Records of the eel-goby, Taenioides snyderi (Actinopterygii: Gobiiformes: Gobiidae), from Taiwan

Abstract

Four gobiid specimens collected from the western coast of Taiwan were identified as Taenioides snyderi Jordan et Hubbs, 1925, being characterized by 51–55 (total) dorsal-fin rays, 44–46 (total) anal-fin rays, 17–19 pectoral-fin rays, 10 + 21 = 31 vertebrae, 3 paired barbels on the chin surface, the pelvic-fin base fused by membrane to the abdomen, and the pattern of the dermal folds with sensory papillae on the head and body. Taenioides snyderi has been recorded to date only from Japanese waters, although the likelihood of a wider distribution has been suggested by molecular analysis. This study represents the first specimen-based records of the species outside Japan, with data adding to our knowledge of a poorly known fish group.