A New Species of the Snake Eel Genus Ophichthus, with Additional Records from Viet Nam (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae)

Abstract

A new species of snake eel, Ophichthus vietnamensis sp. nov., is described on the basis of two specimens collected from off Ky Ha, central coast of Viet Nam. The new species is distinguishable from four similar congeners by having two preopercular pores, a less elongate body (both depth 20–25 times in TL) and the following combination of characters: tail length 56% TL; teeth moderately large and conical, biserial along the entire upper jaw, biserial anteriorly and uniserial posteriorly on lower jaw, uniserial on vomer, and total vertebrae 121–130. Five Ophichthus species are also found in Vietnamese waters, including O. asakusae, O. erabo, O. lithinus, O. rutidoderma and O. urolophus. Detailed descriptions are provided for all species.