Tuesday, September 18, 2018

[Ichthyology • 2018] Monopterus rongsaw • A New Species of Hypogean Swamp Eel (Synbranchiformes: Synbranchidae) from the Khasi Hills in Northeast India


Monopterus rongsaw
Britz, Sykes, Gower & Kamei, 2018


 A new species of hypogean swamp eel, Monopterus rongsaw, is described from the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, India. It was discovered while digging rock-strewn and moist soil close to a small stream during attempts to find caecilians. The new species differs from other synbranchids by the combination of absence of skin pigmentation, the eyes being tiny and covered by skin, and a count of 92 precaudal and 69 caudal vertebrae.




Ralf Britz, Dan Sykes, David J. Gower and Rachunliu G. Kamei. 2018. Monopterus rongsaw, A New Species of Hypogean Swamp Eel from the Khasi Hills in Northeast India (Teleostei: Synbranchiformes: Synbranchidae). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. IEF-1086:1-12

New species of blind eel that burrows through the soil discovered