Species Scolecenchelys australis (Macleay, 1881)

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CAAB: 37068003

Species Scolecenchelys australis (Macleay, 1881)

Shortfin Worm Eel, Down's Worm Eel, Iredale's Worm-eel, Scotts Worm Eel, Shortfinned Worm Eel, Southern Worm Eel, Southern Worm-eel, Worm Eel

Muraenichthys australis Macleay, W.J. 1881. Descriptive catalogue of the fishes of Australia. Part 4. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 1 6(2): 202-387 [sometimes cited as 1882] [272].
Type data:
Syntype(s) AM I.16266–001 (3), Lane Cove River, near Sydney, NSW.
Muraenichthys lingowenah Scott, E.O.G. 1975. Observations on some Tasmanian fishes. Part 21. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 109: 127-173 figs 1-2 [128, fig. 1] [was considered valid as Scolecenchelys lingowenah under CAAB code 37068006].
Type data:
Holotype QVM 1974.5.0058 (ex. QVM type 195), off Prime Seal Island, Furneaux Group, Bass Strait.
Muraenichthys lengomena Scott, E.O.G. 1980. Observations on some Tasmanian fishes. Part 26. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 114: 85-144 figs 1-2 pls 1-2 [100, fig. 2] [was considered valid as Scolecenchelys lengomena under CAAB code 37068005.].
Type data:
Holotype QVM 1979/5/68 (ex. QVM type 368), Eddystone Point, east coast TAS, 25 fathoms.
Paratype(s) QVM 1979:5:76 (ex. QVM type 369); QVM 1979:5:77 (ex. QVM type 370).
Muraenichthys tasmaniensis McCulloch, A.R. 1911. Report on the fishes obtained by the F.I.S. Endeavour on the coasts of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Part 1. Zoological (Biological) Results. Endeavour 1(1): 1-87 figs 1-20 pls 1-16 [19].
Type data:
Holotype AM E.1059, Entrance to Oyster Bay, Tasmania, Australia.
Scolecenchelys tasmaniensis smithi Whitley, G.P. 1944. New sharks and fishes from Western Australia. The Australian Zoologist 10(3): 252-273 figs 1-6 [262].
Type data:
Holotype WAM P.704-001, Quindalup, Geographe Bay, Western Australia.
Paratype(s) WAM P.1016-001, Rottnest Island, Western Australia.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

Generic Combinations

Scolecenchelys australis (Macleay, 1881). —
Ogilby, J.D. 1897. Some new genera and species of fishes. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 22(2): 245-251 [246] (changed combination as type species of the genus Scolecenchelys)
Scolecenchelys tasmaniensis (McCulloch, 1911). —
McCosker, J.E., Allen, G.R., Hoese, D.F., Gates, J.E. & Bray, D.J. 2006. Ophichthidae. pp. 264-277 in Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. Fishes. In, Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 35. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3, 2178 pp. [276]

Introduction

Scolecenchelys iredalei (Whitley 1927) was recently removed from synonymy with this species and distributions for both species are unclear (see Hibino & Kimura, 2015). Australian Museum specimens from north of One Tree Island, QLD, re-identified by Y. Hibino, are all S. iredalei suggesting that S. iredalei replaces S. australis north of the southern Great Barrier Reef.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

One Tree Island, QLD (9°56'S, 144°04'E) to north of Cervantes, WA (30°29'S, 115°03'E) including TAS, also Norfolk Island, possibly further north on Great Barrier Reef but apparently replaced by S. iredalei (see Introduction); subtropical, temperate, South-west Pacific (New Zealand).

IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)

IMCRA

Norfolk Island Province (21), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Great Australian Bight Shelf Transition (32), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Benthic, burrower, inshore, rock reef, soft bottom.

Extra Ecological Information

2-50 m

General References

Castle, P.H.J. 1994. Families Synaphobranchidae, Nettastomatidae, Ophichthidae. pp. 195-203 figs 172-179 in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. [199-201] (199, 200 as Muraenichthys australis, (with Scolecenchelys tasmaniensis and Scolecenchelys tasmaniensis smithi in the synonymy of Muraenichthys australis), 201 as Muraenichthys lengomena.)

Castle, P.J. & McCosker, J.E. 1999. A new genus and two new species of Myrophine worm-eels, with comments on Muraenichthys and Scolecenchelys (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae). Records of the Australian Museum 51(2, 3): 113-122 [121] (Valid in Scolecenchelys with Muraenichthys lengomena and Muraenichthys lingowenah as probably synonyms)

Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Checklist of the fishes of Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 63: 9-50 [17] (as Muraenichthys australis, Muraenichthys iredalei)

McCosker, J.E. 1970. A review of the eel genera Leptenchelys and Muraenichthys, with the description of a new genus, Schismorhynchus, and a new species, Muraenichthys chilensis. Pacific Science 24(4): 506-516 figs 1-6 [508] (as Muraenichthys australis and Muraenichthys iredalei)

McCosker, J.E. 1977. The osteology, classification, and relationships of the eel family Ophichthidae. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 41(1): 1-123 figs 1-45 [59] (as Muraenichthys australis and Muraenichthys iredalei)

McCosker, J.E., Allen, G.R., Hoese, D.F., Gates, J.E. & Bray, D.J. 2006. Ophichthidae. pp. 264-277 in Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. Fishes. In, Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 35. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3, 2178 pp. [274]

McCosker, J.E. & Stewart, A.L. 2015. 40. Family Ophichthidae. pp. 249-258 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 2 pp. 1-576. [256]

McCulloch, A.R. 1929. A check-list of the fishes recorded from Australia. Part I. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 5: 1–144 [67] (as Muraenichthys australis and M. tasmaniensis)

Munro, I.S.R. 1961. Handbook of Australian fishes. Nos 1–42. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 15–17, 19, 20: 1-172 [published as separates 1956–1961] [42] (322, as Muraenichthys australis and 324, as Muraenichthys iredalei)

Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. [117, 118] (as Muraenichthys australis, Muraenichthys iredalei, Muraenichthys lengomena and Muraenichthys lingowenah and M. tasmaniensis)

Smith, D.G. & McCosker, J.E. 2008. Family Ophichthidae. pp. 166-169 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp. [168]

Whitley, G.P. 1964. A survey of Australian Ichthyology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 89(1): 11-127 [36] (361, and 364 as Muraenichthys iredalei)