A new genus and species of congrid eel (Teleostei: Anguilliformes: Congridae) from Western Australia
Abstract
A new genus and species of congrid eel, Castleichthys auritus, is described from a single specimen collected from 396 m off northwestern Australia. It belongs to the subfamily Congrinae and is characterized by a slender and flexible tail, a free flange on the upper lip, no plicae or other ornamentation on skin of head, large eye, uniserial maxillary and mandibular teeth, and conspicuous black pectoral fins. The vertebral formula is 15-36-128.