PROC. BIOL. SOC. WASH. 105(1), 1992, pp. 19-22 BOEHLKENCHELYS LONGIDENTATA, A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF CHLOPSID EEL (TELEOSTEI: ANGUILLIFORMES) FROM THE INDO-WEST PACIFIC REGION Kenneth A. Tighe Abstract. — Boehlkenchelys longidentata, a new genus and species belonging to the family Chlopsidae, is described from the Indo-West Pacific. The genus and species is unique in the combination of the presence of a pectoral fin, uniserial vomerine dentition, high preopercular-mandibular pore counts and lateral position of posterior nostril. The most recent reviews of the family Chlopsidae were those of Bohlke & Smith (1968), and Smith (1989). Bohlke & Smith (1968) recognized seven genera, while Smith (1989) described a new genus, bringing the total to eight. Recent collecting in the Fiji Islands and the Chagos Archipelago yielded six specimens of an undescribed species of eel that clearly belongs in this family, but does not fit in any of the nominal genera. Several additional specimens had been lo-cated in the collections of the Bishop Mu-seum by the late James Bohlke, and were under study by him at the time of his death. Methods and Materials General methods for morphometric and meristic data for this study are given in Bohlke (1989). All measurements are given as a proportion of the total length (TL) ex-cept for subunits of the head which are pre-sented as proportions of the head length (HL). Vertebral and fin ray counts were taken from radiographs. Total vertebral counts are of all elements including the hypural plate. Preanal and predorsal vertebral counts were taken using the definitions of Bohlke (1982). Precaudal vertebral counts include all ele-ments up to the first vertebra with a distinct, posteriorly directed haemal spine. Meristic and morphometric data for the type series are presented with the values of the holo-type first and the range of values of the para-types given in brackets. The specimens are deposited at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), the Bernice P. Bishop Museum (BPBM), the National Museum of Natural History (USNM) and the Academy of Nat-ural Sciences, Philadelphia (ANSP). Boehlkenchelys, new genus Diagnosis. —Distinguished from all other chlopsid genera by the following combina-tion of characters: vomerine teeth in a sin-gle, irregular, median series; dorsal fin orig-inating over or slightly anterior to the gill opening; pectoral fin present; posterior nos-tril a simple elliptical opening in front of mideye. For other characters, see the de-scription below of Boehlkenchelys longiden-tata, the type species by original designation and monotypy. Remarks. —Boehlkenchelys can be distin-guished from most other chlopsid genera by the vomerine dentition. Only Robinsia and Linkenchelys have a single, median series of vomerine teeth. Boehlkenchelys can be distinguished from Robinsia by the pres-ence of a pectoral fin. Linkenchelys, de-scribed by Smith (1989) as a chlopsid, also
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