| Description: |
Neoconger anaelisae (Tommasi, 1960) (Figures 5, 6, 11; Tables 1–5) Leptocephalus anaelisae Tommasi, 1960: 93, fig. 3; off the Amazon region of Brazil, 02° 27.5’ N, 44° 02.5’ W, holotype lost. Smith 1989b: 701 (synonym of Neoconger mucronatus). Melo & Caires 2016: 2 (leptocephali described by Tommasi; synonym of Neoconger mucronatus). Neoconger mucronatus, Smith, 1989a: 60 (in part). Neoconger sp., Marceniuk et al., 2019: 7, 13, table 1, fig. 4b (listed; photograph). Caires et al. 2021: 127 (short description; photograph). Study material (3 specimens, 132–254 mm TL). HOLOTYPE (by monotypy, no catalog number given): lost. NEOTYPE (designated here): MPEG 38951 (1, 254 mm TL), Brazil, Amapá Prov., 03° 44’ 05” N, 50° 18’ 48” W, 58.5 m, 16 Mar 2018. OTHER MATERIAL: AZUSC 5785 (1, 135), Brazil, Pará Prov., 0° 05’ 56” N, 48° 31’ 10” W, 10 m, 09 Aug 2018. USNM, 214062 (1, 156), Brazil, Pará Prov., 1.87° N, 48.35° W, 42–44 m, Geomar sta. 156. Diagnosis. Neoconger anaelisae has fewer predorsal vertebrae (32–34) than any of the other Atlantic species (38–48) and overlaps only slightly with N. vermiformis (34–38). It further differs from N. mucronatus in total vertebrae (98–104 vs 94–99); from N. torrei in preanal vertebrae (42–44 vs 48–49) and total vertebrae (98–104 vs 104–107); from N. hygomi in preanal vertebrae (42–44 vs 55) and total vertebrae (98–104 vs 107); and slightly from N. vermiformis in total vertebrae (98–104 vs 93–102). The larva has a flatter intestinal loop than the other species; the posterior lateral melanophore is present, but the anterior ventral melanophore is apparently absent (see Notes on Leptocephali below). Description. See genus account for general appearance. Morphometric characters in % TL: preanal 48.7–53.8, predorsal 37.2–39.7, head 10.7–11.1, depth at anus 3.0–3.5. In % HL: snout 19.2–21.7, eye 3.1–4.8, interorbital 13.2–13.7, snout-rictus 34.9–40.8, gill opening 7.5–12.8, interbranchial 12.8–23.5, pectoral fin 14.5–20.2. Meristic characters: lateral-line pores 32–35, predorsal ... |