European finless eel

diagnosis

Diagnosis. An elongate species with: tail 1.6 – 1.7, head 12 – 15, and body depth 56 – 83 in total length; 4 preopercular pores and 5 pores in supratemporal canal; teeth conical, uniserial on jaws, becoming biserial on vomer of large specimens; 8 – 14 vomerine teeth; body coloration (when fresh) ochre with numerous small dark brown spots, those spots forming a continuous mid-dorsal band, yellowish on ventral surface, head with dark brown spots over a pale background, a prominent horizontal white patch beneath and behind the orbit (Fig. 3); and MVF 52 – 134, total vertebrae 132 – 139 (n = 6). Size. The largest known specimen is 60 cm.

A review of the finless snake eels of the genus Apterichtus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), with the description of five new species

discussion

Remarks. Muraena caeca was described by Linnaeus (1758) from the Mediterranean in a terse 42 word unillustrated description. Subsequent authors agree that the type specimen is lost. The next mention of M. caeca was that of Duméril (1806) who created the generic name Apterichtus for caeca. The first comprehensive treatment of the species was that of Delaroche (1809) in which he well-described and illustrated a specimen from Iviça, a Balearic Island in the Mediterranean off Spain. He considered Linnaeus’s description to be “ très-exacte, mais trèsincomplete ” and on the basis of his “ 28 ½ centimeter ” specimen provided an extensive description and illustration. The specimen now resides in the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris) and was redescribed and illustrated by Blache and Bauchot (1972: 711 – 714) along with another specimen from eastern Africa. Blache and Bauchot (p. 711) erroneously stated that the specimen (“ n o MNHN, Paris: 2125 ”) collected by Delaroche from the Baléares was 497 mm TL. Their other specimen (“ n o MNHN, Paris: 1884 – 426 ”) was said to be 284 mm TL and to have been collected by Vaillant off east Africa. Because of the disagreement with the length

A review of the finless snake eels of the genus Apterichtus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), with the description of five new species

distribution

Distribution. Known from 0 – 85 m depth, usually in fine sand. Western and eastern Mediterranean, eastern Atlantic south to Azores, Madeira, and the Canary islands.

A review of the finless snake eels of the genus Apterichtus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), with the description of five new species

materials_examined

Material examined. 2 specimens, 284 – 504 mm TL, including the neotype (MNHN-IC- 0000 - 2125, 284 mm), from Iviça, a Balearic Island in the Mediterranean off Spain. From Italy: Strait of Messina, MCZ 40861, 504 mm.

A review of the finless snake eels of the genus Apterichtus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), with the description of five new species