Two New Moray Eels of Genera Diaphenchelys and Gymnothorax (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) from Taiwan and the Philippines.

ABSTRACT: Two new moray eels of the genera Diaphenchelys and Gymnothorax from Taiwan and the Philippines are described. Diaphenchelys laimospila sp. nov. is described based on two specimens that represent the third species and a new geographic record of the genus. It can be distinguished from the other two congeners by the number of cephalic sensory pores, vertebral formula, morphometric measurements, and the coloration pattern. Gymnothorax pseudokidako sp. nov. is a muraenid with a dark brown body covered by pale snowflake-like blotches. It differs from the most similar species Gymnothorax kidako (Temminck and Schlegel) by having a relatively short tail (50.5-53.0% vs. 52.9-56.4% of TL), more dentary teeth (17-26 vs. 16-20), fewer total vertebrae (134-139 vs. 137-143), and the absence of white margin on anal fin (vs. prominent white margin). These two new species were also confirmed by molecular analyses, the mitochondrial COI gene (593 bp) for D. laimospila, and the nuclear EGR3 gene (767 bp) for G. pseudokidako.

SUBMITTER: Huang WC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8598977 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature