First record of Aplatophis chauliodus (Actinopterygii: Ophichthidae) for the northeatern coast of Brazil, with expansion of its geographic range

The presence of Aplatophis chauliodus in the northeastern coast of Brazil (Western Atlantic Ocean) is recorded for first time on the basis of one specimen measuring 670,0 mm in total length collected in Todos os Santos Bay (Bahia state), a site with estuarine characteristics.


120.
presenting the anterior teeth, in both jaws, like long canines, protruding from the mouth when it is closed and the lower jaw extending beyond the snouth (McCosker in Carpenter, 2002).

Materials and Methods
The specimen here examined is housed in the collection of Divisão de Peixes (Museu de Zoologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas), Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (Bahia state, Brazil) preserved in alcohol 70% Measurements were taken from the right side of the specimen body by means of calipers to the nearest 0.05 mm (except for total length and pre-dorsal length, when a tape measure to the nearest 1.0 mm was used) and are presented.
Coloration (in alcohol 70%): body overall coloration brownish with white spots, with the brown color tending to fade towards the posterior region of the body, being the tail tip of a light color; anterior part of the head and the tip of lower jaw darker (including its ventral regions), whereas the posterior part of the head is of a lighter color (also including its ventral region); pectoral fins light brown with dark upper and median posterior borders; margin of branchial opening of a light color, with also a lighter area below and ventrally to the branchial openings; dorsal and anal fins brownish and with a dark margin, being that of the anal darker than that of the dorsal and both presenting a reddish region .121 along most of the bases of these fins.

Discussion
With 27 known species, family Ophichthidae presents the highest number of species in the order Anguilliformes in Brazil (Menezes in Menezes et al., 2003). In the Western Atlantic, 25 genera and 52 species are known in this family (McCosker & Robertson, 2001).
Cervigón (1991) examined 3 specimens of A. chauliodus measuring between 565.0 and 847.0 mm in total length collected in Venezuela in soft bottoms of neritic waters from the continental shelf and near brackish estuarine areas and he states, erroneously, that the species also occurs in Eastern Atlantic; in the western side it is recorded from Puerto Rico and Panama besides Venezuela. Some variations (for lesser or higher values) were observed in relation to body proportions taken from specimen examined in the present study, when compared to Cervigón (1991) thus contributing to a better knowledge about A. chauliodus, which is still little known in its more distinct aspects as well as little represented in the material housed in scientific collections. There are no data on the biology of A. chauliodus along its distribution range. McEachran & Fechhlem (1998) cited mature males with 334.0 mm in total length and mature females with 439.0 mm in total length.
The present record extends the geographic distribution range of A. chauliodus in the Brazilian coast, in more than 3,000 km, also constituting its first occurrence for the northeastern coast of Brazil (Western Atlantic Ocean).