(Proceedings submission caseby-case

322 PrOCEEdINGS OF ThE CalIFOrNIa aCadEMY OF SCIENCES
Series 4, Volume 63, No. 9
ing with alcian blue and alizarin red dyes (dingerkus and Uhler 1977). Other osteological examination
was made from radiographs. Vertebral counts (which include the hypural) were taken from a radiograph.
radiographic techniques are described in Böhlke (1989). The vertebral formula (VF) is
expressed as the predorsal/preanal/total vertebrae (Böhlke 1982). Institutional abbreviations are as
listed at http://asih.org/codons.pdf. The holotype of the new species is deposited in the fish collection
of the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan (NSMT-P).
Family Ophichthidae
Genus Chauligenion McCosker and Okamoto, novum
(New Japanese name: Kirin-umihebi-zoku)
Type species: Chauligenion camelopardalis McCosker & Okamoto 2016, by original designation.
(Figures 1–6)
DIAGNOSIS.— an elongate ophichthine with tail longer than head and trunk, body cylindrical,
becoming laterally compressed in tail region; snout and tail tip pointed; lower jaw slightly extended;
anterior nostril a hole above outer lip, without a tube; posterior nostrils along upper lip; jaws elongate,
capable of closing completely; orbit large, in posterior half of upper jaw, its rear margin above rictus;
gill openings low lateral, vertical; median fins elongate, not elevated; dorsal-fin origin above gill opening;
pectoral fins absent; teeth small, conical, numerous and densely packed; preopercular pores 3; coloration
yellowish-tan overlain with rows of brown spots.
DESCRIPTION (other characters those of the single species).— an elongate (Fig. 1) ophichthine,
with tail longer than head and trunk, cylindrical in head and trunk, becoming laterally compressed in
tail region. Snout acute, pointed, its underside not split. lower jaw slightly in advance of snout tip.
Branchial basket moderately expanded. anterior nostrils above outer lip, without a tube; posterior nostrils
along upper lip, not opening into mouth, not visible externally. Jaws elongate, capable of closing
completely; orbit large, in posterior half of upper jaw, its rear margin in advance of the rictus. lips
smooth, without crenulae or barbels. Gill openings low lateral (Fig. 2), vertical, not converging forward,
opening about twice eye diameter. Median fins elongate, not elevated, entering tail well in
advance of pointed tail tip. dorsal-fin origin above gill opening. Pectoral fins absent. Cephalic and lateral-line
pores developed, supraorbital (S0), infraorbital (IO), preoperculomandibular (POP) and median
supratemporal pore (ST) and interorbital pores present. Teeth small, conical, numerous and densely
packed. anterior ethmovomerine teeth the largest, slightly retrorse, followed by 6–7 irregular rows
of smaller teeth, followed by a row of 25 smaller vomerine teeth. Teeth of maxillary and mandibular
in patches, becoming smaller and more numerous posteriorly. Gill arches (Fig. 3) mostly cartilaginous:
basibranchials 1–4 cartilaginous; hypobranchials 1–4 cartilaginous; ceratobranchial 1 cartilaginous,
2–4 ossified, 5 minute and cartilaginous; epibranchial 1 cartilaginous, 2–4 ossified; infrapharyngobranchials
2–3 ossified; upper and lower pharyngeal tooth plates with 5 nearly regular rows of small,
conical, densely packed and slightly retrorse teeth, the upper pharyngeal tooth plate with 5 longitudinal
rows of ca. 15 teeth, plates closely sutured but not fused; the lower pharyngeal tooth plate with
20–25 conical teeth in 5 irregular longitudinal rows. Teeth comparable in size and appearance to those
of jaws.Neurocranium depressed (Fig. 4). Supraoccipital condyle developed. Suspensorium nearly vertical;
maxillae not tapering posteriorly. Opercle and preopercle weakly developed. Branchiostegal rays
slender, condition typically ophichthine (sensu McCosker 1977: 28–30), ca. 20–25 (as seen by radiograph
to be) attached to outer face of each epihyal. Pectoral girdle reduced to cleithrum and thin supracleithrum.Epipleural
ribs attached to precaudal vertebrae 5–11 are elongate. Other characters those of
the single species.