A fourth Neotropical species of synbranchid eel and the phylogeny and systematics of synbranchiform fishes. Bulletin of the AMNH ; v. 157, article 1

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Date

1976

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Publisher

New York : American Museum of Natural History

DOI

DOI

Abstract

"The discovery of an undescribed species of synbranchiform eel, with populations in the Atlantic slope of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba, and northeastern South America, presented problems in its taxonomic assignment that required a review of the genera and higher groups within the order. Analyses of superficial anatomy, skull, and vertebral column, but particularly of the detailed structure of the hyoid, gill arch, and branchial vascular systems indicated that some of the groups of synbranchiform species are paraphyletic and others polyphyletic, and that the Alabetidae, long associated with the swamp eels, should be excluded from the assemblage. A phylogenetic hypothesis is put forward that divides all synbranchiforms (treated here as the single family Synbranchidae) into two lineages: the Macrotreminae (containing only Macrotrema caligans) and the Synbranchinae (including three genera: Ophisternon (containing the species bengalense, gutturale, candidum, afrum, infernale, and the new neotropical form aenigmaticum), Synbranchus (containing marmoratus and madeirae), Monopterus (containing albus, boueti, cuchia, fossorius, and two forms originally described under the name indicus)). The generic names Furmastix and Anomatophasma are placed in the synonymy of Ophisternon, and Typhlosynbranchus and Amphipnous are placed in the synonymy of Monopterus. The nomenclatural histories of the genera and some species are discussed and an analytical key to the subfamilies, genera, and species is provided"--P. 5.

Description

69 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 66-69).

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