Enchelycore bayeri (Schultz 1953) —Bayer’s Moray

(Figure 5)

Gymnothorax bayeri Schultz in Schultz et al. 1953: 124, 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; 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 (1, 288) . Philippines: USNM 293364 (1, 250); USNM 293365 (1, 493); USNM 293370 (1, 447); USNM 293423 (1, 260) . Indonesia: USNM 312201 (1, 515) . Fiji: USNM 242079 (1, 231) . Marshall Is.: USNM 141608 (1, 393, holotype) . French Polynesia, Moorea: MNHN 2008-0451 (1, 157); MNHN 2008-0452 (1, 99); USNM 392231 (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).