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Issue: Vol. 5777 No. 1: 17 Mar. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-03-17
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5777.1.8
Page range: 169-183
Abstract views: 34
PDF downloaded: 2

Unexpected record of Meadia roseni Mok, Lee & Chan, 1991 (Anguilliformes: Synaphobranchidae) from the Western Indian Ocean, with comments on its ontogenetic changes

Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI); P.O. Box 9750 Dar Es Salaam; Tanzania.
National Research Foundation—South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity; Makhanda 6140; South Africa.
Oceanographic Institute of Moçambique (INOM); 389. Box 4603 Maputo - Moçambique.
National Research Foundation—South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity; Makhanda 6140; South Africa.
National Research Foundation—South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity; Makhanda 6140; South Africa.
Department of Vertebrate Zoology; National Museum of Natural History; Smithsonian Institution; Washington; D.C.; U.S.A.
Pisces Ilyophinae Tanzania taxonomy morphology COI R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen trawl surveys

Abstract

Two specimens of a rare eel of the genus Meadia (Synaphobranchidae, Ilyophinae) were trawled during a survey conducted by the research vessel Dr. Fridtjof Nansen off Tanzania in 2023. Detailed examination and comparison with the three known species of the genus revealed that both specimens belong to Meadia roseni Mok, Lee & Chan, 1991, a species previously thought to be restricted to Taiwan and Vietnam. These specimens represent the first record of this species from the Indian Ocean. Species identification is supported by a phylogenetic analysis of the COI barcoding region, which included a specimen of M. roseni from Taiwan. Description of both Tanzanian specimens, based on voucher material, is provided and accompanied by photographs of fresh specimens. Ontogenetic changes associated with growth are also discussed.

 

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How to Cite

Matiku, P., Bogorodsky, S.V., Samucidine, K., Matcher, G., Bills, R. & Tighe, K.A. (2026) Unexpected record of Meadia roseni Mok, Lee & Chan, 1991 (Anguilliformes: Synaphobranchidae) from the Western Indian Ocean, with comments on its ontogenetic changes. Zootaxa, 5777 (1), 169–183. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5777.1.8