Ophichthus erabo (Jordan & Snyder, 1901)

Vo, Quang Van, Hibino, Yusuke & Ho, Hsuan-Ching, 2019, Ophiacantha scissionis Lee & Stöhr & Bae & Shin 2019, sp. nov., Zoological Studies (Zool. Stud.) 58 (43), pp. 1-14 : 8

Ophichthus erabo ( Jordan and Snyder, 1901) ( Fig. 4; Table 3)

Microdonophis erabo Jordan and Snyder, 1901: 870, fig. 17 (type locality: Misaki, Japan).

Ophichthus retifer Fowler, 1935: 368 , fig. 9 (type locality: Durban, South Africa).

S p e c i m e n s e x a m i n e d: OIM-E.55780‒84, 5 specimens, 451‒659 mm TL, off Hàm Tử fishing harbour, Quy NhƠn city, Bình Định province, trawl, 70‒80 m, 23 Aug. 2018, collected by Q.V. Vo

Description: The body is rounded and elongate, body depth 37–43 times in TL ( Fig. 4). Snout tip pointed, anterior nostril long, it and posterior nostril above the upper lip, covered by a flap that extends well below the edge of the mouth. Head 10.9‒12.8 in TL. Head and trunk 1.6‒2.0 in TL. Snout short, broadly rounded when viewed from above and side; underside of snout bisected by a groove. Lower jaw included, its tip reaching to posterior margin of anterior nostril tube. Upper lips with a knob-like barbel at anterior margin of posterior nostril. Tail length 2.0‒ 2.7 in TL; end of tail thick, pointed; dorsal origin inserted just a little before gill opening; pectoral fin moderate and slender.

Head pores small but apparent. Single median interorbital (frontal) and temporal pores; SO 1 + 3, IO 4 + 2, POM 5 ‒ 7 + 3; lateral-line pores apparent; 8 on head, in an arching sequence, 15 before dorsal-fin origin; 77‒80 before anus, 139–150 in total, the last ca. 2 eye diameters before tail tip. Gill slit situated anterior to base of pectoral fin.

Teeth moderately large and conical, uniserial along the entire upper jaw and lower jaw, uniserial on vomer. Intermaxillary with 3–6 teeth in a curved row, followed by 16–18 uniserial vomerine teeth, which decrease slightly in size posteriorly. Maxillary teeth an irregularly uniserial row of 14 or 15 teeth. Mandibular teeth mostly uniserial, with 17‒19 in row.

Coloration: Brownish olive or pale yellow, white below; body marked with rich brown semicircular spots which are smaller and more numerous on head and larger in trunk and tail. The brown spots are of varying sizes, the uppermost on the median line; lower jaw and throat. Dorsal fin with oblong-spots and markings, like those on body; anal fin plain white.