First record of deep-sea anglerfish from Indian Ocean

Phylum: Chordata Haeckel, 1874

Class: Actinopterygii Klein, 1885

Order: Lophiiformes Garman, 1899

Family: Diceratiidae Regan and Trewavas, 1932

Genus: Diceratias Günther, 1887

Diceratias trilobus Balushkin and Fedorov, 1986

Collection: South eastern Arabian Sea, 8°13′ N, 76°14′ E, 1300–1350 m, July 2013.

Voucher No.: CMLRE 316 01 07

Description: Metamorphosed females of Diceratias trilobus having unusually large, laterally compressed esca, greatest width slightly more than 1.5 times its length (9.6–10.5 % SL); a rounded terminal escal papilla; anterior and posterior escal appendages well developed, each usually bearing one or more tiny, slender terminal filaments.

Remarks: Present specimen represents the deepest collection on record for the species (1350m)

Distribution: Western North Pacific, Australia and Indian Ocean at depth of 503-1350 m.

Distribution map:

Identified by: Rajeesh Kumar M P

Publication: Rajeesh kumar M.P., Vinu Jacob., Sumod K.S., Sanjeevan V.N. and Hashim M. (2016) Three new records of rare deep-sea Anglerfishes (Lophiiformes: Ceratioidei) from the Northern Indian Ocean. Marine Biodiversity, Springer DOI 10.1007/s12526-015-0437-2