New spiny eel from Lake Tanganyika

[Silurus]

It's also a bottom-dweller, so it deserves passing mention...

Vreven, EJ & J Snoeks, 2009. A new mastacembelid species from Lake Tanganyika: a case of complex evolutionary history. Journal of Fish Biology 75: 1018–1047.

Abstract

A detailed morphometric study of 123 specimens identified as Mastacembelus albomaculatus and the six syntypes of M. tanganicae was undertaken. On each specimen, 27 morphometric measurements and 12 meristics were taken. The type series of M. tanganicae contains more than one species, with four specimens attributed to a new species M. reygeli sp. nov. A redescription of M. albomaculatus and a description of the new species are provided. Both species are endemic to the northern and central part of Lake Tanganyika. They can be distinguished based on the number of caudal vertebrae [47–52 (median 49) in M. albomaculatus v. 42–46 (44) in M. reygeli sp. nov.], the total number of vertebrae [85–90 (88) v. 78–83 (81)] and the distance from the snout to the last externally visible dorsal spine (S-LDS) [61·8–67·0 (mean 64·0) v. 66·6–71·5 (68·6)% LS]. In addition, intermediate specimens and populations between M. albomaculatus and M. reygeli were discovered from several parts of the lake, but mainly from the southern part. The latter intermediate populations were provisionally identified as introgressed populations.

[worton[pl]]

Hello Silurus,

thank you very much for an info. Is pdf available yet?

I've seen M. albomaculatus from Zambia (southern part of the lake) frequently (few imports to poland last year). They were very small specimens but few were mature ones, well that's what I think, they were around 25cm TL or slightly smaller.

Here are photos:
http://www.suephoto.com/index.php/galeria/index/5/217

In those imports few times I've found a specimens that I wasn't sure what they are - they had few features of M. tanganicae and M. albomaculatus.
Here are photos:
http://www.suephoto.com/index.php/galeria/index/5/218

Could it be, possibly, this new species or just an unusuall M. tanganicae?

I'm not sure if I understood this sentence correctly: "In addition, intermediate specimens and populations between M. albomaculatus and M. reygeli were discovered from several parts of the lake, but mainly from the southern part. "

Does it mean that this population from southern part is created by crossbreed between M. albomaculatus and M. reygeli? Or there are two distinct populations living together?

Thanks for clarifications

Regards.