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Issue: Vol. 5244 No. 5: 22 Feb. 2023
Type: Article
Published: 2023-02-22
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5244.5.4
Page range: 474-484
Abstract views: 491
PDF downloaded: 36

A new species of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) from the southwest coast of India

ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh—226 002, India. Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, Kerala—682 506, India.
Smithsonian Institution, Museum Support Center, Suitland, MD, U.S.A.
ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh—226 002, India. Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, Kerala—682 506, India.
ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh—226 002, India.
ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh—226 002, India
Congrinae Conger macrocephalus Arabian Sea Western Indian Ocean Pisces

Abstract

A new species of Conger eel is described from a single specimen (569 mm total length) collected off Kanyakumari, Southwest coast of India, Arabian Sea. The following characters distinguish the new species from other congeners: dorsal-fin origin behind the pectoral-fin tip; head larger, 18.5% TL; longer predorsal length 24.0% TL; relatively shorter trunk, uniserial teeth at the posterior end of vomerine patch; body blackish to dark brown; pectoral fin completely darker; cephalic pores rim whitish; SO pores 3; IO pores 6; pectoral rays 19; total vertebrae 141+. Genetic analysis of the mitochondrial COI gene revealed that the new species is closely related to Conger verreauxi Kaup, 1856 and Conger macrocephalus Kanazawa, 1958, with a genetic divergence of 5.7% and 5.9% respectively.

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