Ophichthidae

LARSON, HELEN K., WILLIAMS, REX S. & HAMMER, MICHAEL P., 2013, <strong> An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Northern Territory, Australia </ strong>, Zootaxa 3696 (1), pp. 1-293 : 26-29

Ophichthidae

(snake eels)

Allips concolor McCosker, 1972

Smalleye Snake Eel

Allips concolor McCosker, 1972: 117 (mouth of Pakehan River , north of Ban Parknam Ranong, Goh Phi, Ranong Province, Thailand).

Moringua sp. — Macleay 1878: 364 (Port Darwin); Larson and Williams 1997: 346 (Port Darwin).

? Aphthalmichthys intermedius Ogilby, 1907a: 9 (N coast of Australia, probably Darwin).

? Rataboura intermedia — McCulloch 1929: 70 (North Australia).

Moringua ferruginea — Paxton et al. 1989: 111 (N.T.); Larson and Williams 1997: 346 (Darwin Harbour); Hoese et al. 2006: 239 (NT; N coast).

Macleay’s original record (subsequently cited by others) was probably based on this ophichthid. No moringuids are yet known from the NT.

New record for the NT.

Leiuranus semicinctus ( Lay and Bennett, 1839)

Saddled Snake Eel

Ophisurus semicinctus Lay and Bennett, 1839: 66 (locality unknown, possibly from Oahu).

Leiuranus semicinctus — Paxton et al. 1989: 117 (N.T.); Hoese et al. 2006: 269 (NT; N coast).

NT coast.

Muraenichthys sp.

unidentified snake eel

Muraenichthys sp. — Russell and Houston 1989: 80 (Arafura Sea); Larson and Williams 1997: 347 (reef off Bullocky Point; N side Channel Island; East Arm).

Muraenichthys cf gymnopterus — Larson 2000: 37 (Field Island); Larson 2002: 30 (Field Island).

East Arm, Darwin Harbour; Shoal Bay; NE of Goulburn Islands; creek on NE side Milingimbi, Town Beach, Milingimbi.

There are several shallow-water northern Australian ophichthids that need yet to be conclusively identified (J. McCosker, pers. comm. March 2013).

Myrichthys colubrinus ( Boddaert, 1781)

Harlequin Snake Eel

Muraena colubrina Boddaert, 1781: 56 (Amboina) .

Myrichthys colubrinus — Paxton et al. 1989: 119 (N.T.); Hoese et al. 2006: 270 (NT; Gulf of Carpentaria, N coast).

Neenchelys retropinna Smith and Böhlke, 1983

Gaper Snake Eel

Neenchelys retropinna Smith and Böhlke, 1983: 80 (Gulf of Oman).— Russell and Houston 1989: 80 (Arafura Sea); Paxton et al. 1989: 119 (Arafura Sea, NT); Hoese et al. 2006: 271 (NT; N coast, Arafura Sea).

Ophichthus altipennis (Kaup, 1856)

Blackfin Snake Eel

Microdonophis altipennis Kaup, 1856b: 43 (Ujung Pandang, Celebes).

Ophichthus cf melanochir — Larson 1999c: 24 (off Pocock’s Beach, West Alligator Head).

Species known from tropical Western Australia and Queensland; first NT record.

Ophichthus lithinus ( Jordan and Richardson, 1908)

Evermann’s Snake Eel

Leiuranus lithinus Jordan and Richardson, 1908: 238 (Cuyo, Philippines).

Ophichthus lithinus — Hoese et al. 2006: 272 (NT; Gulf of Carpentaria, N coast) .

NT Gulf of Carpentaria.

Ophichthus rutidoderma (Bleeker, 1853) Olive Snake Eel Ophisurus rutidoderma Bleeker, 1853a: 30 (Batavia, Java, Indonesia). Ophicththus rutidodermatoides —Larson 1997: 27 (West Alligator Head; East Alligator River); Larson 1999b: 29

(Kakadu).

Sandfly Beach, West Alligator Head.

Ophichthus sp.

unidentified snake eel

Ophichthus sp. — Larson 2000: 37 (Kakadu).

Beagle Gulf; Moira Reef, Port Patterson; Shoal Bay; Darwin Harbour; East Alligator River; West Alligator Head; Field Island; creek on NE side Milingimbi; McArthur River; Vanderlin Island.

Pisodonophis boro ( Hamilton, 1822)

Estuary Snake Eel

Ophisurus boro Hamilton, 1822: 20 , 363 (Ganges estuary near Calcutta).

Pisodonophis boro — Paxton et al. 1989: 120 (Darwin, NT); Larson and Williams 1997: 347 (Darwin); Hoese et al. 2006: 273 (Darwin, NT).

Pisodonophis cancrivorus (Richardson, 1848)

Burrowing Snake Eel

Ophisurus cancrivorus Richardson, 1848b: 97 (Port Essington, NT).

? Ophichthys sp. — Macleay 1878: 364 (Port Darwin)

Myrophis chrysogaster Macleay, 1881c: 271 (Port Darwin, NT).

Pisodonophis cancrivorus — McCulloch 1929: 69 (Port Essington, Northern Territory); Paxton et al. 1989: 120– 121 (NT); Larson and Williams 1997: 347 (Port Darwin); Hoese et al. 2006: 273 (NT; Gulf of Carpentaria, N coast); Fisher and Calaby 2009: 37 (Port Essington).

Pisodonophis sp. — Larson and Williams 1997: 347 (N side Channel Island; off Stokes Hill Wharf; East Arm; Woods Inlet; Rapid Creek).

Mouth of Peter John River (AMS material).

There may be several unrecognised species of Pisodonophis in the NT (J. McCosker, pers. comm. March

2013).

Scolecenchelys cf godeffroyi (Regan, 1909)

Godeffroy Worm Eel

Muraenichthys godeffroyi Regan, 1909b: 439 (Bowen, Queensland).

Town Beach, Nhulunbuy.

Possible new record for the NT (NTM S.11278-003); based on available literature.

Scolecenchelys gymnota (Bleeker, 1857)

Slender Worm Eel

Muraenichthys gymnotus Bleeker, 1857a: 90 (Amboina) .— Paxton et al. 1989: 118 (NT).

Scolechenchelys gymnota — Hoese et al. 2006: 275 (NT; Gulf of Carpentaria, N coast) .

Scolecenchelys laticaudata (Ogilby, 1897)

Redfin Worm Eel

Myropterura laticaudata Ogilby, 1897a: 247 ( Fiji) .

Muraenichthys laticaudatus — Larson and Williams 1997: 347 (Woods Inlet “possibly of this species”). Scolechenchelys laticaudata — Hoese et al. 2006: 275–276 (Darwin Harbour).

Beagle Gulf.

Scolechenchelys macroptera (Bleeker, 1857) Narrow Worm Eel Muraenichthys(Scolenchelys) macropterus Bleeker, 1857a: 91 ( Ambon, Moluccas). Muraenichthys (Scolenchelys) macropterus —Collette 1983: 101 (East Vernon Is., Croker I.). Muraenichthys macropterus —Larson 1997: 27 (Kakadu); Larson 1999c: 24 (Field Island); Larson 1999b: 28

(Kakadu); Larson 2000: 37 (Field Island; Sandfly Beach); Larson 2002: 30 (Field Island). Scolechenchelys macroptera — Hoese et al. 2006: 276 (NT; Gulf of Carpentaria, N coast).

Channel Island, East Point, Darwin Harbour; mouth of Buffalo Creek, Gunn Point, Shoal Bay; Burford Island, off Cobourg Peninsula; N end McCluer Island; W side North Oxley Island; S of settlement, Elcho Island.

Skythrenchelys zabra Castle and McCosker, 1999

Angry Worm Eel

Skythrenchelys zabra Castle and McCosker, 1999: 116–119 (Thevara, Ernakulam, southern India).— Castle and McCosker, 1999: 116 (north of Smith Point, Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory); Hoese et al. 2006: 277 (NT; Gulf of Carpentaria, N coast). Arafura Sea; E of Groote Eylandt, Gulf of Carpentaria.

Yirrkala chaselingi Whitley, 1940

Chingilt

Yirrkala chaselingi Whitley, 1940a: 410–411 ( Yirrkala , near Caledon Bay, Northern Territory).— Taylor 1964: 98 (Northern Territory); Hoese et al. 2006: 277 (NT; Gulf of Carpentaria, N coast).

Yirrkala lumbricoides — Paxton et al. 1989: 121 ( Yirrkala ).

Xyrias revulsus Jordan and Snyder, 1901 Strict Snake-eel Xyrias revulsus Jordan and Snyder, 1901a: 869 (Misaki, Japan).— Hoese et al. 2006: 276 (NT; Arafura Sea, east of

Evaw [lapsus for Evans] Shoal; N coast); McCosker et al. 2009: 61–62 (Arafura Sea; east of Evans Shoal;

north of Bathurst Island).