Species of the snake eel genus Yirrkala Whitley, 1940 from Taiwan, with descriptions of a new species and two new records (Anguilliformes, Ophichthidae)

By

Hibino, Yusuke
Ho, Hsuan-Ching

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1220

Pages

45--62

Subjects

Biodiversity , catadromous , freshwater , Ichthyology , slender eel , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1220.130885

 

Abstract

The slender snake eel genus Yirrkala from Taiwan is reviewed, and a total of four species are recognized, including a new species described here. Yirrkala nkustsp. nov. is described based on four specimens collected from western Taiwan. It can be distinguished from congeners by the dorsal-fin origin situated above the gill opening, the tip of lower jaw not reaching the base of the anterior-nostril tube, 1 + 3 supraorbital pores, 7–8 predorsal vertebrae, and 147–152 total vertebrae. Two rare species, Yirrkala kaupii Bleeker, 1858 and Yirrkala omanensis Norman, 1939, are redescribed based on specimens newly collected from Taiwan. A key to all Yirrkala species found in Taiwan is provided.