JapaneseJapaneseSociety Society ofSystematicof Systematic Zoology Species Diversity, 2007, 12, 187-192 First Record of a Rare Moray, Enchelycore kamara (Actinopterygii: Anguilliformes: Muraenidae), from Amami-oshima Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan Koichi Shibukawai, Yohko Takata2 and Gento Shinohara3 JfVtzgao IVatural Environment )bundation, 3-1010 Shitcrya, 71aito-ku, 7bhyo, 110-OO04 Joj)an E-mail: hshibukawa@tvrc,or･.tP 2Cignterfor Molecutar Biodiversity Research, IVtitional Mttseum qflVttture and Science, 3-23-1 Ilyakunin-cho, Shinjuku-ku, 7bdyo, 1oo-O073 Jinpan E-mail: [email protected] 3Daparttnent of Zoolog L,, IVational Museum of IVtiture and Science, 3-23-1 Ilyak"nin-cho, Shinjuku-k", Tokyo, IG9-OOrs Jirlpan E-mail: [email protected] (Received 6 March 2007; Accepted 13 June 2007) A single specimen of the rare moray Enchelycore kaniara BOhlke and B6hlke, 19eO was eollected from a shallow coral reef at Amami-oshima Is- la]d, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. The species had been known previously flrom only six specimens collected from the Line Islands and Palau, and the pres- ent specimen thus represents the first record of the species from Japanese waters. A brief account of the morphology of the Japanese spectmen is pro- vided, as well as a photograph showing its color freshly after col]ection. Key Words: Actinopterygii, Anguillifbmies, Muraenidae, Enchelycore kamara, first record, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Introduction Morays of the genus Enchelycore Kaup, 1856 are moderately elongate, med/[um- to Iarge-sized muraenid eels attaining over 1100mm total length (TL), known i'rom temperate to tropical regions of the Indian, Pacific, and Atiantic oceans, Although the classification of the family is in a state of flux (Smith 2002), this genus is distin- guished from other muraenid genera in having the lbllowing combination of char- acters (B6hlke et al. 1989, 1999; Smith 2002): body moderately elongate, with TL at most 30 times body depth; dorsal fin well developed, originating above, before, or closely behind gill opentng; jaws slender and arched, not closing completely (i.e,, meeting only at their tips and with the teeth exposed in lateral aspect when the mouth is closed); teeth sharply pointed, sometimes long and fang-Iike, never molar- ifbrm; anterior nostril a simple tube, lacking a distinct bilobed flap at its tip, 7ihir- teen species are known (BOhlke et al, 1989; BOhlke and Smith 2002; Smith 2002; Prokofiev 2005a, b) and, ot' these, the fo11ewing four have been reported from Japan- ese waters (Hatooka et al, 1990; Hatooka 2002): Enche(ycore pardalis (Temm,[nck and Schlegel, 1846) [as Muraena pardalis in Hatooka (2002)]; E. bayeri (Schultz in Schultz et al., 1953); E. Iichenosa (Jordan and Snyder, 1901); and E schisma- torltynchus (Bleeker, 1853). NII-Electronic Library Service JapaneseJapaneseSociety Society ofSystematicof Systematic Zoology 188 Kojchi Shibukawa et al. During a survey of the littoral fishes ef Amami-oshima Island in the northern Ryukyu Islands in November, 2006, a single specimen of a moray with a character- istic dark-spetted pattern was captured. It was identified as Enchelycore kamara B6hlke and BOhlke, 1980, a species previously known only by the type series (six specimens, 204-530mm TL) collected from the Line Islands and Palau. The present specimen represents the first record of this species from Japanese waters, thus considerably extending its geographical range to the north. In this paper we pro- vide a brief account of the Japanese specimen in order to show clear evidence for this identMcation. A photograph of this specimen, showing its coloration when fresh, is alse presented here, Materials and Methods Measurements were made point-to-point with calipers to the nearest O.1mm. Methods for measurements and counts fbllow those of B6hlke (1989) and Bbhlke et al. (1989). The notations of teeth fo11ow Bbhlke and Smith (2002). The examined specimen is deposited in the fish collection of the Nationa] Museum of Nature and Science, Tekyo (NSMT-P). Fig. 1. Enche{ycore kamara B6hlke and BOhlke, 1980, NSMT-P 75543, 201.8mm TL, Atetsu Bay. Amami-oshima Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, NII-Electronic Library Service JapaneseJapaneseSociety Society ofSystematicof Systematic Zoology Rare moray eel from Japan 189 Taxonomic Account Enchelycore kamara BOhlke and B6hlke,1980 [New Japanese name: Azuki-utsubo] (Figs 1-3) Enchelycore kamara B6hlke and B6hlke,1980: 173, figs 1-3 (type locality: Caroline Island, Line Islands, Kiribati). Material examined. NSMT-P 75543, 1 specimen, 201,8mm TL, Atetsu Bay, Amami-oshima Island, Ryukyu Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan (28011.3'N, 129017,4'E), 9m depth, 17 November 2006. Description. The following description is based only on the Japanese speci- men (NSMT-P 75543). Bilateral values are separated by a slash, the first value rep- resenting the left side. Dorsal fin rays 347; anal fin rays 227; total vertebrae 1.37; predorsal vertebrae 13; preanal vertebrae 60. Cephalic sensory canal pores: supraorbital pores 3/3; in- fraorbital pores 4/4; mandibular peres 7/6; branchial pores 2!1, Measurements (in mm) and proportions as a percentage of total length (TL) or head length (HL): predorsal length 32.3 (16.0Ux'o TL); preanal length 97,O (48.1% TL); head length 31.3 (15.59fh TL); depth at gill opening 11.1 (5.5Y/b TL); depth at anus 11.9 (5,9% TL); snout length 4,7 (2.3[ra TL, 14.9% HL); eye diameter 3.2 (1.6Y6 TL, 10.29/h Fig. 2. EncheCycore kamara BOhlke and BOh]ke, 1980, NSMT-P 75543, 201.8mm TL, radiograph. Open and solid arrows show dorsal and anal fin origins, respectively. NII-Electronic Library Service JapaneseJapaneseSociety Society ofSystematicof Systematic Zoology 190 Koichi Shibukawa et al. OMX PIM "ke'h" "N"`"JiM"x u " MIM ""s,N.st[xlLx>LQgs v'icf "p,fi'7pp2,f;`tP .-X""sN .`. x ., J> 7s7"7"7.'-:r"e".s)).). )@ > S O'4 dn @c4/7pt･fifi'utf;4n-4L4"..,,...l) VM.. v"'""L ,s"L l}.}lpt' ,,."Nst,.N ..",. 5 mm .Fig. 3. Enchelycore kamara Bdhlke and BOhlke, 1980, NSMT-P 75543, schematic illustration of dentition, Abbreviations of teeth rows: D, dentary series; IMX, inner maxillary series; MIM, median intermaxillary series; OMX, outer maxillary series; PIM, peripheral intermaxillary series; VM, vomerine series. Dotted oval and double circles indicate position of eye and traces of missing teeth, respectively. HL)] jaw Iength 12.8 (6.3"f[, TL, 40,9g,5 HL). Body moderately elongate; anus slightiy anterior to midlength; dorsal fin ori- gin (Fig. 2) posterior to level of gill opening. Jaws arched, mouth not entirely clos- ing; eye over middle of gape; anterior nostril tubular, simple, and not flared dis- taily, reaching lip when depressed; posterior nostril round or nearly elliptical, with slightly raised rim, located above or slightly behind anterior margin of eye. Teeth (Fig, 3) slender, sharp, without serrations at ed.aes; intermaxillary tooth patch in three longitudinal rows (i,e., no teeth of intermediate intermaxillary se- ries); teeth of peripheral intermaxilary series variable in size; teeth of median in- temiaxillary series Iong and depressible, middle teeth longest; maxillary teeth bis- erial, comprising single outer and inner maxillary series; euter maxillary series of 20/18 mostly small (some large teeth in anterior haif of series), closely spaced teeth; inner maxMary series of 4/4 large, slender, depressible teeth; vomerine teeth small, ca. 24, fouming biserial rows anteriorly, narrowing to single row poste- riorly; uniserial row of 31!31 teeth on dentary, ineluding ca. 5/7 enlarged teeth (de- creasing in size posteriorly), with 111 long, fang-like, depressible tooth at inner edge. Cblor in .fi"esh (based on digital images) (Fig. 1). Ground color of head, body, and fins light brown anterodorsally, gradually changing to cloudy pink pos- teroventrally, slightly darkened (near terra rosa) on snout and tlp of tail; ventral part of operculum tinged with red; head, body, and fins with numerous small (subequal or smaller than pupil), close-set, more or less circular grayish-brown spots (frequently, some spots connected); spots on head distinctly smaller than those on body; iris reddish brown, with narrow gold ring encireling pupil; narrow lunate dusky area along posteroventral margin of eye; anterior nostril light brown; mandibular pores narrowly encircled with dusky pigment; no distinct dark pig- ment around gi]1 opening. COIor in preservattve (after storage in 75% ethyl alcoho] for one week following fixation in 10% formalin fbr two weeks). Similar to color when fresh, except as fo1- lews: ground color light gray to light brewnish gray; spots on head, body, and fins NII-Electronic Library Service JapaneseJapaneseSociety Society ofSystematicof Systematic Zoology Rare moray eel firom Japan 191 medium to dark gray; gold ring around pupil faded. Distribution. Western and Central Pacific: Line Islands, Palau, and Ryukyu Islands, Japan (BOhlke and BOhlke 1980; present study). Remarks. Within the genus, only two species, Enchelycore kamara and E. tamarae Prokofiev, 2005, are known to have a distinet dark-spotted pattern over a light background on the head, body, and fins (BOhlke and B6hlke 1980; Prokofiev 2005a, b), Although such a dark-spotted pattern is also found in E. pardalis, that species also has numerous vivid white spots and an indistinct dusky barred pat- tern on its body; E. pardalis is also easily distinguished from E. kamara and E. tamarae in having a well-developed, tube-like posterior nostril (BOh]ke et al. 1999). Enchelycore tamarae is known oniy flrom a single specimen collected from India. It differs from E, kamara in having 130 vertebrae (vs, 137-143 in E. kamara), includ- ing five predorsal vertebrae <vs. 13-16), its dorsal fin origin above the gill opening (vs. behind the gill opening), intermediate intermaxillary teeth (vs, absent), vomer- ine teeth forming a uniserial row (vs. biserial anteriorly), 15-17 teeth in the outer maxillary series (vs, 18-26), no teeth of the inner row of the dentary (vs.