Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5601 No. 2: 7 Mar. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-03-07
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5601.2.8
Page range: 346-356
Abstract views: 380
PDF downloaded: 19

Gobioid fishes of Ashtamudi Ramsar Lake, India: 40 years of misidentification of Oxyurichthys tentacularis, a new country record of O. omanensis, and three new records to the Southwest coast (Gobiiformes: Gobiidae)

Department of Aquatic Biology & Fisheries; University of Kerala; Thiruvananthapuram; Kerala 695 581; India
Department of Aquatic Biology & Fisheries; University of Kerala; Thiruvananthapuram; Kerala 695 581; India
Department of Aquatic Biology & Fisheries; University of Kerala; Thiruvananthapuram; Kerala 695 581; India
Department of Fisheries Resource Management; Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS); Kochi; Kerala 682 506; India
Pisces Gobiiformes Taxonomy Barcoding Distribution Kerala Inland fisheries

Abstract

An integrative taxonomic study on the gobioid fishes of Ashtamudi Lake (a Ramsar Site), Kerala, India revealed the occurrence of 12 species representing 10 genera, including three species of the genus Oxyurichthys. The Arrowfin goby, Oxyurichthys tentacularis, considered as the mainstay of gobioid fisheries in the Lake for over 40 years, represents a clear case of misidentification of O. ophthalmonema. Combined morpho-molecular analysis confirmed, for the first time, the occurrence of Oxyurichthys omanensis in the Indian subcontinent, and from anywhere outside its type locality in the Gulf of Oman. Three additional new records are presented: Exyrias puntang from mainland India, Paratrypauchen microcephalus from the West coast of India, and Istigobius diadema from the southwest coast of India. Intensive region-wise studies, particularly along the western coast of India, are required to better understand the diversity and distribution of estuarine and freshwater gobies.

 

References

  1. Bleeker, P. (1849) Bijdrage tot de kennis der Blennioïden en Gobioïden van den Soenda-Molukschen Archipel, met beschrijving van 42 nieuwe soorten. Verhandelingen van het Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen, 22 (6), 1–40.
  2. Chackacherry, G. & Jayakumar, K.V. (2011) Ashtamudi wetland, Kerala: Values and threats. Proceedings: National workshop on Ramsar designated wetlands of India, Kolkata, 2011, 1–6.
  3. Cuvier, G. & Valenciennes, A (1837) Histoire naturelle des poissons. Tome douzième. Suite du livre quatorzième. Gobioïdes. Livre quinzième. Acanthoptérygiens à pectorales pédiculées. Vol. 12. Chez F. G. Levrault, Paris, xxiv + 507 + 1 pp., pls. 344–368.
  4. Edgar, R.C. (2004) MUSCLE multiple sequence alignment with high accuracy and high throughput. Nucleic Acids Research, 32, 1792–1797. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkh340
  5. Fricke, R., Eschmeyer, W.N. & Van der Laan, R. (Eds.) (2024) Eschmeyer’s Catalogue of Fishes: Genera, Species, References Available from: https://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp (14 Jun. 2024)
  6. Hammer, M.P., Taillebois, L., King, A.J., Crook, D.A., Wedd, D., Adams, M., Unmack, P.J., Hoese, D.F. & Bertozzi, T. (2021) Unravelling the taxonomy and identification of a problematic group of benthic fishes from tropical rivers (Gobiidae: Glossogobius). Journal of Fish Biology, 99, 87–100. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.14701
  7. Henderson, A.C. (2020) A review of potential taxonomic barriers to the effective management of Gulf elasmobranch fisheries. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management, 23 (2), 210–219. https://doi.org/10.1080/14634988.2020.1800327
  8. Jin, X.X., Wang, R.X., Wei, T., Tang, D. & Xu, T.J. (2015) Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Tridentiger bifasciatus and Tridentiger barbatus (Perciformes, Gobiidae): a mitogenomic perspective on the phylogenetic relationships of Gobiidae. Molecular Biology Reports, 42 (1), 253–265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-014-3768-3
  9. Joy, N.M. & Paul, S.K. (2021) Analysis of the economic value and status of the ecosystem services provided by the Ashtamudi wetland region, a Ramsar site in Kerala. Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing, 49 (4), 897–912. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-020-01263-9
  10. Koumans, P.F. (1941) Gobioid fishes of India. Memoirs of the Indian Museum, 13, 205–329.
  11. Kovačić, M., Sadeghi, R. & Esmaeili, H.R. (2020) New species of Silhouettea (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from Qeshm Island, Iran and the DNA barcoding of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea gobies. Zootaxa, 4750 (1), 49–66. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4750.1.3
  12. Kumar, A.A., Anvar-Ali, P.H. & Sreekanth, G.B. (2023a) A comprehensive record of the fishery resources of a tropical Ramsar wetland: Ashtamudi Estuary, India. Marine Biodiversity, 53, 52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-023-01354-z
  13. Kumar, A.A., Anvar-Ali, P.H. & Sreekanth, G.B. (2023b) Fish assemblage and guild structure in the Ashtamudi Estuary, a tropical Ramsar site in India. Journal of Environmental Management, 334, 117401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117401
  14. Kumar, A.A., Anvar-Ali, P.H. & Sreekanth, G.B. (2023c) Finfish fishery of Ashtamudi Estuary, India- A Ramsar site of international significance. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 64, 103020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2023.103020
  15. Larson, H. K. (2022) Family Gobiidae, Gobies and mudskippers; family Eleotridae, Sleepers or Gudgeons & family Microdesmidae, Wormfishes and Dartgobies. In: Heemstra, P.C., Heemstra, E., Ebert, D.A., Holleman, W. & Randall, J.E. (Eds.), Coastal fishes of the western Indian Ocean. Vol. 5. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, a National Research Facility of the National Research Foundation (NRF-SAIAB), Grahamstown, pp. 19–179, pls. 1–46; pp. 180–187, pls. 47–48 & pp. 187–197, pls. 48–51. [Gobiidae account with contributions of Winterbottom, R., Zur, M. & Burridge, M]
  16. Ly-Trong, N., Naser-Khdour, S., Lanfear, R. & Minh, B.Q. (2022) AliSim: A fast and versatile phylogenetic sequence simulator for the genomic era. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 39 (5), msac092. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msac092
  17. Mohan, R. & Williams, S.E. (2014) Sexual dimorphism in a benthic fish Oxyurichthys tentacularis, (Valenciennes, 1837), Gobiidae, inhabiting Ashtamudi Estuary, Kerala, India. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, 111 (3), 24–25. https://doi.org/10.17087/jbnhs/2014/v111i3/82485
  18. Mohan, R. & Williams, S.E. (2016a) Morphometric differences between male and female fish Oxyurichthys tentacularis, Gobiidae (Valenciennes, 1837) from Ashtamudi lake, Kollam, Kerala. Asian Journal of Biological and Life Sciences, 5 (2), 20–210.
  19. Mohan, R. & Williams, S.E. (2016b) Food and feeding habits of Oxyurichthys tentacularis, Gobiidae (Valenciennes, 1837) from Ashtamudi Lake - Kerala. Journal of Zoology and Research, 2 (2), 1–6.
  20. Mohan, R. (2018) Reproductive biology and population dynamics of Oxyurichthys tentacularis (Valenciennes, 1837) of Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam, Kerala. PhD Thesis, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 206 pp.
  21. Mohan, R. & Williams, S.E. (2018) A study of morphometry and meristic counts of Oxyurichthys tentacularis, Gobiidae (Valenciennes, 1837) from Ashtamudi Lake- Kollam, Kerala. International Journal of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences, 8 (1), 13–18.
  22. Mohan, S.R., Harikrishnan, M. & Williams, E.S. (2018) Reproductive biology of a Gobiid fish Oxyurichthys tentacularis (Valenciennes, 1837) inhabiting Ashtamudi Lake, S. India. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 34, 1099–1107. https://doi.org/10.1111/jai.13739
  23. Mohan, R., Harikrishnan, M. & Williams, E.S. (2022) Length Weight Relationship of Oxyurichthys tentacularis, (Valenciennes, 1837) inhabiting Ashtamudi Lake, Kerala. In: Kurup, B.M., Boopendranath, M.R., Harikrishnan, M. & Shibu, A.V. (Eds.), Impact of Climate Change on Hydrological Cycle, Ecosystem, Fisheries and Food Security. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, pp. 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003299769-28
  24. Nair, N.B., Kumar, K.K., Rajasekharan, N.J., Abdul-Azis, P.K., Dharmaraj, K. & Arunachalam, M. (1983) Ecology of Indian estuaries-XI. A preliminary survey of the fishery resources of the Ashtamudi estuarine system. Fishery Technology, 20 (2), 75–83.
  25. Pasisingi, N. & Abdullah, S. (2018) Pola kemunculan ikan nike (Gobiidae) di Perairan Teluk Gorontalo, Indonesia. Depik, 7 (2), 111–118. [in Indonesian]
  26. Pezold, F.L. & Larson, H.K. (2015) A revision of the fish genus Oxyurichthys (Gobioidei: Gobiidae) with descriptions of four new species. Zootaxa, 3988 (1), 1–95. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3988.1.1
  27. Rajan, P.T. & Sreeraj, C.R. (2013) Fish Fauna of Andaman and Nicobar Islands: A Review. In: Venkataraman, K., Sivaperuman, C. & Raghunathan, C. (Eds.), Ecology and Conservation of Tropical Marine Faunal Communities. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp. 231–243. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38200-0_15
  28. Raghunathan, M.B. (2007) Faunal diversity of Ashtamudi wetlands, Kerala, India. Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Occasional Paper No 276, 1–38.
  29. Rambaut, A. (2018) FigTree. Version 1.4.4. Electronic Vfersion. Available from: http://tree.bio.ed.ac.uk/software/figtree/ (accessed 18 June 2024)
  30. Rodrigues, M., Cravo, A., Freire, P., Rosa, A. & Santos, D. (2020) Temporal assessment of the water quality along an urban estuary (Tagus estuary, Portugal). Marine Chemistry, 223, 103824. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2020.103824
  31. Roesma, D.I., Tjong, D.H. & Aidil, D.R. (2020) Phylogenetic analysis of transparent gobies in three Sumatran lakes, inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene. Biodiversitas, 21 (1), 43–48. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d210107
  32. Sambrook, J. & Russell, D.W. (2006) Purification of nucleic acids by extraction with phenol: chloroform. Cold Spring Harbor Protocols, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1101/pdb.prot4455
  33. Schliewen, U.K. & Kovacic, M. (2008) Didogobius amicuscaridis spec. nov. and D. wirtzi spec. nov., two new species of symbiotic gobiid fish from Sao Tome and Cape Verde islands. Spixiana, 31, 247–261.
  34. Smith, M.M. & Heemstra, P.C. (1986) Smiths’ Sea Fishes. 1st Edition. Macmillan, Johannesburg, xx + 1047 pp., 144 pls.
  35. Sreeraj, C.R. & Sen, A. (2024) Annotated checklist of the Indian gobioid fishes (order: Gobiiformes). Species, 25, e37s1701.
  36. Tamura, K., Stecher, G. & Kumar, S. (2021) MEGA 11: Molecular evolutionary genetics analysis version 11. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 38, 3022–3027. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msab120
  37. Thacker, C.E. & Hardman, M.A. (2005) Molecular phylogeny of basal gobioid fishes: Rhyacichthyidae, Odontobutidae, Xenisthmidae, Eleotridae (Teleostei: Perciformes: Gobioidei). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 37 (3), 858–871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2005.05.004
  38. Thacker, C.E. & Roje, D.M. (2011) Phylogeny of Gobiidae and identification of gobiid lineages, Systematics and Biodiversity, 9 (4), 329–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/14772000.2011.629011
  39. Thacker, C.E. (2003) Molecular phylogeny of the gobioid fishes (Teleostei: Perciformes: Gobioidei). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 26, 354–368. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00361-5
  40. Thacker, C.E. (2009) Phylogeny of Gobioidei and placement within Acanthomorpha, with a new classification and investigation of diversification and character evolution. Copeia, 1, 93–104. https://doi.org/10.1643/CI-08-004
  41. Vimalraj, R.V., Raju, B., Soumya, W., Shibu, A., Lekshmi, S., Vardhanan, S.Y., Sruthi S. & Radha Krishnan, T. (2014) Aquatic bioresources of Ashtamudi Lake, Ramsar site Kerala. Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, 2 (1), 297–303.
  42. Viswambharan, D., Pavan-Kumar, A., Singh, D.P., Jaiswar, A.K., Chakraborty, S.K., Nair, J.R. & Lakra, W.S. (2015) DNA barcoding of gobiid fishes (Perciformes, Gobioidei). Mitochondrial DNA, 26 (1), 15–19. https://doi.org/10.3109/19401736.2013.834438
  43. Ward, R.D., Zemlak, T.S., Innes, B.H., Last, P.R. & Hebert, P.D. (2005) DNA barcoding Australia’s fish species. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B Biological Sciences, 360, 1847–1857. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2005.1716
  44. Williams, S.E. (2018) Biochemical analysis of a commercially important Gobiid fish Oxyurichthys tentacularis, (Valenciennes, 1837) of Ashtamudi lake, Kerala, India. European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 5 (4), 440–442.
  45. Zarei, F., Al-Jufaili, S.M. & Esmaeili, H.R. (2022) Oxyurichthys omanensis sp. nov., a new Eyebrow Goby (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from Oman. Zootaxa, 5182 (4), 361–­376. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5182.4.3.
  46. Zarei, F., Kovačić, M., Esmaeili, H.R. & Ghanbarifardi, M. (2023) Morphological and molecular characterization of the Makran Glossogobius cf. giuris (Teleostei: Gobiidae) and the Glossogobius giuris species complex taxonomy. Zootaxa, 5346 (1), 28–50. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5346.1.2
  47. Zhang, H., Wang, Y., Liang, C., Liu, S. & Xian, W. (2022) Estuarine Ichthyoplankton Studies - A Review. Frontiers in Marine Science. Sec. Marine Fisheries, Aquaculture and living resources, 9. [published online] https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.794433