First record of a deep-sea anglerfish from Indian Ocean

Phylum: Chordata Haeckel, 1874

Class: Actinopterygii Klein, 1885

Order: Lophiiformes Garman, 1899

Family:  Ogcocephalidae Gill, 1893

Genus: Halieutopsis Garman, 1899

Halieutopsis stellifera (Smith & Radcliffe, 1912)

Collection: Off the Andaman coast of India, latitude 07 °31′N and longitude 93° 39′E, 480 -580 m, December 2011. Demersal Trawl, crustacean version (HSDT-CV),

Voucher No.: CMLRE R.C. 292 89 22 A, B & C

Description: A species of Halieutopsis with wide inter-orbital distance, tubercles present on ventral surface of disc, three lateral-line scales on pre-opercular series; dorsal surface of the body uniform yellowish brown; all fins are dark brown.

Remarks:

Distribution: Eastern Indian Ocean, northern Celebes to the Philippine archipelago and Okinawa trough, Andaman Sea. 410-1372 m.

Distribution map:

Identified by: Rajeesh Kumar M P

Publication: Rajeesh Kumar M.P., Vinu Jacob, Cubelio sherine sonia, jayalakshmi K.J. and Sanjeevan V.N. (2013) First record of the batfish, Halieutopsis stellifera (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae) from the eastern Indian Ocean. Marine Biodiversity Records, Vol. 6; e84; doi:10.1017/S1755267213000626