A revision of the marine eel-tailed catfish genus 'Euristhmus' (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Plotosidae)

Abstract

The Indo-west Pacific plotosid catfish genus Euristhmus Ogilby is revised and found to include five species: E. lepturus (G nther) occurs along the eastern and northern parts of Australia, from Sydney to the Gulf of Carpentaria; E. microceps (Richardson) is reported from Shark Bay, Western Australia to Goulburn Islands, Northern Territory; and E. nudiceps (G nther), the most widely distributed species, extends along the northern margin of Australia, from Exmouth Bay, Western Australia to Moreton Bay, Queensland. Two new species are described herein: E. microphthalmus, from coastal regions of the Northern Territory, Australia and West Papua, Indonesia; and E. sandrae from the vicinity of Rowley Shoals and Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia. Exilichthys Whitley is a junior synonym of Euristhmus; Cnidoglanis microcephalus G nther is an unnecessary replacement name for E. microceps; and Plotosus elongatus Castelnau is a junior subjective synonym of E. lepturus. A lectotype is designated for Cnidoglanis lepturus G nther.