Neenchelys similis

Taxonavigation: Congroidei

Superregnum: Eukaryota Cladus: Unikonta Cladus: Opisthokonta Cladus: Holozoa Regnum: Animalia Subregnum: Eumetazoa Cladus: Bilateria Cladus: Nephrozoa Superphylum: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Megaclassis: Osteichthyes Superclassis/Classis: Actinopterygii Classis/Subclassis: Actinopteri Subclassis/Infraclassis: Neopterygii Infraclassis: Teleostei Megacohors: Elopocephalai Supercohors: Elopocephala Cohors/Superordo: Elopomorpha Ordo: Anguilliformes Subordo: Congroidei

Familia: Ophichthidae
Subfamilia: Myrophinae
Genus: Neenchelys
Species: Neenchelys similis

Name

Neenchelys similis H.-C. Ho, J. E. McCosker & D. G. Smith. 2015

• Holotype: ASIZP 59925.

• Paratypes: NSMT P105355; FRLM 38980, 42319.

• Type locality: Tashi Fishing Port, Ilan, NE Taiwan.

• Diagnosis. A species of Neenchelys distinguished by the combination of the following characters: body extremely elongate and slightly compressed, its depth 2.6 to 3.0 times in HL, 43 to 48 in TL; dorsal fin origin at anterior 1/3 of trunk, 1.0 to 1.3 times in HL behind gill opening; predorsal length 6.8 to 7.7 in TL; head relatively short, 15.1 to 16.3 in TL; trunk 4.6 to 4.8 in TL; tail extremely long, 1.4 in TL; pectoral fin well developed, longer than snout. Total vertebrae 260 to 265; MVF 34-68-262. Cephalic lateral line pores 15 to 16; predorsal pores 35 to 37; preanal pores 70 or 71.

• Etymology: The specific name is from the Latin similis (= like), in reference to its similarity to its congener, N. daedalus.

Vernacular names

English: Slender worm eel

References

• Ho, H.-C.; McCosker, J.E.; Smith, D.G. 2013: Revision of the worm eel genus Neenchelys (Ophichthidae: Myrophinae), with descriptions of three new species from the western Pacific Ocean. Zoological studies 52: 58. DOI: 10.1186/1810-522X-52-58 Reference page. 
• Ho, H-C., McCosker, J.E. & Smith, D.G. 2015. Renaming of three recently described eels of the genus Neenchelys (Teleostei: Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the western Pacific. Zootaxa 4060(1): 49–51. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4060.1.7. Preview (PDF) Full article (PDF) Reference page.