Review of the arrowtooth eel genera Dysomma and Dysommina in Taiwan, with the description of a new species (Anguilliformes: Synaphobranchidae: Ilyophinae)
Author
Ho, Hsuan-Ching
Author
Smith, David G.
Author
Tighe, Kenneth A.
text
Zootaxa
2015
4060
1
86
104
journal article
39199
10.11646/zootaxa.4060.1.12
ca0b84ea-10e9-4bc9-9fa7-e80cf743106b
1175-5326
237500
DCE83F63-6CBE-4166-884F-347DF0BEBB62
Dysomma dolichosomatum
Karrer, 1983
Figs. 4
A–B;
Table 1
Dysomma dolichosomatum
Karrer, 1983
:93
(
type
locality:
Madagascar
,
22°25'S
,
43°04.5'E
,
550–555 m
).
Robins & Robins, 1989
:249
.
Chen & Mok, 2001
:79
.
FIGURE 4.
Dysomma dolichosomatum
Karrer, 1983
. NMMB-P11130. A. 269 mm TL.B. 231 mm TL. Collected from Dong-gang fishing port.
Specimens examined.
Collected from Fong-gang, SW
Taiwan
: NMMB-P2861 (1 spec.,
242 mm
TL),
8 Nov. 2001
. Collected from Dong-gang fishing port, SW
Taiwan
: NMMB-P9098 (1, dry),
13 Jun. 2008
. NMMB-P9241 (1, 349),
18 Sep. 2008
. NMMB-P11121 (6, 209–312),
16 Jul. 2009
. NMMB-P11130 (2, 231–269),
13 Sep. 2010
. NMMB-P12066 (1, 336), 28,
Jan. 2011
. NMMB-P13794 (1, 197),
21 Jul. 2011
. NMMB-P14189 (4, 166–301),
20 Oct. 2011
. NMMB-P15568 (2 of 4, 218–294),
25 Oct. 2011
. NMMB-P16134 (1, 189),
9 Feb. 2012
. NMMB- P16404 (4, 264–320),
28 Jan. 2012
. NMMB-P16422 (1, 357),
21 Feb. 2012
. NMMB-P17820 (1, 357),
2 Nov. 2012
. NMMB-P17881 (1, 263),
25 Jan. 2012
. NMMB-P18083 (1, 336),
7 Sep. 2012
. NMMB-P21733 (2, 215– 221),
18 Feb. 2011
. NMMB-P21799 (1, 227),
7 Nov. 2013
. NMMB-P21928 (1, 343),
1 Nov.2014
. NMMB-P22126 (1, 242),
12 Dec. 2013
. USNM
270682
(2, 172–187),
23 Nov. 1969
. USNM 398567 (1, 317),
10 Nov. 2009
. USNM 401019 (1, 197),
26 Feb. 2011
. USNM 401036 (1, 345),
8 Nov. 2009
.
Other localities.
Madagascar
: MNHN 1979-0004,
holotype
,
22°25'1.2"S
,
43°4'4.8"E
,
550–555 m
,
27 Nov. 1973
.
Philippines
: MNHN 1978-0717,
paratype
,
14°1'1.2"N
,
120°22'1.2"E
,
223 m
,
21 Mar. 1976
.
Solomon Islands
: MNHN 2006-0734 (1, 203),
8°24'28.8"S
,
159°28'22.8"E
,
105–897 m
,
24 Oct. 2004
.
Diagnosis.
No pectoral fin; dorsal-fin origin about 0.8–1 HL behind gill opening, predorsal length 16.5–19.1% TL; anus posterior, about 1.5 time of HL behind gill opening, preanal length 23.3–28.6% TL; trunk long, trunk length 14.3–17.7% TL; two intermaxillary teeth; 2 irregular rows of small blunt teeth on upper jaw; 2 or 3 (mainly 3) compound teeth on vomer; single row of 4 or 5 small compound teeth followed by 1 or 2 irregular rows of small blunt teeth on lower jaw; short cirri on surfaces of chin and jaws; head pores: IO 4, SO 3, M 6 (1 with 7), POP 1, AD1, F 0, ST 0; lateral-line pores large, prepectoral 5 or 6, total 9–11, the last at slightly beyond the gill opening posteriorly; MVF 18-27-153, total vertebrae 146–156.
Body light pinkish to light grayish dorsally when fresh with a black margin at posterior portion of anal fin; light brownish to grayish when preserved.
Distribution.
Indo-west Pacific off
Madagascar
,
Taiwan
,
Philippines
, and
Solomon Islands
at depth
105–
897 m
.
Remarks.
This species is common in the by-catch in
Taiwan
. It is usually collected by midwater trawlers together with many mesopelagic fishes, which would indicate pelagic living. However, many specimens are also found to feed on polychelids, a demersal shrimp family.
Dysomma dolichosomatum
is the only species found to possess one preopercular pore and a very short lateral line, with only 9–11 pores, among all Taiwanese species. It is similar to
D. brevirostre
,
D. muciparus
and
D. tridens
in lacking a pectoral fin. It differs from
D. brevirostre
by having tiny papillae on the head and snout (vs. large papillae and ridges) and total vertebrae 146–156 (vs.
195–205 in
Robins & Robins, 1989
); from
D. muciparus
by having trunk 1.4–1.9 times in head length (vs. less than 1 time in head length) and 146–156 total vertebrae (vs. 153–157); and from
D. tridens
by having 2 intermaxillary teeth (vs. three large compressed teeth) and by having 146–156 total vertebrae (vs. 175).
Our specimens have a broader range of total vertebrae (146–156) compared to 151–152 reported for the
types
by
Karrer (1983)
. One
312 mm
specimen out of NMMB-P 11121 had a relatively long predorsal measurement (23.4 % of TL) and high predorsal vertebral count (25 vertebrae). While it is possible that this specimen may represent a different species, the close correspondence of all other counts and measurements with the other specimens of
D. dolichosomatum
from
Taiwan
indicates that it is probably a specimen with an aberrant dorsal origin.