Enchelycore bayeri ( Schultz 1953 )

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 : 13

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4704.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0AF043C6-38E4-4546-A7FB-C43BAC5A9837

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5933449

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A84F87BC-FF8D-692B-FF5A-FE4EFB28F877

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Enchelycore bayeri ( Schultz 1953 )
status

 

Enchelycore bayeri ( Schultz 1953) View in CoL —Bayer’s Moray

( Figure 5 View FIGURE 5 )

Gymnothorax bayeri Schultz in Schultz et al. 1953: 124 View in CoL , figs. 23f, 26 (Lagoon coral head at Kieschiechi I., Rongelap Atoll, Marshall Is., western Pacific, 20 ft [6.1 m]), holotype USNM 141608.

Enchelycore bayeri: Randall & Golani 1995: 852 View in CoL ; Golani & Bogorodsky 2010: 9; Golani & Fricke 2018: 20.

Red Sea material. Egypt: HUJ 5845 (1, 525), Ras Muhammad; HUJ 15051 (1, 550), Gulf of Aqaba; USNM 312200 (5, 163–700), Strait of Jubal. Sudan: USNM 397541(1, 172), Shaab Suedi. Saudi Arabia: BPBM 30642 (2, 238– 344), Jeddah; KAUMM 391 [ KAU 12-1058] (1, 305), Al Lith; SMF 35805 [ KAU 13-679] (1, 197), Jeddah, Obhur.

Comparative material. Taiwan: USNM 312203 About USNM (1, 288) . Philippines: USNM 293364 About USNM (1, 250) ; USNM 293365 About USNM (1, 493) ; USNM 293370 About USNM (1, 447) ; USNM 293423 About USNM (1, 260) . Indonesia: USNM 312201 About USNM (1, 515) . Fiji: USNM 242079 About USNM (1, 231) . Marshall Is.: USNM 141608 About USNM (1, 393, holotype) . French Polynesia, Moorea: MNHN 2008-0451 About MNHN (1, 157) ; MNHN 2008-0452 About MNHN (1, 99) ; USNM 392231 About USNM (1, 95).

Description. In TL: preanal length 2.3–2.6, predorsal length 6.0–8.3, head length 7.0–7.7, body depth at anus 20–34. In head length: snout length 4.5–5.1, eye diameter 10–20, upper-jaw length 2.3–2.7. Pores: LL 2, SO 3, IO 4, POM 6. Vertebrae: predorsal 9–11, preanal 50–53, total 146–152.

Head and body moderately elongate; anus slightly before midlength; dorsal fin low, its origin above gill opening. Jaws very slender, strongly arched, mouth not closing completely, leaving a prominent elliptical gap between jaw tips and rictus. Eye well developed, at about midpoint of upper jaw. Anterior nostril tubular, small, not reaching edge of lip when depressed; posterior nostril elliptical with raised rim, located anterior to eye except in very small specimens.

Teeth long, smooth, and sharply pointed. Intermaxillary with a peripheral series of about four large canines on each side separated by much smaller teeth, the latter forming a row slightly outside the large teeth; 3 median teeth. Maxillary teeth biserial, with about four large inner teeth and ca. 25–30 smaller outer teeth, some of these larger than others. Dentary teeth biserial anteriorly, uniserial posteriorly; inner teeth much larger, converging on outer row at about midpoint of jaw; outer teeth smaller, more numerous, somewhat variable in size. Vomerine teeth biserial, short and bluntly pointed, becoming uniserial posteriorly.

Color: uniform brown, fins with greenish yellow or yellow edge. Throat in an indistinct dark violet blotch. Head pores narrowly dark edged.

Maximum size about 600–700 mm.

Distribution and habitat. Across the Indo-West Pacific from the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea to French Polynesia; absent from Hawaiian Islands. Primarily on coral reefs in relatively shallow water, known from depth of 3– 38 m. Very secretive and may be seen occasionally on reefs with rich coral growth.

Remarks. This is a very distinctive eel, with its narrow, highly arched jaws and the posterior nostril located distinctly before the eye. It shows little variation over its range. Six Red Sea specimens have 146–151 vertebrae, the holotype from the Marshall Islands has 148, and three specimens from Moorea in the Society Islands have 149–152. Randall & Golani (1995) reported the first Red Sea record from several localities. According to the COI-based phylogeny there is no marked evolutionary divergence among specimens of this species from the Red Sea to the South Pacific. Interestingly, there was no obvious close association with other species of the genus included in the phylogeny. Enchelycore schismatorhynchus as well as E. ramosa (Griffin) and E. pardalis (Temminck & Schlegel) were also associated with different clades of moray species (mostly from the genus Gymnothorax ).

USNM

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History

BPBM

Bishop Museum

SMF

Forschungsinstitut und Natur-Museum Senckenberg

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Actinopterygii

Order

Anguilliformes

Family

Muraenidae

Genus

Enchelycore

Loc

Enchelycore bayeri ( Schultz 1953 )

Smith, David G., Bogorodsky, Sergey V., Mal, Ahmad O. & Alpermann, Tilman J. 2019
2019
Loc

Enchelycore bayeri: Randall & Golani 1995: 852

Golani, D. & Fricke, R. 2018: 20
Golani, D. & Bogorodsky, S. V. 2010: 9
Randall, J. E. & Golani, D. 1995: 852
1995
Loc

Gymnothorax bayeri Schultz in Schultz et al. 1953: 124

Schultz, L. P. & Herald, E. S. & Lachner, E. A. & Welander, A. D. & Woods, L. P. 1953: 124
1953
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