Abstract
An elongate, brown unpatterned moray eel, Gymnothorax visakhaensis sp. nov., is described based on seven specimens collected from the Visakhapatnam fishing harbour, Andhra Pradesh, India. The new species is differentiated from other elongate unpatterned moray eels in having the following combination of characters: anus at about mid-point of body, preanal length 1.9–2.1 in total length; snout blunt and short; dorsal-fin margin black, 6 mandibular pores; intermaxillary teeth biserial; maxillary teeth uniserial, sharp and depressible, pre-dorsal vertebrae 7, pre- anal vertebrae 70–74, total vertebrae 163–169.
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