5a P absent .................................... 6
5b P present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 10
6a Snout conical; D origin above or slightly behind gill openings .. 7
6b Snout blunt to slightly conical, rounded at tip; D origin
well before gill openings ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
7a Body stout, slightly longer than tail; depth 30-42 in
TL; vomerine teeth enlarged, pointed and recurved. Lamnostoma
an Ip pn
" ;0';': .
... '- .......... ...... ........... - . . . ..
"
Lamnostoma orientalis'
7b Body slender, slightly shorter than tail, depth 41-45
in TL; vomerine teeth conical, not enlarged. . . . . . . .. Yirrkala
Yirrkalalumbricoides'
8a Only fin a low D, extending from just behind occiput
to less than 3 head lengths behind gill opening ... [Phaenomonas]
8b D extending from head nearly to tail tip; A present . . . . . . . . . 9
9a Snout blunt; gill openings nearly horizontal, as
long as distance between them .............. Bascanichthys
9b Snout subconical; gill openings lateral to ventral,
much longer than distance between them ........ Callechelys
lOa Upper lip noticeably fringed ...................... 11
lOb Upper lip entire, although nasal barbels may be present . . . .. 12
11a Both lips fringed; body as long as tail; canine
teeth in jaws and on vomer .............. Brachysomophis
11b Lower lip entire; tail much longer than body; no
canine teeth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Cirrhimuraena
12a Teeth molariform or granular; P broad based. . . . . . . . . . .. 13
".4£(.;1.
12b Teeth pointed; P base restricted, opposite upper half
of gill opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 14
13a D origin well before gill opening; eye twice or
less in P length ......................... Myrichthys
13b D origin above or behind gill openings; eye twice or
more in P length ....................... Pisodonophis
"Ventral views of snout and gill region: af = anterior fold of gill opening;
an = anterior nostril; im = intermaxillary teeth; Ip = labial papillae; pn = posterior nostril; v = vomerine teeth.
42: OPHICHTHIDAE (SNAKE EELS & WORM EELS)
14a Vomerine teeth absent, or at most 1-3 small teeth. . . . . . . .. 15
14b A series ofteeth on the vomer ..................... 16
15a Conspicuous leaf-like appendages on anterior
nostrils; head and trunk equal to or longer than tail;
coloration uniform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Phyllophichthus
15b No leaf-like appendages on anterior nostrils;
head and trunk equal to or less than tail; body with
numerous saddles ........................ Leiuranus
16a Snout of adults elongate, attentuate, clavate at tip,
its length greater than ~ of head; jaws slender and
elongate, those of adults incapable of closing
completely; vertebrae more than 190 ............ Ophisurus
16b Snout of adults blunt, not conical, ~ of head length
or less; jaws not slender and elongate; vertebrae less
than 190 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 17
17a Eye superior, before middle of jaws; snout
constricted, then with an expansion, tip
spoon-shaped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Mystriophis
17b Eye not superior, over middle of jaw; snout narrows
evenly to tip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Ophichthus
Genus Apterichtus Dumeril, 1806
About 9 species; 1 in our area, which we cautiously
identify as A. klazingai. A worldwide revision of this complicated genus is necessary.
42.1 Apterichtus klazingai
(Weber, 1913)
Snake-eel
Siangpaling
Sphagebranchus klazingai Weber, 1913: 47 (Indonesia); Weber & de
Beaufort, 1916: 321*.
Head 13-14; depth 60-72; tail 1.8-1.9. Body entirely finless. All teeth
small, sharp, uniserial on jaws and vomer. Head and snout covered with
minute papillae. Vertebrae 136-140.
Light tan, with fine brown spots or specks on head and
throat. Attains 39 cm. Off Durban in 20 m (new record for
South Africa); also Indonesia and western Pacific.
42.1 Apterichtus klazingai: 39 em.
Genus Bascanichthys Jordan & Davis, 1892
Thirteen recognised species; 1 in our area.
42.2 Bascanichthys kirkii
GOnther, 1870
Longtailed sand-eel
Langstert-sandpaling
Ophichthys kirkii Gunther, 1870: 89 (Rovuma Bay, Mozambique).
Caecula kirki: Smith, SFSA No. 1095; 1962: 454*. Bascanichthys kirkii:
McCosker, 1977: 71.
Head 17-21; depth 63-90; tail 1.8-1.9. No P; D origin on nape. Gill
openings sublateral. All teeth small, sharp, uniserial. Vertebrae 193-202.
177
5b P present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 10
6a Snout conical; D origin above or slightly behind gill openings .. 7
6b Snout blunt to slightly conical, rounded at tip; D origin
well before gill openings ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
7a Body stout, slightly longer than tail; depth 30-42 in
TL; vomerine teeth enlarged, pointed and recurved. Lamnostoma
an Ip pn
" ;0';': .
... '- .......... ...... ........... - . . . ..
"
Lamnostoma orientalis'
7b Body slender, slightly shorter than tail, depth 41-45
in TL; vomerine teeth conical, not enlarged. . . . . . . .. Yirrkala
Yirrkalalumbricoides'
8a Only fin a low D, extending from just behind occiput
to less than 3 head lengths behind gill opening ... [Phaenomonas]
8b D extending from head nearly to tail tip; A present . . . . . . . . . 9
9a Snout blunt; gill openings nearly horizontal, as
long as distance between them .............. Bascanichthys
9b Snout subconical; gill openings lateral to ventral,
much longer than distance between them ........ Callechelys
lOa Upper lip noticeably fringed ...................... 11
lOb Upper lip entire, although nasal barbels may be present . . . .. 12
11a Both lips fringed; body as long as tail; canine
teeth in jaws and on vomer .............. Brachysomophis
11b Lower lip entire; tail much longer than body; no
canine teeth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Cirrhimuraena
12a Teeth molariform or granular; P broad based. . . . . . . . . . .. 13
".4£(.;1.
12b Teeth pointed; P base restricted, opposite upper half
of gill opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 14
13a D origin well before gill opening; eye twice or
less in P length ......................... Myrichthys
13b D origin above or behind gill openings; eye twice or
more in P length ....................... Pisodonophis
"Ventral views of snout and gill region: af = anterior fold of gill opening;
an = anterior nostril; im = intermaxillary teeth; Ip = labial papillae; pn = posterior nostril; v = vomerine teeth.
42: OPHICHTHIDAE (SNAKE EELS & WORM EELS)
14a Vomerine teeth absent, or at most 1-3 small teeth. . . . . . . .. 15
14b A series ofteeth on the vomer ..................... 16
15a Conspicuous leaf-like appendages on anterior
nostrils; head and trunk equal to or longer than tail;
coloration uniform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Phyllophichthus
15b No leaf-like appendages on anterior nostrils;
head and trunk equal to or less than tail; body with
numerous saddles ........................ Leiuranus
16a Snout of adults elongate, attentuate, clavate at tip,
its length greater than ~ of head; jaws slender and
elongate, those of adults incapable of closing
completely; vertebrae more than 190 ............ Ophisurus
16b Snout of adults blunt, not conical, ~ of head length
or less; jaws not slender and elongate; vertebrae less
than 190 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 17
17a Eye superior, before middle of jaws; snout
constricted, then with an expansion, tip
spoon-shaped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Mystriophis
17b Eye not superior, over middle of jaw; snout narrows
evenly to tip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Ophichthus
Genus Apterichtus Dumeril, 1806
About 9 species; 1 in our area, which we cautiously
identify as A. klazingai. A worldwide revision of this complicated genus is necessary.
42.1 Apterichtus klazingai
(Weber, 1913)
Snake-eel
Siangpaling
Sphagebranchus klazingai Weber, 1913: 47 (Indonesia); Weber & de
Beaufort, 1916: 321*.
Head 13-14; depth 60-72; tail 1.8-1.9. Body entirely finless. All teeth
small, sharp, uniserial on jaws and vomer. Head and snout covered with
minute papillae. Vertebrae 136-140.
Light tan, with fine brown spots or specks on head and
throat. Attains 39 cm. Off Durban in 20 m (new record for
South Africa); also Indonesia and western Pacific.
42.1 Apterichtus klazingai: 39 em.
Genus Bascanichthys Jordan & Davis, 1892
Thirteen recognised species; 1 in our area.
42.2 Bascanichthys kirkii
GOnther, 1870
Longtailed sand-eel
Langstert-sandpaling
Ophichthys kirkii Gunther, 1870: 89 (Rovuma Bay, Mozambique).
Caecula kirki: Smith, SFSA No. 1095; 1962: 454*. Bascanichthys kirkii:
McCosker, 1977: 71.
Head 17-21; depth 63-90; tail 1.8-1.9. No P; D origin on nape. Gill
openings sublateral. All teeth small, sharp, uniserial. Vertebrae 193-202.
177