First record of deep-water black dragonfish from Indian waters

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei Müller, 1845

Order: Stomiiformes Rosen, 1973

Family: Stomiidae Bleeker, 1859

Melanostomias valdiviae Brauer, 1902

Collection: Indian Ocean, west of Maldives, 0.79°N, 67.98°E, 600 m, 13.09.2015 (FORVSS 344I, St. 08), Cosmos trawl; SE Arabian Sea, southwest of Kollam, Kerala, 8.67°N, 75.97°E, 99 m, 06.10.2013 (FORVSS 320, St. 01), 45m Mid Water Trawl; SE Arabian Sea, northwest of Agatti Island, Lakshadweep, 11.00°N, 72.03°E, 287 m, 10.10.2013 (FORVSS 320, St. 08), 45m Mid Water Trawl; SE Arabian Sea, west of Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, 8.03°N, 76.35°E, 350 m, 07.10.2013 (FORVSS 320, St. 04), 45m Mid Water Trawl.

Voucher No.: CMLRE IO/SS/FIS/00535, IO/SS/FIS/00536, IO/SS/FIS/00537, IO/SS/FIS/00538

Description: Dorsal soft rays: 12–16; Anal soft rays: 17–19. Body elongate and moderately slender. Short, blunt and non-protrusible snout. Short chin barbel with short terminal expanded section. Black in color. Barbel black, tip unpigmented.

Biological association: None.

Remarks: First distributional record from Indian waters.

Distribution: Circumglobal. Depth range: 40–1600 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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