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A new species of moray eel, Gymnothorax shaoi, is described here based on ten specimens collected in southeastern Taiwan. The new muraenid is distinct from its most similar species, Gymnothorax fimbriatus, in the character combinations of having brown body color, dark brown spots in at least three rows on body side and spots on posterior dorsal and...
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Context 1
... shaoi n. sp. (Chinese name: ; Shao's Rou-hsun-tsung) (English name: Shao's moray eel) (Figures 1, 2, 3 a, 4; Table 1) ...
Context 3
... length moderate (maximum size reaches 608 mm TL), smaller body depth (Figure 1). Dorsal fin moderately high; origin before the gill opening. ...
Context 4
... shaoi n. sp. (Chinese name: ; Shao's Rou-hsun-tsung) (English name: Shao's moray eel) (Figures 1, 2, 3 a, 4; Table 1) ...
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Gymnothorax poikilospilus sp. nov. is described based on two specimens collected from Penghu Islands, western Taiwan. It is a medium-sized brown moray that body covered with several rows of inconspicuous large dark brown patches on the back of body and dorsal fin. It has slightly elongated and arched jaws similar to the common characteristic of the...
Citations
... The Muraenidae (moray eels) are the second-most diverse family of true eels (order Anguilliformes), comprising more than 200 species worldwide (Smith 2012;Fricke et al. 2022). Located at mid-latitude with various aquatic environments, Taiwan is one of the biodiversity hotspots of moray eels that around 80 species have been recorded, more than one-third muraenid fauna of the world (Chen et al. 1994;Chen & Loh 2007;Chen et al. 2008;Loh et al. 2011Loh et al. , 2015Ho et al. 2015;Huang et al. 2021b, etc.). ...
Gymnothorax poikilospilus sp. nov. is described based on two specimens collected from Penghu Islands, western Taiwan. It is a medium-sized brown moray that body covered with several rows of inconspicuous large dark brown patches on the back of body and dorsal fin. It has slightly elongated and arched jaws similar to the common characteristic of the genus Enchelycore Kaup, but the dentition supports it belongs to typical morays of the genus Gymnothorax Bloch. The new species can be distinguished from other similar Indo-Pacific brown morays by the combination of dentition, vertebral formula, and morphometric measurements. Molecular analyses based on 612 bp of mitochondrial COI gene also support it as a distinct species.
... The number and arrangement of teeth were observed following Böhlke & Smith (2002). The sockets of missing teeth were included in the total tooth count for accuracy, as suggested in the literature (Böhlke & Smith 2002;Chen & Loh 2007). The colour patterning (i.e., the shape and arrangement of bars or spots on the body) of each specimen examined was noted for comparison with published descriptions. ...
The taxonomic status of the widely distributed Indo-Pacific undulated moray eel, Gymnothorax undulatus, is revised using morphological and genetics features. Ninety-seven specimens previously identified as G. undulatus were examined and their mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA genes were analysed. The multivariate analysis of eight morphometric characters resulted in separation with little to no overlap among some geographic regions. These groupings explained more than 90% of the total variation, with 86.6% overall classification. Two color morphs were identified, and the South African population was described as new species, Gymnothorax elaineheemstrae n. sp., distinct from G. undulatus in having mottled and faintly reticulated color pattern, 134–136 total vertebrae and further confirmed by the genetic analysis of COI and 16S rRNA with > 0.1 genetic distance. The morphological and genetics results indicate that G. undulatus, previously treated as a single species, consists of more than one species.
... During our surveys from 2005 to 2009 under the research programme, "Diversity, molecular phylogeny and reproductive ecology of the Anguilliformes fishes of Taiwan and the western Pacific", numerous specimens of moray eels from the seas around Taiwan were collected. New species and new records of moray eels were identified among them (Chen and Loh 2007, Loh et al 2011, Loh et al 2012. In this study, we report five muraenid species new to Taiwan and amend the muraenid fauna of Taiwan to composing 68 species in13 genera and two subfamilies ( Table 1). ...
Five rare moray species: Anarchias cantonensis (Schultz), Gymnothorax dorsalis Seale, G. intesi (Fourmanoir & Rivaton), G. phasmatodes (Smith) and G. sagmacephalus (Böhlke) belonging to the subfamilies Uropterygiinae and Muraeninae are reported for the first time in the surrounding waters off Taiwan. Diagnoses of these five species, including fresh coloration and dentition, are provided. A re-description of G. sagmacephalus is provided since its original description, based on the single holotype, was incomplete specifically due to its damaged tail. With the added 12 specimens, we provided the statistics of the morphological measurements and vertebral formulae, and expanded its geographical distribution from Japan southward to Taiwan.
... During our surveys from 2005 to 2009 under the research programme, "Diversity, molecular phylogeny and reproductive ecology of the Anguilliformes fishes of Taiwan and the western Pacific", numerous specimens of moray eels from the seas around Taiwan were collected. New species and new records of moray eels were identified among them (Chen and Loh 2007, Loh et al 2011, Loh et al 2012. In this study, we report five muraenid species new to Taiwan and amend the muraenid fauna of Taiwan to composing 68 species in13 genera and two subfamilies ( Table 1). ...
... During surveys from 2005-2009 under the regional research programme on "Diversity, molecular phylogeny and reproductive ecology of the Anguilliformes fishes of Taiwan and the Western Pacific", we collected many specimens of moray eels from the waters around Taiwan. Among these collections, we found some new species and new records of moray eels [8,9,18,19,20,27], and also discovered five rare muraenid species previously unknown from Taiwan. With the additions in this study, the muraenid fauna now comprises 68 species belonging to 13 genera and 2 subfamilies of the family Muraenidae ( Table 1). ...
Five rare moray species: Anarchias cantonensis (Schultz), Gymnothorax dorsalis Seale, G. intesi (Fourmanoir and Rivaton), G. phasmatodes (Smith) and G. sagmacephalus (Böhlke) belonging to subfamilies Uropterygiinae and Muraeninae are reported for the first time off Taiwan. Diagnoses of these five
species of moray eels including their fresh coloration and dentitions are provided. A redescription of G. sagmacephalus is provided since its description was based on the unique holotype was incomplete, especially due to its damaged tail tip. We add twelve additional specimens, give the statistics of morphological
measurements and vertebral formulae for this species, and expand its geographical distribution from Japan to Taiwan.
... During -2008in a series of projects entitled " Investigations and studies of endangered muraenid fishes from the waters around Taiwan " and " Diversity , molecular phylogeny and reproductive ecology of the Anguilliformes fishes of Taiwan and the Western Pacific " , we described three new moray species i.e. Gymnothorax shaoi Chen and Loh, 2007 [9], G. taiwanensis Chen et al. 2008 [10] and Uropterygius oligospondylus Chen et al. 2008 described in Loh et al. [20], and many specimens of moray eels collected as well from the waters around Taiwan. Among these collections , it was noticed that some specimens did not belong to the other recorded moray species in Taiwan. ...
The specimens of three new records of moray eels (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) were identified for the first time off the eastern (Changbin) and southern (Kenting) coast of Taiwan. They were Enchelynassa canina (Quoy and Gaimard), Gymnothorax elegans Bliss and Gymnothorax fuscomaculatus (Schultz). The monotypic genus Enchelynassa which had only one species in the genus was also a newly recorded genus to Taiwan. In this paper, we reported the three rare moray species, included diagnostic characters and the fresh coloration on whole body, head, dorsal and ventral sides; as well as their dentitions; and the key to the relative species.
... There are many studies on the LWRs of fishes (Froese, 2006;Go¨kc¸e et al., 2007;Sangun et al., 2007;Arshad et al., 2008;Dadzie et al., 2008;Robertis and Williams, 2008), but only a few were carried out on moray eels (Froese, 1998;Schneider et al., 2000;Ferreira et al., 2008;Vaslet et al., 2008;Joyeux et al., 2009;Macieira and Joyeux, 2009). During 2003During -2008, in a series of projects entitled ÔInvestigations and studies of endangered muraenid fishes from the waters around TaiwanÕ and ÔDiversity, molecular phylogeny and reproductive ecology of the Anguilliformes fishes of Taiwan and the Western Pacific,Õ we described three new moray species: Gymnothorax shaoi Chen and Loh, 2007;G. taiwanensis Chen, Loh and Shao, 2008; Uropterygius oligospondylus Chen, Randall andLoh, 2008 (in Loh et al., 2008). ...
P>Length-weight relationships were determined in 39 muraenid species belonging to seven genera collected during 2003-2008 from the waters around Taiwan. Various fishing methods were used to collect both the adult and pre-adult moray eel specimens. Length-weight relationship records of 28 species are provided for the first time. New maximum size records of six species were also established: 61.2 cm for Gymnothorax monostigma, 88.2 cm for G. niphostigmus, 68.6 cm for G. shaoi, 53.9 cm for G. taiwanensis, 73.2 cm for G. thyrsoideus, and 37.3 cm for U. micropterus.
... Muraenidae is one of the most diverse families of anguilliform fishes, including at least 14 genera and 60 species from the western North Pacific (Chen et al. 1994(Chen et al. , 1996Hatooka 2002Hatooka , 2003Chen and Loh 2007;Shibukawa et al. 2007;Loh et al. 2008). However, muraenid leptocephali have been reported only for Gymnothorax minor (see Tawa and Mochioka 2009), although six other unassigned types have been reported (Tabeta and Mochioka 1988). ...
Leptocephalus larvae collected from the western North Pacific, and characterized by yellow head pigmentation and many myomeres, were identified as the slender brown moray Strophidon ui following observations of metamorphosis in an aquarium. The leptocephali had 184–196 total myomeres (84–90 predorsal, 116–122 preanal) and 95–102 last vertical blood vessel myomeres. A horizontally elongate group of irregular melanophores before and behind the eye formed a poorly defined band. Some irregular melanophores on the iris encircled the pupil, and minute melanophores occurred ventrally on the spinal cord and along the dorsal and anal fin bases. Yellow pigments were present in anterior and posterior regions adjacent to the eye in fresh specimens. It was possible to clearly distinguish the leptocephali of S. ui from six unassigned leptocephalus types and Gymnothorax minor reported previously from the same region, owing to the lower total myomere counts (106–142) in the latter. This is the second description of specifically identified muraenid leptocephali from the western North Pacific.
... From 2001 to 2007, we were engaged in a series of projects entitled "Investigations and studies of endangered muraenid fi shes from the waters around Taiwan" sponsored by Council of Agriculture, R.O.C. and "Diversity, molecular phylogeny and reproductive ecology of the Anguilliformes fi shes of Taiwan and the Western Pacifi c." We have collected many muraenid specimens from southern and eastern Taiwan and recently described Gymnothorax shaoi (Chen & Loh, 2007) as a new moray species. Among these projects, it was noticed that there were several exceptional specimens which had a reticulate pattern similar to but more variable than Gymnothorax pseudothyrsoideus (Bleeker, 1852). ...
A new species of moray eel. Gymnothorax taiwanensis, is described from 12 specimens collected from coastal eastern Taiwan. It has short jaws, stout teeth, biserial vomerine dentition, brownish body colour, pale thin reticular pattern, yellowish mucus on skin, darkish tips or rims of nostrils, mean vertebral formula 5-55-119. It is distinct from its closest congener, Gymnothorax flavocula, in having shorter tail length (45.8-48.7 vs. 50-52 % of TL), fewer total vertebrae (117-121 vs. 124-127), attain larger total length (523 vs. 407 mm TL), and teeth more numerous on vomerine and dentary.
Taiwan is one of the richest in the world in terms of eel fauna. In this study, we examined the osteological and morphological characteristics of eels under order Anguilliformes. Furthermore, we focused on the neurocranium of total of 30 Anguilliformes fishes under family Congridae (10), Muraenesocidae (1), Muraenidae (7), Nemichthyidae (1), Nettastomatidae (2), Ophichthidae (5), Synaphobranchidae (4), which are caught in Taiwanese waters. This paper shows the results of a comparative study on osteological characters of the neurocranium including the ratio of seven length characters using its NCL (neurocranium length), NCW (neurocranium width), OBL (orbit length), MFW (maximum frontal width), NCDB (neurocranium depth at basisphenoid), PEVW (premaxilla-ethmovomer width) and mPOBL (mid pre-orbital length), and 20 morphological diagnostic characters for 30 eel species. Results shows that species under family Nemichthyidae and Nettastomatidae have the highest values on the ratio of NCL/MFW, NCL/NCDB, and NCW/mPOBD. In morphological characters, it shows that species of the same family mostly share similar formation of the PEV plate and frontal structure. The usage of the length measurements and morphological diagnostic characters of neurocranium allowed for a more in depth understanding of how similar or different these eels can be. The neurocranial description and morphological characters may prove valuable for identification purposes and might be necessary tool for further studies on the status of order Anguilliformes.
