Larvae of the Ophichthid Eel Genus Neenchelys in the Indo-Pacific

Larvae of Neenchelys Bamber are rather short and deep bodied, reaching about 75 mm before metamorphosis. They have a relatively short gut which is pigmented and slightly swollen at intervals along its length, as in larvae of other myrophine ophichthids. Neenchelys leptocephali also have a conspicuous midlateral patch of pigment about midway between the anus and caudal tip, and develop ova before metamorphosis

Osteology and Relationships of the Eel Diastobranchus capensis (Pisces, Synaphobranchidae)

An osteological comparison of Diastobranchus (using its single species D. capensis Barnard, 1923, known only from the Southern Ocean) with other synaphobranchoid eels shows that it is intermediate between Synaphobranchus and Ilyophis (Synaphobranchidae). The Simenchelyidae is more generalized, whereas the Dysommidae contain the more specialized of the Synaphobranchoidei

A New, Distinctively Colored Snake Eel (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Northeastern New Zealand

Quassiremus polyclitellum, n. sp., described from three specimens line-fished at island outliers in 35-58 m represents the first record of Quassiremus Jordan & Davis, 1891, for the Indo-West Pacific. It has regularly spaced, mid-brown to orange, vertically rectangular saddles of pigment along body, tail longer than preanal length, and 166-168 vertebrae. It thus differs from East Pacific Q. nothochir (Gilbert), which has hourglass-shaped spots ringed with brown and 138-142 vertebrae, Galapagos endemic Q. evionthas (Jordan & Bollman) with small oblong spots and 149-153 vertebrae, and western Atlantic Q. ascensionis (Studer) with large, round spots above, alternating with similar spots below and 129-136 vertebrae; all three species have the tail shorter than the preanal length. The strong New World associations of Quassiremus are noted and the possible extralimital origins as larvae of the holotype and paratypes are discussed

Larval development of the congrid eel Gnathophis Capensis (Kaup), off Southern Africa, with notes on the identity of Congermuraena Australis Barnard

Zoologica Africana 3(2): 139-15