Curtain-nose Worm Eel, Muraenichthys velinasalis Hibino & Kimura 2015


Summary:
A worm eel with the posterior nostril opening above the lip but uniquely concealed by a large flap.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2019, Muraenichthys velinasalis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/5307

Curtain-nose Worm Eel, Muraenichthys velinasalis Hibino & Kimura 2015

More Info


Distribution

One Tree Island, southern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Elsewhere the species is known from the Indo-west-Pacific: Taiwan, Philippines, northeastern Australia, Vanuatu, and Sri Lanka.

Features

A species of Muraenichthys with the following combination of characters: head 12–14% TL, tail 57–61% TL; dorsal-fin origin slightly posterior to a vertical through mid-anus, horizontal distance from the vertical to the origin 1.0–19% HL; posterior nostril opening above lip but concealed by a large flap; teeth relatively robust, their tips weakly pointed; teeth on jaws irregularly two rows anteriorly and one row posteriorly, vomer two rows; predorsal vertebrae 44–53, preanal 44–51 and total 136–139; MVF 48-47-138.

Etymology

The specific name velinasalis is from the Latin meaning “veiled nostril”, in reference to the posterior nostril concealed by a large flap.

Species Citation

Muraenichthys velinasalis Hibino & Kimura 2015, Zootaxa 4060(1): 65, Figs. 2b, 3f, 4, 5a-c. Type locality: bay between Ken-Ting and Ta-Yuan Shan, Taiwan, 21°55'30"N, 120°48'00"E, depth 5–8 m.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2019

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Curtain-nose Worm Eel, Muraenichthys velinasalis Hibino & Kimura 2015

References


Hibino, Y. & Kimura, S 2015. A new species of Muraenichthys (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the Indo-Pacific, with revised generic diagnosis. Zootaxa 4060(1): 62-70 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4060.1.10, open access

Ho, H.-C., McCosker, J.E., Smith, D.G. & Shao, K.-T. 2015. Introduction to the systematics and biodiversity of eels (orders Anguilliformes and Saccopharyngiformes) of Taiwan. Zootaxa 4060(1): 005-018 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4060.1.3, open access 

Ho, H.-C., Smith, D.G., McCosker, J.E., Hibino, Y., Loh, K.-H., Tighe, K.A. & Shao, K.-T. 2015. Annotated checklist of eels (orders Anguilliformes and Saccopharyngiformes) from Taiwan. Zootaxa 4060(1): 140-189 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4060.1.16, open access

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37068058

Feeding:1-15m (possibly to 31m)

Habitat:Reef associated, incl tidepools

Max Size:28 cm TL

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map