ABOUT THE TAXONOMIC STATUS OF THE GARDEN-EELS HETEROCONGER LONGISSIMUS GUNTHER 1870 AND HETEROCONGER HALIS (BOHLKE 1957) (PISCES, CONGRIDAE, HETEROCONGRINAE)

摘要

The relationship between the heterocongrids Heteroconger longissimus Guen-ther, 1870 and Heteroconger halis (Boehlke, 1957) has been recently discussed in two papers (Saldanha et al., 1986; Smith, 1989). H. longissimus was described based on a specimen from Lanzarote (Canary Islands) and subsequently cited in other sectors of the eastern Atlantic (Madeira and Senegal), while H. halis was described from Bahamas and later on cited in different areas of the western Atlantic (Panama, Honduras, Florida, Jamaica, Colombia and Lesser Antillas). Saldanha et al. (1986), in a detailed study of 69 specimens (32 from Madeira, 6 from the Canary Islands, and 2 from Senegal identified as H. longissimus, and 29 from several areas of the western Atlantic identified as H. halis), analysing 22 morphometric parameters they found no great differences, except slight individual variations in the number of the preanal lateral-line pores (45-52 in the specimens from the western Atlantic vs. 46—55 in those from the eastern Atlantic), and a lesser range of total vertebrae in the specimens from the western Atlantic (159-167 vs. 163-178 in those from the eastern Atlantic). Consequently, they concluded that there is no reason to consider the existence of two different species.