Pholidichthys anguis
Pholidichthys anguis | ||||||||||||
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![]() Holotype of Pholidichthys anguis |
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Systematics | ||||||||||||
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Scientific name | ||||||||||||
Pholidichthys anguis | ||||||||||||
Springer & Larson , 1996 |
Pholidichthys anguis ( Lat .: "Anguis" = snake) is a little-known, eel-like stretched marine fish that occurs exclusively on the coast of northern Australia in the Gulf of Carpentaria and in the southeastern Arafura Sea between the Australian continent and the island of New Guinea .
features
The only known adult of Pholidichthys anguis is a 24.5 cm long female. In addition, some juvenile fish that were between 2.5 and 10.3 cm long were examined. Pholidichthys anguis differs from its only close relative, the white-striped eel goby ( Pholidichthys leucotaenia ) by the larger number of dorsal fin rays (82 to 98 compared to 66 to 79 in P. leucotaenia ), the greater number of anal fin rays (70 to 81 im Compared to 49 to 62 in P. leucotaenia ), the greater number of vertebrae (90 to 101 compared to 71 to 79 in P. leucotaenia ), the shorter head and the shorter maxillary (upper jawbone). The pectoral fins are supported by 14, less often 15, fin rays; the outer ones are simple, the rest are branched. The tiny ventral fins have a greatly reduced spine and two to three soft rays, the caudal fin has ten simple fin rays. Pholidichthys anguis is dark, almost black in color, the conspicuous yellow banding of P. leucotaenia is replaced by indistinct, smoky, oval spots.
habitat
All Pholidichthys anguis have so far been caught from depths of 19 to 70 m over a muddy bottom with sand, mussels, sponges and isolated reef islands . They live there hidden in caves in the ground.
literature
- Victor G. Springer & Helen K. Larson (1996): Pholidichthys anguis, a new species of pholidichthyid fish from Northern Territory and Western Australia . Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 109: pp. 353-365
Web links
- Pholidichthys anguis on Fishbase.org (English)