Cirrhimuraena taiwanensis sp. nov., a new species of cirri-bearing eel (Anguilliformes, Ophichthidae) from Yilan, northeastern Taiwan
Journal
ZooKeys
Journal Volume
1224
Start Page
129
End Page
140
ISSN
1313-2970
1313-2989
Date Issued
2025-01-24
Author(s)
Abstract
A new species of cirri-bearing eel, Cirrhimuraena taiwanensis sp. nov. (Anguilliformes, Ophichthidae), is described based on a specimen collected from the estuary of the Lang-yang River (Yilan County), northeastern Taiwan. The new species is distinct from all conge-ners, except C. odishaensis and C. orientalis, in possessing a single row of mandibular teeth. Cirrhimuraena taiwanensis sp. nov. differs from C. odishaensis in having significantly shorter pectoral fins and fewer vertebrae, and it is distinguished from C. orientalis by its larger head, notably more total vertebrae, and a dorsal fin that originates well behind the gill opening. In the neighbor-joining tree based on COI sequences, the new species forms a distinct mono-phyletic group; thus, it is clearly separable from congeners both morphologically and geneti-cally. With this addition, there are now 13 species in the genus Cirrhimuraena.
Subjects
Biodiversity
brackish water
COI analysis
Taiwanese fringe-lip eel
taxonomy
Publisher
Pensoft Publishers
Type
journal article