Heteroconger mercyae Allen & Erdmann, 2009
Mercy's garden eel
Heteroconger mercyae
photo by Erdmann, M.V.

Family:  Congridae (Conger and garden eels), subfamily: Heterocongrinae
Max. size:  67.81 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 4 - 10 m
Distribution:  Western Pacific: Philippines, Indonesia (Kaiman, West Papua), but likely to occur as far east as Rabaul, New Britain (based on an underwater photo).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 578-629; Anal soft rays: 390-432; Vertebrae: 204-213. This relatively slender species has the following distinct set of characters: dorsal-fin origin anterior to gill opening; with pterygoid teeth; body depth at gill opening 28.8-35.2% of HL; preanal vertebrae 62-71 (mean = 65), total vertebrae 204-213 (mean 207.4) ; preanal lateral-line pores 63-69; body colouration consisting of zebra-like black and white barring on head grading to complex black and white maze pattern on body (Ref. 82435).
Biology:  Collected from a single colony, occupying about 100 sq. m with approximately 50 eels at 5-6 m depth. The bottom is fine, silty sand and influenced by a freshwater stream along the adjacent shoreline, about 100 m distance, with the nearest reef formation about 50 m from the site (Ref. 82435).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 06 November 2011 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:  Dumaguete, Negros (Ref. 90102).


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