; teeth on upper jaw uniserial, teeth on vomer biserial anteriorly and uniserial posteriorly; dorsal-fin origin anterior to a vertical through pectoral-fin insertion; anterior dorsal-fin membrane with a distinct dark blotch; cephalic sensory pores margined dark brown, with additional rows of black pits on snout, cheek and lower jaw; body without obscure bars (both in life and preservation); 7–9 predorsal and 55–61 preanal lateral-line pores; 16–18 pectoral-fin rays; 8–9 predorsal, 52–59 preanal and 177–182 total vertebrae; mean vertebral formula 9-57-179.

Size. Maximum size 1032 mm TL; the 958 mm TL holotype is a mature female with eggs.

Distribution. Widespread in the Indo-West Pacific including Madagascar [photo only, published in Fricke et al. (2018)], Maldives, Indonesia (syntypes and holotype of O. melanochir ), the Philippines, northeastern and southwestern Australia (photo on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/38876822), Enewetak, Guam, though we could not confidently verify their identity from partial image of the head tip, all of these may be O. altipennis and not O. zophistius , rarely including Pisodonophis cancrivorus .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Live individuals of Ophichthus altipennis. a, Zamami-jima Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan (photo: Fumio Ide); b, Lembeh Island, off northeastern coast of Sulawesi Island, Indonesia (photo: Rokus Groeneveld).

FIGURE 2. Fresh specimens of Ophichthus altipennis. a, BPBM 37089, 1032 mm TL, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia (photo: John E. Randall); b, BPBM 27793, 315 mm TL, Enewetak, Marshall Islands, (photo: John E. Randall).

FIGURE 3. Teeth of Ophichthus altipennis (a, b) and O. zophistius (c, d). a, b, Ophichthus altipennis, KPM-NI 34558, 903 mm TL, Tokashiki-jima Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. c, d, O. zophistius, FRLM 45500, 826 mm TL, Katada, Shima, Mie, Japan. north to Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Many images taken by divers from Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. Al-