Rec. zool. Surv. India: Vol. 121(2)/303–305, 2021 ISSN (Online) : 2581-8686 DOI: 10.26515/rzsi/v121/i2/2021/154861 ISSN (Print) : 0375-1511 Short Communication First documentation of an Ophichthid eel, Ophichthus cephalozona Bleeker, 1864 (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Odisha Coast

Swarup Ranjan Mohanty1, Laxman Kumar Murmu2*, Sanmitra Roy1 and Anil Mohapatra1 1Estuarine Biology Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Gopalpur-on-Sea, Ganjam - 761002, Odisha, India 2PG Department of Zoology, Berhampur University, Brahmapur, Odisha - 760007, India; Email - [email protected]

Abstract Dark-shouldered snake eel, Ophichthus cephalozona

Bleeker, 1864, was collected from Paradip fish landing centre during an ichthyofaunal survey along Odisha coast, India. The current species is identified by its unique coloration among OphichthidsKeywords: with having broad brown saddle and two pale bands on head and rest uniformly brown colouration.

Bay of Bengal, Dark-Shouldered Snake Eel, New Record, Paradip Introduction measurement (using digital calipers to the nearest 0.1 mm), vertebral count (established by digital X-ray), Family Ophichthidae is a most diverse group of the order all the minute pore and teeth observation (Leica S9i Anguilliformes and possesses 351 numbers of valid species digital stereo microscope) and preservation (using the worldwide (Fricke et al., 2020). In Indian waters, the preservative formalin) were carried out and the specimen family Ophichthidae is represented by 17 genera and 30 was identified as Ophichthus cephalozona Bleeker, 1864 species (Gopi and Mishra, 2015; Mohapatra et al., 2020a, following McCosker et al., 2020 and McCosker and b). The genus Ophichthus Ahl, 1789 is one of the diverse Psomadakis, 2018. The specimen is deposited in the and was known by only eleven species from Indian waters museum of Estuarine Biology Regional Centre, Zoological (Mohapatra et al., 2020a,b). Along Odisha coast, only 3 Survey of India, Gopalpur-on-Sea, Ganjam, Odisha with species of the genus Ophichthus has been reported, viz. registration number EBRC/ZSI/ F 12236. O. apicalis (Anonymous [Bennett], 1830) (Barman et al., 2007), O. chilkensis Chaudhuri 1916 (Mishra et al., 2019) Results and O. johnmccoskeri Mohapatra, Ray, Mohanty, Mishra, 2018 (Mohapatra et al., 2019). Current study reports O. Class ACTINOPTERYGII cephalozona for the first time and increases the diversity Order ANGUILLIFORMES of the family Ophichthidae along Odisha coast. Family OPHICHTHIDAE Genus Ophichthus Ahl, 1789 Material and Methods Ophichthus cephalozona Bleeker, 1864 (Figure 1) One specimen of Ophichthid eel was collected along with Common name: Dark-shouldered snake eel the other fish samples from Paradip fish landing centre 1865. Ophichthus cephalozona Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. 4: 49, pl. 12 (20°17’25.90”N; 86°42’26.73”E), Odisha, India. The depth Materials examined: EBRC/ZSI/F 12236, 1 ex., 535 of collection could not be revealed by fishermen who mm total length (TL), Paradip fish landing centre, captured it in trawl net. After collection, photography, Jagatsinghpur, Odisha, 09th March 2020.

* Author for correspondence

Article Received on: 11.09.2020 Accepted on: 13.09.2020 First documentation of an Ophichthid eel, Ophichthus cephalozona...

Figure 1. Ophichthus cephalozona (553 mm TL), collected from Odisha coast.

Diagnostic characters: Body cylindrical and quite Distribution: Ohichthus cephalozona has been reported elongated, its depth at gill opening 36.9 and depth at from Myanmar, east to Marshalls, Society and Fiji Islands, anus 33.4 in TL. Anus present in middle of the body, south to Australia (Queenland) and north to Japan where pre-anal and tail length 2.0 in TL. Tail pointed (McCosker and Psomadakis, 2018). In India, the species and laterally slightly compressed posteriorly. Dorsal fin has been reported from Maharashtra (Bal and Mohmed, originates above posterior end of the pectoral fin and pre- 1957), Puducherry (Mishra and Krishnan, 2003); Tamil dorsal length 9.7 in TL. Head short and narrow towards Nadu (Barman et al., 2011) and West Bengal (Ray et al., tip of the snout, its length 10.9 in TL. Eye moderate and 2015). The current paper documents the species for the situated towards rictus, its length 12.3 in head length (HL). first time from Odisha coast. Interorbital space 7.0; snout blunt and 6.1 in HL; upper jaw 3.5 and lower jaw 4.1 in HL. Pectoral fin rounded, Discussions its length 3.9 and its base length 9.6 in HL. Gill opens The genus Ophichthus consists of 92 valid species at ventrolateral, its length 6.5 in HL. A minute barbel worldwide, out of which 21 are markedly spotted, or with presents in-between the posterior and anterior nostril. dark saddle, band or specks. In India, only two species Anterior nostrils tube-like; posterior nostrils open into Ophichthus lithinus (Jordan and Richardson, 1908) and the mouth with a covering flap. Ophichthus cephalozona Bleeker, 1864 are reported with Teeth small and pointed; maxillary and vomerine teeth having body marks. Both the species are different from uniserial; intermaxillary plate having 6 small teeth patch; each other by its colour pattern: the trunk and tail region mandibular teeth uniserial posteriorly and anteriorly having prominent brown patches in O. lithinus but O. only two extra teeth present just in the beginning. Pores cephalozona have uniform brown colouration. No other small with white margin. Head with 5 supraorbital, 2+4 species of the genus Ophichthus except O. cephalozona infraorbital, 6 mandibular, 3 branchial pores; 9 prepectoral are having broad brown saddle and two pale bands on lateral line pores, 3 supratemporal and one frontal pore. head with rest uniformly brown colour pattern. The slight The collected specimen has 12 pre-dorsal vertebrae, 67 variation in the body depth of the specimen might be pre-anal vertebrae and 155 total vertebrae. due to geographical variation of the species. The current paper confirms a new record of ophichthid eelOphichthus Colour: Snout and chin dark brown followed by a white band cephalozona along Odisha coast. This is a burrowing behind it and a large brown saddle ending with a pale band species, mainly found in muddy to sandy areas and at gill opening; rest of the body uniformly brown.

304 Vol 121(2) | 2021 | www.recordsofzsi.com Zoological Survey of India Swarup Ranjan Mohanty, Laxman Kumar Murmu, Sanmitra Roy and Anil Mohapatra occasionally forages in the open at night (Masuda et al., Acknowledgements 1975) probably the main reason of very less encounters in We thank the Zoological Survey of India, for providing the surveys. Froese and Pauly (2019) doubted its occurrence necessary working facilities. We also thanks to Shankar Bej, along Indian coast though it was first recorded from fisherman of Paradip fish landing centre, Jagatsinghpur, Versova, Mumbai (Bal and Mohmed, 1957). However, Odisha for its cooperation during the sampling. The further records from Puducherry (Mishra and Krishnan, corresponding author thanks Vice Chanceller and Head 2003), West Bengal (Ray et al., 2015) and the present of the Department, P.G. Dept. of Zoology of Berhampur report confirm its occurrence in Indian waters. University, Berhampur for permission.

References

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