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New deep-water species of snake eel, Xyrias anjaalai sp. nov. (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), from the Western Indian Ocean

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Relation http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/14467/
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:87D2DD51-9795-4EED-A9AA-315AF33B1166
10.11646/zootaxa.4822.4.7
 
Title New deep-water species of snake eel, Xyrias anjaalai sp. nov. (Anguilliformes:
Ophichthidae), from the Western Indian Ocean
 
Creator Augustina, Treesa X
Sreeram, Miriam Paul
Sukumaran, Sandhya
Jose, Anjaly
Sreekumar, K M
 
Subject Eels
Fish Taxonomy
 
Description A new species of snake eel Xyrias anjaalai sp. nov. (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) is described from morphological
analysis of 12 specimens and molecular analysis of four specimens, caught off Kollam, Kerala, southwestern India, by
deep-sea trawling. X. anjaalai is distinguished from its congeners by having a large eye diameter, a short snout, a different
dentition pattern as in the 3rd row of maxillary teeth beginning at the level of the 4th vomerine tooth between the two
existing rows in the inner series of maxillary teeth, an irregular tooth patch for approximately 1/10th of the lateral side of
the dental arch in the distal portion and a vertebral count of predorsal vertebrae 18–21, preanal vertebrae 73–76 and total
vertebrae 147–149. Phylogenetic relationships of X. anjaalai with other species in Ophichthidae were examined using
partial nucleotide sequences of the COI gene (617 bp). The genetic analyses suggest that the new species is closest to X.
revulsus followed by Apterichtus klazingai with Kimura 2 parameter (K2P) values of 0.6 and 2.8% respectively. In the
phylogenetic reconstruction, sequences of X. anjaalai formed a distinct clade demonstrating their uniqueness as a separate
species.
 
Publisher Magnolia Press
 
Date 2020
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format text
 
Language en
 
Identifier http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/14467/1/Zootaxa_2020_Miriam_Xyrias%20anjaalai%20sp.%20nov.pdf
Augustina, Treesa X and Sreeram, Miriam Paul and Sukumaran, Sandhya and Jose, Anjaly and Sreekumar, K M (2020) New deep-water species of snake eel, Xyrias anjaalai sp. nov. (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), from the Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa, 4822 (4). pp. 577-587.