Coloconger saldanhai Quéro 2001

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Bray, D.J. 2025, Coloconger saldanhai in Fishes of Australia, accessed 07 Jun 2026, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/5779

Coloconger saldanhai Quéro 2001

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Distribution	Papua Plateau off Cape York, Queensland. Elsewhere the species is known from off New Caledonia.
Features	Band of 3 or 4 rows of teeth on posterior half of upper jaw; sensory tubes same color as body color, not darkened; gill chamber uniformly pale, with tiny melanophores present; anterior intermaxillary teeth present, uniserial; eye about equal to or slightly larger than snout length; rictus reaches vertical through posterior margin of pupil; body light in color, dorsal-fin base slightly darker; large black pigment patch on rear portion of tail, but not overlapping with caudal fin; pectoral fin small, 6.1–8.4% TL.
Colour	Body covered with scattered pigment, denser on dorsal half than lower half. Most of body light brown on upper half. Base of dorsal fin covered with dense pigment under skin, forming a darker stripe along fin base. A patch of scattered pepper-like dots on rear end of tail overlapping the dorsal- and anal-fin base, but not caudal fin. Anterior half of mouth roof pale, becoming dark grey in upper pharyngeal region; tongue pale; lower pharyngeal region grey; floor pale, with some grey pigment on posterior region. Gill chamber mostly pale, with middle slightly blackish. Gill rakers pale or slightly grey. Specimen in AMS I.32433-005 is an adult male with denser pigment on body than the other specimens, especially the underside of head and abdomen; lateral-line tubes light brown, similar to that of dorsal surface of body; and black patch on tail relatively small and about 1 snout length before caudal-fin base.
Etymology	The species is named in honour of Luiz Saldanha, who collaborated with Quéro and co-discovered this eel.
Species Citation	Coloconger saldanhai Quéro 2001, Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal Suppl. no. 6: 57, Figs. 2-4. Type locality: Grande Terre, New Caledonia, 18°58.00'S, 163°10.50'E, depth 580 m.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2025
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Coloconger saldanhai Quéro 2001

References

Fricke, R., Kulbicki, M. & Wantiez, L. 2011. Checklist of the fishes of New Caledonia, and their distribution in the Southwest Pacific Ocean (Pisces). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde A, Neue Serie 4: 341-463.

Ho, H.-C., Smith, D.G. & Pogonoski, J.J. 2025. Species of the eel Family Colocongridae (Order Anguilliformes), with description of a new species. Ichthyology & Herpetology 113(1): 154-178. https://doi.org/10.1643/i2024034

McCosker, J., Smith, D.G. & Tighe, K. 2023. Coloconger saldanhai. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T103685124A103687436. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T103685124A103687436.en. Accessed on 26 August 2025.

Quéro, J.-C. 2001. Colocongridae (Pisces: Anguilliformes) de Nouvelle-Calédonie (Pacifique sud-ouest). Description de Coloconger saldanhai sp. n. Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal Suppl. no. 6: 53-64. http://dspace.cm-funchal.pt:8080/jspui/handle/100/843