A New Deepwater Species of the Snake Eel Genus Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from North Carolina

Ophichthus brevirostris, a new species of snake eel, subfamily Ophichthinae, is described from a specimen trawled in deep water (406–440 m) off North Carolina. It is distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: large orbit; filamentous pectoral fin; two preopercular pores; short snout; minute dentition; body coloration; and vertebral formula (13/60/153). It is most similar to Ophichthus arneutes from the Galápagos, O. genie from New Caledonia and Maldives, and two undescribed congeners from Seychelles and Tonga. It differs from them in its dorsal-fin origin, dentition, and vertebral numbers. Its characteristics do not agree with that of any of the 15 known leptocephali of western Atlantic relatives.

Figure 1

Holotype of Ophichthus brevirostris, new species, CAS 224335, female, 292 mm TL.

Figure 2

Head of holotype of Ophichthus brevirostris, new species, CAS 224335, female, 292 mm TL. Above, dorsal view. Below, left lateral view. Note that the fourth IO pore of the left side is apparently missing; it is present on the right side.

Figure 3

Dentition of Ophichthus brevirostris, new species, CAS 224335, female, 292 mm TL. Note that the fourth IO pore of the left side is apparently missing; it is present on the right side.

Contributor Notes

Section editor: D. Buth.

John E McCosker, (JEM) California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California 94103, e-mail: (JEM) jmccosker@calacademy.org(SWR) UNC-W, Center for Marine Science, 5600 Marvin Moss Lane, Wilmington, North Carolina 28409, e-mail: (SWR) rosss@uncw.edu. Temporary assignment: (SWR; through Intergovernmental Personnel Act) U.S. Geological Survey, Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701. Send reprint requests to JEM.

Received: 18 Dec 2006

Accepted: 03 May 2007