First record of deep-water barbeled dragonfish from Indian Ocean

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei Müller, 1845

Order: Stomiiformes Rosen, 1973

Family: Stomiidae Bleeker, 1859

Photonectes barnetti Klepadlo, 2011

Collection: Andaman Sea, east of North Andaman Island, Andamans, 13.26°N, 93.26°E, 635 m, 26.11.2017 (FORVSS 367II, St. 08), HSDT(CV); Andaman Sea, north of Little Andaman Island, Andamans, 11.15°N, 92.39°E, 526 m, 22.11.2011 (FORVSS 292I, St. 05), Expo Trawl; Andaman Sea, east of Middle Andaman Island, Andamans, 12.82°N, 93.21°E, 441 m, 17.09.2010 (FORVSS 280, St. 16), Expo Trawl; SE Arabian Sea, southwest of Trivandrum, Kerala, 8.29°N, 76.21°E, 1032 m, 14.07.2013 (FORVSS 316, St. 01), HSDT(CV).

Voucher No.: CMLRE IO/SS/FIS/00524, IO/SS/FIS/00525, IO/SS/FIS/00526, IO/SS/FIS/00710

Description: Dorsal- and anal-fin are rays not covered with black fleshy skin; pectoral fins absent; pelvic fins inserted closer to the caudal-fin base; IV photophores 38-39; IP photophores begin halfway posteriorly on the isthmus; gill-filament on first branchial arch reduced; dorsal-fin rays 13-15; absence of blue luminous tissue, barbel with elongate stem and whiplike filament.

Biological association: None.

Remarks: First distributional record from Indian Ocean.

Distribution: Western Pacific Ocean, Southeastern Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Depth range: 0–3000 m.

Distribution map:

Identified by: Rajeev R.

Publication: Rajeev R., Rajeeshkumar M.P., Cubelio S.S., Saravanane N. (2023) An updated checklist of Stomiiformes from Indian waters with nine new records. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 102: e95.

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