Ariosoma-type Leptocephali (Congridae: Bathymyrinae) in the Mentawai Islands region off western Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

Background: Ariosoma-type leptocephali of the congrid subfamily Bathymyrinae are typically present in tropical and subtropical regions where they reach large sizes and are often abundant compared to other taxa. Different morphological species types of these larvae have been documented in the Indo-Pacific region, but few have been matched with their adult species, and their life histories are not known.

Stable isotopic composition of anguilliform leptocephali and other food web components from west of the Mascarene Plateau

“…There were 74 leptocephali of 7 species of Ariosoma-type leptocephali collected during the survey. The species identification of these established Ariosomatype larval species-types are not yet known however, so for simplicity these leptocephali will be referred to as -Ariosoma", with the realization that one or more of these species may actually be of a different genus (see Miller et al, 2013c).…”

Biodiversity and distribution of leptocephali west of the Mascarene Plateau in the southwestern Indian Ocean

“…There have been 71 species of Congridae, Muraenidae and Ophichthidae described from the seas around South Africa (12 species of Congridae, Castle, 1986a; 33 species of Muraenidae, Castle and McCosker, 1986;26 species of Ophichthidae, McCosker and Castle, 1986), but a higher proportion of congrids were distinguished in our study, in part due to the 8 species of Ariosoma-type larvae that were collected. This was less than the 12 species of Ariosoma-type leptocephali collected off Sumatra in the western Indian Ocean though (Miller et al, 2013b). (Castle and Raju, 1975), duckbill eels (Nettastomatidae), spiny eels (notacanthiform), and gulper eels (Eurypharynx) were caught.…”

“…The species identifications of most species of marine eel leptocephali in the Indo-Pacific are not known , so different taxa were separated using their morphological features even if they could not be matched with an adult species . The species of Ariosoma-type leptocephali (Bathymyrinae) were separated into species types based on the characteristics determined in previous studies in the western Pacific using pigmentation, type of intestine and meristic counts and although they likely include a species of other genera (see Miller et al, 2013b), for simplicity they will all be referred to as ''Ariosoma'' leptocephali. Although not matched with adult species in this study, each morphological type of leptocephali of all families will be referred to as a ''species''.…”

“…The Danish Round the World Expedition in 1928-1929 collected leptocephali in the Indian Ocean, including in the western region near Madagascar, but only a few taxa such as anguillids, nemichthyids, serrivomerids, nettastomatids and a few congrids have been included in published reports (Jespersen, 1942;Bauchot, 1959;Nielsen and Smith, 1978;Smith and Castle, 1982;Castle, 1997). The species composition of anguillid , garden eel and bathymyrin eel leptocephali of the family Congridae have been studied in the eastern Indian Ocean off west Sumatra (Castle, 1997;Miller et al, 2011bMiller et al, , 2013b and the seasonal composition of leptocephali were studied to the south of there (Castle, 1969), but similar studies have not been done in the western Indian Ocean.…”

Collection of spawning-condition eels of Ariosoma meeki in the Kuroshio Current in the East China Sea

“…Some characteristics of the reproductive ecology of marine eels such as their locations and seasonality of spawning can also be inferred from collections of their leptocephalus larvae (Smith, 1989; Minagawa et al , 2007; Miller, 2009). These kinds of studies indicate that various species of marine eels spawn along the outer shelf and slope of the East China Sea (Miller et al , 2002), but their life histories and those of the genus Ariosoma in general (Miller, 2002; Miller et al , 2013) are still poorly known.…”