42: OPHICHTHIDAE (SNAKE EELS & WORM EELS)
42.28 Yirrkala lumbricoides: 43.5 cm.
42.29 Yirrkala tenuis: top: 48.5 cm (Inhaca Id.), arrows indicate D origin and anus; bottom: ventral and lateral views of head, arrows indicate gill openings
and D origin.
Thin sand-eel
42.29 Yirrkala tenuis
(Gunther, 1870)
Maer sandpaling
Ophichthys tenuis Giinther, 1870: 83 (no locality, possibly Mauritius).
Caecula natalensis Fowler, 1934: 416, Fig. 5 (Umgeni, Natal); Smith,
SFSA No. 1096*; Smith, 1962: 453*. Pantonora tenuis: Smith, 1965: 719*.
Head 13-15; depth 41-45; tail 2.1-2.3. Gill openings sublateral, transverse. Teeth small, sharp; uniserial on jaws; biserial to uniserial on vomer.
Vertebrae 167-174.
Olive brown above, dusky on head, lighter below.
Attains 53 cm. Natal to southern Mozambique in estuaries;
also Red Sea and possibly Mauritius.
Family No. 43: XENOCONGRIDAE
by P.H.J. Castle
False morays
Vals bontpalings
Pectoral fins present or absent. Dorsal fin origin over gill
opening or just behind; median fins continuous. around tail.
Mouth reaching beyond rear margin of eye; posterior nostril opening downwards through lip, sometimes covered by
a flap below eye. Teeth small, stout, pointed, recurved, in
about 3 rows on jaws, in 2 separate rows on vomer. No
scales. Plain coloured or mottled.
Most species less than 20 cm; burrow in sand at depths of
1 - 200 m. Rarely collected and of no commercial significance. Eight genera and 17 species; 2 genera and species in
our area, but others can be expected to occur. Reviewed by
Smith (1965) and Bohlke & Smith (1968).
186
KEY TO GENERA
la P present; 6 pores along side of lower jaw before
mouth angle; colour plain ................... Kaupichthys
Ib P absent; 5 pores along side of lower jaw before mouth
angle; colour mottled in adult, distinct dark saddles in
young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Chlopsis
Genus Chlopsis Rafinesque, 1810
Four species; 1 in our area.
43.1 Chlopsis dentatus
(Seale, 1917)
Mottled false moray
Gevlekte vals bontpaling
Garmanichthys dentatus Seale, 1917: 80 (western North Atlantic).
Chlopsis dentatus: Bohlke & Smith, 1968: 31*.
Head 7-8, depth about 20. Teeth small, biserial to triserial on jaws, in 2
separate parallel bands on vomer. Vertebrae 121-124.
Brown to dark brown saddles on light background in
young, becoming irregularly mottled in adult. Attains 20
cm. Known from 135 m off Delagoa Bay; also off Kenya and
western Atlantic.
43.1 Chlopsis dentatus: 19.5 cm.
42.28 Yirrkala lumbricoides: 43.5 cm.
42.29 Yirrkala tenuis: top: 48.5 cm (Inhaca Id.), arrows indicate D origin and anus; bottom: ventral and lateral views of head, arrows indicate gill openings
and D origin.
Thin sand-eel
42.29 Yirrkala tenuis
(Gunther, 1870)
Maer sandpaling
Ophichthys tenuis Giinther, 1870: 83 (no locality, possibly Mauritius).
Caecula natalensis Fowler, 1934: 416, Fig. 5 (Umgeni, Natal); Smith,
SFSA No. 1096*; Smith, 1962: 453*. Pantonora tenuis: Smith, 1965: 719*.
Head 13-15; depth 41-45; tail 2.1-2.3. Gill openings sublateral, transverse. Teeth small, sharp; uniserial on jaws; biserial to uniserial on vomer.
Vertebrae 167-174.
Olive brown above, dusky on head, lighter below.
Attains 53 cm. Natal to southern Mozambique in estuaries;
also Red Sea and possibly Mauritius.
Family No. 43: XENOCONGRIDAE
by P.H.J. Castle
False morays
Vals bontpalings
Pectoral fins present or absent. Dorsal fin origin over gill
opening or just behind; median fins continuous. around tail.
Mouth reaching beyond rear margin of eye; posterior nostril opening downwards through lip, sometimes covered by
a flap below eye. Teeth small, stout, pointed, recurved, in
about 3 rows on jaws, in 2 separate rows on vomer. No
scales. Plain coloured or mottled.
Most species less than 20 cm; burrow in sand at depths of
1 - 200 m. Rarely collected and of no commercial significance. Eight genera and 17 species; 2 genera and species in
our area, but others can be expected to occur. Reviewed by
Smith (1965) and Bohlke & Smith (1968).
186
KEY TO GENERA
la P present; 6 pores along side of lower jaw before
mouth angle; colour plain ................... Kaupichthys
Ib P absent; 5 pores along side of lower jaw before mouth
angle; colour mottled in adult, distinct dark saddles in
young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Chlopsis
Genus Chlopsis Rafinesque, 1810
Four species; 1 in our area.
43.1 Chlopsis dentatus
(Seale, 1917)
Mottled false moray
Gevlekte vals bontpaling
Garmanichthys dentatus Seale, 1917: 80 (western North Atlantic).
Chlopsis dentatus: Bohlke & Smith, 1968: 31*.
Head 7-8, depth about 20. Teeth small, biserial to triserial on jaws, in 2
separate parallel bands on vomer. Vertebrae 121-124.
Brown to dark brown saddles on light background in
young, becoming irregularly mottled in adult. Attains 20
cm. Known from 135 m off Delagoa Bay; also off Kenya and
western Atlantic.
43.1 Chlopsis dentatus: 19.5 cm.