Vol. 37 No. 1, 1998

A Review of Congrid Eels of the Genus Ariosoma from Taiwan, with Description of a New Species

Shih-Chieh Shen

Department of Zoology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 106

Shih-Chieh Shen (1998) Diagnosis, description, and figures are presented for the 4 Formosan species of Ariosoma which include A. anago (Temminck and Schlegel, 1842), A. anagoides (Bleeker, 1864), A. shiroanago major (Asano, 1958) and a new species A. nancyae. Ariosoma nancyae is distinctive in its combination of a stout body; 157 total vertebrae; 53 preanal lateral-line pores, and 95 pores behind anus to tail; upper end of gill opening at level of 1/4 upper end of pectoral-fin base; black spots on head, and black bands on body, tail, and fins.

Key words: Fish taxonomy, Congridae, Fish fauna, New species, Taiwan.