New record of a rare armoured sea robin from Andaman waters

Phylum: Chordata Haeckel, 1874

Class: Actinopterygii Klein, 1885

Order: Scorpaeniformes Green wood et al. 1966

Family: Peristediidae Jordan and Hubbs, 1925

Genus: Heminodus Smith, 1917

Heminodus philippinus Smith, 1917

Collection: Andaman waters, off Great Nicobar Island, latitude 6⁰6′ N, longitude 93⁰6′ E; 300-325 m, December 2012, High Speed Demersal Trawl—Crustacean Version (HSDT-CV),

Voucher No : CMLRE 292 83 22

Description: Species of Heminodus with 1-2 barbels on lip and no barbels on chin; short triangular rostral projection; teeth on upper jaw; antrose spines (anteriorly directed spine) absent on upper lateral bony plates of caudal peduncle. Color in fresh– Head and dorsal body uniform pale red in color, ventral part pale brown; irregular green spots on dorsal body. First 1or 2 spines of dorsal fin and tips of other dorsal fin spines, and base of dorsal fin and caudal fin pale red. Two dusky bands on pectoral fin. Color in preservative-Whole body pale brown. Head and dorsal body part having dusky brown irregular spots. All fins are whitish in color; anterior parts of first three dorsal spines have dusky brown color. Two dusky bands on each pectoral and caudal fin.

Remarks: First report from Indian Ocean

Distribution: Andaman Sea, southern Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, in depth of 300-410 m.

Distribution map:

Identified by: Rajeesh Kumar M P

Publication: Rajeesh Kumar M P. Vinu Jacob, Hashim M., Sudhakar M. (2018) First findings of rare fish Heminodus philippinus (Teleostei: Peristediidae) from Indian waters. National Academy Science Letters. Accepted ID- SCLE-D-15-00462R3.