Vo Quang Van, Hibino Yusuke, Ho Hsuan-Ching, Le Thao Thu Thi, Seah Ying Giat
Institute of Oceanography, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, No. 01 Cau Da, Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam Institute of Oceanography, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology Nha Trang Vietnam.
Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History Kitakyushu Japan.
Zookeys. 2025 Mar 13;1231:311-329. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1231.137323. eCollection 2025.
Two new extremely elongate snake eel of the genus are described based on specimens collected from Vietnamese waters. Vo, Hibino & Ho, is distinguished from its congeners by having the dorsal-fin origin slightly behind the pectoral-fin tip, mean vertebral formula 14-63-202, range 12-17/60-64/199-207; teeth on jaws biserial to triserial; dorsal body dark brown, ventral body pale, anal fin initially white but changing to darker towards its tip. Vo, Hibino & Ho, is distinguished by having a snout rather pointed but the occipital convex (duck-shaped); body with numerous longitudinal wrinkles, weak on posterior abdomen; dorsal-fin origin slightly behind the pectoral-fin tip; one row of teeth on the maxilla anteriorly but increasing posteriorly; two rows on the lower jaw; all teeth small; body dark, usually including abdomen; dorsal fin darker with dark margin; anal fin initially pale but changing to darker towards tip; mean vertebral formula: 15-62-192, range 13-17/61-64/190-196. Descriptions of two related species, (Bleeker, 1852) and (Bleeker, 1852), are provided with updated morphological data.
