Abstract
The congrid eel genus Conger in Taiwan is reviewed. Five species are recognized, including C. jordani, C. cinereus, C. macrocephalus, C. myriaster and a newly collected species, C. philippinus. A mature male specimen of Conger myriaster is described for the first time. Specimens previously identified as C. japonicus (= C. myriaster) were misidentifications of above mentioned species. The diagnostic characters are discussed. Detailed data on all five species and a key to species in Taiwan are provided.
References
Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. (2012) Reef fishes of the East Indies. Universitiy of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu, 1292 pp.
Asano, H. (1962) Studies on the congrid eels of Japan. Bulletin of the Misaki Marine Biological Institute Kyoto University, 1, 1–143
Bleeker, P. (1879) Énumerátion des espèces de poissons actuellement connues du Japon et description de trois espèces inédites. Verhandelingen der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen, Afdeeling Natuurkunde (Amsterdam), 18, 1–33, pls. 1–3.
Bloch, M.E. & Schneider, J.G. (1801) M. E. Blochii, Systema Ichthyologiae Iconibus CX Ilustratum. Sumtibus auctoris impressum et Bibliopolio Sanderiano commissum, Berolini, lx + 584 pp., 110 pls.
Bosc, L.A.G. (1817) Nouveau dictionnaire d'histoire naturelle, appliquée aux arts, à l'agriculture, à l'économie rurale et domestique, à la médicine, etc. Par une société de naturalists et d'agricultures. Nouvelle edition presqu'entièrement refondue et considérablement augmentée; avec des figures tirées des trois règnes de la nature. Vol. 7. De L’imprimerie d’abel lanoe, Paris, 586 pp.
Brevoort, J.C. (1856) Notes on some figures of Japanese fish taken from recent specimens by the artists of the U. S. Japan Expedition. In: Perry, M.C. (Ed.), Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan, performed in the years 1852, 1853, and 1854 under the command of Commodore M. C. Perry, United States Navy, by order of the Government of the United States. Vol. 2. U.S. Senate Ex. Doc. No. 79, 33rd Congress, 2nd Session. Beverley Tucker, Washington, D.C., pp. 253–288, pls. 3–12.
Castle, P.H.J. (1964) Congrid leptocephali in Australasian waters with descriptions of Conger wilsoni (Bl. and Schn.) and C. verreauxi Kaup. Zoology Publications from Victoria University of Wellington, 37, 1–45.
Castle, P.H.J. (1968) The congrid eels of the western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Ichthyological Bulletin Department of Ichthyology Rhodes University, 33, 685–726.
Chen, C.H. (2004) Checklist of fishes of Penghu. FRI special publication, 4, 1–175.
Chen, J.T.-F. (1969) A synopsis of the vertebrates of Taiwan. Vol. 1. Commercial Books Co., Taipei, 548 pp.
Chen, J.T.-F. & Weng, H.T.-C. (1967) A review of the apodal fishes of Taiwan. Biological Bulletin of Tunghai University, Ichthyology Series, 6, 1–86.
Chen, J.T.-F. & Yu, M.J. (1986) A synopsis of the vertebrates of Taiwan, revised and enlarged edition. Commercial Press, Taipei, 1092 pp. [in Chinese]
Cunningham, J.T. (1891–1892) On the reproduction and development of the conger. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, New Series, 2, 16–42.
Forsskål, P.S. (1775) Niebuhr, C. (Ed.), Descriptiones animalium avium, amphibiorum, piscium, insectorum, vermium; quae in itinere orientali observavit Petrus Forsskål. ex officina Mölleri, Hauniae, 64 pp. [pp. 22‒76]
Fricke, R. (2008) Authorship, availability and validity of fish names described by Peter (Pehr) Simon Forsskål and Johann Christian Fabricius in the 'Descriptiones animalium' by Carsten Niebuhr in 1775 (Pisces). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde A, Neue Serie, 1, 1–76.
Fricke, R. & Eschmeyer, W.N. (2018) Guide to Fish Collections. Available from: http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/collections.asp (accessed 10 July 2018)
Ho, H.-C., Smith, D.G., Wang, S.-I., Shao, K.-T., Ju, Y.-M. & Chang, C.-W. (2010) Specimen catalog of Pisces collection of National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium transferred from Tunghai University and Aquarium. (II) Order Anguilliformes. Platax, 7, 13–34.
Ho, H.-C., Smith, D.G., McCosker, J.E., Hibino, Y., Loh, K.-H., Tighe, K.A. & Shao, K.-T. (2015) Annotated checklist of eels (orders Anguilliformes and Saccopharyngiformes) from Taiwan. Zootaxa, 4060 (1), 140–189.
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4060.1.16Jordan, D.S. & Snyder, J.O. (1901) A review of the apodal fishes or eels of Japan, with descriptions of nineteen new species. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 23 (1239), 837–890.
https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.23-1239.837Kanazawa, R.H. (1958) A revision of the eels of the genus Conger with descriptions of four new species. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 108 (3400), 219–267, pls. 1–4.
https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.108-3400.219Klunzinger, C.B. (1871) Synopsis der Fische des Rothen Meeres. II. Theil. Verhandlungen der K.-K. zoologisch-botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien, 21, 441–688.
Kurogi, H., Mochioka, N., Okazaki, M., Takahashi, M., Miller, M.J., Tsukamoto, K., Ambe, D., Katayama, S. & Chow, S. (2012) Discovery of a spawning area of the common Japanese conger Conger myriaster along the Kyushu-Palau Ridge in the western North Pacific. Fisheries Science, 78, 525–532.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-012-0468-6Lee, S.-C. & Yang, H.-C. (1966) Notes on the congrid eels of Taiwan. Bioformosa, 1, 52–63.
Linnaeus, C. (1758) Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae, ii + 824 pp.
Masuda, H., Amaoka, K., Araga, C., Uyeno, T. & Yoshino, T. (1984). The fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Vol. 1. Tokai University Press, Tokyo, 437 pp.
Miller, M.J., Yoshinaga, T., Aoyama, J., Otake, T., Mochioka, N., Kurogi, H. & Tsukamoto, K. (2011) Offshore spawning of Conger myriaster in the western North Pacific: evidence for convergent migration strategies of anguilliform eels in the Atlantic and Pacific. Naturwissenschaften, 98, 537–543.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-011-0787-yQuero, J.-C. & Saldanha, L. (1995) Poissons anguilliformes de l'Ile de la Réunion (Océan Indien): description d'une nouvelle espèce. Cybium, 19 (1), 61–88.
Rüppell, W.P.S. (1828–1830) Atlas zu der Reise im nördlichen Afrika. Fische des Rothen Meers. Heinrich Ludwig Brönner, Frankfurt am Main, 141 + 3 pp., 35 pls.
Shao, K.-T., Ho, H.-C., Lin, P.-L., Lee, P.-F., Lee, M.-Y., Tsai, C.-Y., Liao, Y.-C. & Lin, Y.-C. (2008) A checklist of the fishes of southern Taiwan, Northern South China Sea. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 19 (Supplement), 233–271.
Shen, S.-C. (1984) Synopsis of fishes of Taiwan. Southern Materials Center, Taipei, Taiwan, 533 pp.
Shen, S.-C. (1988) Catalogue of the fish specimen deposited in the museum of the Department of Zoology, National Taiwan University. Acta Zoological Taiwanica, 2, 1–162.
Shen, S.-C., Lee, S.-C., Shao, K.-T., Mok, H.-C., Chen, C.-H., Chen, C.-C. & Tzeng, C.-S. (1993) Fishes of Taiwan. Department of Zoology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 960 pp. [in Chinese]
Smith, D.G. (1989) Family Congridae. In: Böhlke, E.B. (Ed.), Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Memoirs of the Sears Foundation for Marine Research, 1 (Part 9), pp. 460–567.
Smith, D.G., Jawad, L. & Al-Kharusi, L.H. (2017) New records and new information on four eel species from Oman. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, 28, 34–46.
Smith. D.G. & Kanazawa, R.H. (1977) Eight new species and a new genus of congrid eels from the Western North Atlantic with redescriptions of Ariosoma analis, Hildebrandia guppyi, and Rhechias vicinalis. Bulletin of Marine Science, 27 (3), 530–543.
Smith, D.G., Schwarzhans, W.W. & Pogonoski, J.J. (2016) The identity of Conger japonicus Bleeker, 1879 (Anguilliformes: Congridae). Copeia, 104 (3), 734–737.
https://doi.org/10.1643/CI-16-408Valenciennes, A. (1850) Poissons. Eydoux, J.F.T. & Souleyet, F.A., Voyage autour du monde exécuté pendant les années 1836 et 1837 sur la corvette La Bonite, commandée par M. Vaillant, Paris, Zoologie, 1, (part 2), 155‒216.
Weigt, L.A., Driskell, A.C., Baldwin, C.C. & Ormos, A. (2012) Chapter 6. DNA Barcoding Fishes. In: Kress, W.J. & Erickson, D.L. (Eds.), DNA barcodes: methods and protocols. Methods in molecular biology, 858, pp. 109–126.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-591-6_6