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Issue: Vol. 5793 No. 2: 16 Apr. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-04-16
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5793.2.7
Page range: 496-508
Abstract views: 151
PDF downloaded: 7

A new species of snake eel of the genus Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Mozambique

Oceanographic Institute of Moçambique (INOM); 389. Box 4603 Maputo - Moçambique.
National Research Foundation—South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity; Makhanda 6140; South Africa.
Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History; Kitakyushu; Fukuoka 805-0071; Japan.
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.
National Research Foundation—South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity; Makhanda 6140; South Africa.
Pisces Ophichthinae Western Indian Ocean taxonomy phylogenetic analysis R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen trawl surveys

Abstract

Ophichthus acutidens sp. nov. is described from a single specimen trawled off Mozambique at a depth of 400 m. The new species differs from congeners by the following combination of characters: body depth 32.0 in TL; dorsal-fin origin slightly posterior to the pectoral-fin tip; head length 11.1 in TL; teeth in jaws conical, sharp, and recurved; maxillary teeth biserial; vomerine teeth uniserial with three anterior teeth stout and enlarged; pectoral fins lanceolate; body mostly uniform pale olivaceous, except for a ventral triangular white area on the trunk; total vertebrae 152, including 13 predorsal and 61 preanal vertebrae. Phylogenetic analysis based on the COI region shows that the species forms a distinct genetic lineage, supporting its status as a new species. A detailed description and comparison with congeners are provided.

 

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How to Cite

Samucidine, K., Bogorodsky, S.V., Hibino, Y., Matiku, P., Matcher, G. & Bills, R. (2026) A new species of snake eel of the genus Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Mozambique. Zootaxa, 5793 (2), 496–508. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5793.2.7