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.
MCCOSKEr & OKaMOTO: NEw SNaKE EEl FrOM EaST ChINa SEa 323 FIGUrE 1.holotype of Chauligenion camelopardalis sp. nov., NSMT-P 125489, female, 407 mm Tl, photographed soon after capture and before preservation. arrows indicate origin of dorsal and anal fins. DISTRIBUTION.— Known only from the type specimen, collected by trawl in 150 m from the East China Sea. ETYMOLOGY.— From the Greek chaulios (prominent) and genion (chin), neuter, in reference to its obtrusive lower jaw tip. REMARKS.— In that the new genus and species is known only from a single specimen, we were unable to prepare a cleared-and-stained specimen and therefore were unable to make a complete osteological examination. The holotype was preserved in formalin soon after capture and fresh tissue was not removed, making a genomic comparison impossible at this time. we look forward to additional fresh material so that those studies can be performed. we were able however, based on its morphometry, meristics, and the removal of its gill arches, to make some conclusions as to its similarity to other ophichthids. It is clearly within the subfamily Ophichthinae based on its hard-pointed tail tip (without caudal rays), its frontal and temporal canals,
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