Neenchelys cheni

Taxonavigation

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 cheni

Name

Neenchelys cheni (Chen & Weng, 1967)

• Lectotype: NMMBP 3019 [ex THUP 3234].
  • Lectotype designated by Ho et al., 2010
• Paralectotype: NMMBP 3328 [ex THUP 3328] (1).

• Type locality: Tungkang, Taiwan.

• Diagnosis. A species of Neenchelys distinguished by having a combination of the following characters: body moderately elongate and relatively compressed, depth at anus 3.3 to 5.2 times in HL, 29 to 40 in TL; HL 10.1 to 11.6 in TL; origin of dorsal fin relatively posterior, at about same vertical level as or slightly posterior to origin of anal fin, predorsal length 2.4 to 2.7 in TL; tail length 1.6 to 1.7 in TL; pectoral fin moderate in size, shorter than snout length, 7.0 to 7.8 in HL; snout relatively long, 4.1 to 5.2 in HL; total vertebrae 180 to 183; MVF 59-56-181. Single median temporal and interorbital pores; supraorbital pores 1 + 4 or 1 + 5; infraorbital pores 5 + 1 or 5 + 2 (2 pores between anterior and posterior nostrils); mandibular pores 5 or 6; preopercular pores 2; supratemporal pores 3. Cephalic lateral line pores 10 to 12; predorsal pores 57 to 64; preanal pores 52 to 67. Coloration in preservative pale brown, slightly darker dorsally, fins pale except median fins which darken approximately one head length before the tail tip.

Synonyms

• Myrophis cheni Chen & Weng, 1967
• Neenchelys retropinna Smith & Böhlke, 1983

References

• Chen, J. T. F. & Weng, H. T. C.; 1967: A review of the Apodal fishes of Taiwan. Biological Bulletin Tunghai University Ichthyology Series Number 6, No. 32: 1–86.

• Ho, H.-C., Smith, D.G., Wang, S.-I., Shao, K.-T., Ju, Y.-M. & Chang, C.-W.; 2010: Specimen catalog of Pisces collection of National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium transferred from Tinghi University and Aquarium. (II) Order Anguilliformes. Platax 7: 13–34.

Vernacular names

English: Chen's worm eel