Cirrhimuraena odishaensis, Mohanty & Behera & Patro & Mohapatra, 2023

Mohanty, Swarup Ranjan, Behera, Rajesh Kumar, Patro, Shesdev & Mohapatra, Anil, 2023, A new species of cirri-bearing eel of the genus Cirrhimuraena (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the coastal Bay of Bengal, India, Zootaxa 5315 (6), pp. 575-583 : 576-580

Cirrhimuraena odishaensis sp. nov.

Proposed commom name: Odisha fringe-lip eel

( Figs. 2–4 ; Table 1 ).

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5BB58FDF-C693-4432-891D-4FBA52172932

Holotype. EBRC /ZSI/F 11811 (395 mm TL), Palur canal (19.47068889°, 85.14005833°), Odisha, India, 2 Aug. 2021.

Paratype. EBRC /ZSI/F 14713 (320 mm TL), Talasari Fish Landing Centre (21.60361111°, 87.46027778°), Odisha, India, 2 Mar. 2022 .

Diagnosis. Dorsal fin origin directly above midpoint of pectoral fin; single row of mandibular teeth; 1–4 rows of vomerine teeth; 13 total cirri on upper jaw (8 before anterior nostril and 5 between nostrils); and vertebral count of pre-dorsal 10, pre-anal 46–47, and total 160–162; small pectoral fin (4.0– 4.9 in HL).

Description. Body elongated, with depth at gill opening of 58.1–62.7 in total length (TL) and depth at anus of 52.7–62.7 in TL. Tail longer than head and trunk, 1.5 in TL. Anus present before midbody and pre-anal (head and trunk), 3.0– 3.1 in TL. Dorsal fin originates above midpoint of pectoral fin. Pre-dorsal length 9.4–10.1 in TL. Head moderate, length 11.0– 11.5 in TL. Eye small, located closer to snout tip than rictus, diameter 18.0– 18.6 in head length (HL). Snout pointed at tip, length 6.0– 6.8 in HL. Space between eye slightly convex and 15.6–18.6 in HL. Length of upper jaw is greater than lower jaw, upper jaw with small tubular anterior nostrils present near tip of snout and flap-like posterior nostrils present slightly anterior to orbit on maxilla, edge of upper lip with 5 small cirri in between anterior and posterior nostrils, and 8 small cirri behind posterior nostril. Lower jaw lacks cirri and tip of jaw reaching in front of anterior nostrils. Pectoral fin lanceolated, originates in front of gill opening, length 43.9–53.3 in TL and 4.0– 4.7 in HL, and pectoral-fin base length 12.0– 15.5 in HL. Gill opens at latero-ventral side of body; depth 9.0– 9.6 in HL.

Dorsal fin with 298–303 rays, anal fin with 197–198 rays, and pectoral fin with 9 rays. Pre-dorsal vertebrae 10, pre-anal vertebrae 46–47, and total vertebral 160–162.

Head pores: supraorbital 4; infra-orbital 5; mandibular 3; temporal 1; supra-temporal 3. Lateral line pores before gill opening 11; before dorsal-fin origin 12; before anus 49, and total lateral-line pores 137+ (not clear towards tail tip).

Tooth band formed by tiny, club-shaped, pointed teeth, closely grouped together and slightly curved at tip. Prevomer with patch of 14 teeth. Vomerine teeth arranged in 3–6 rows, extending near to posterior maxillary tip. Maxillary teeth in 3–7 rows of small, conical, and club-shaped teeth in unique pattern as shown in Figure 3 . Mandibular teeth in one row of teeth on each side.

Colour. Dorsal side of body is pale brown and ventral side of body is milky white. Dorsal, ventral, and pectoral fins are white.

Distribution. The species was collected from the Palur canal, very near the Chilika lagoon, and from a creek close to the Subarnarekha Estuary (Talasari fish landing centre), Odisha, India. Both specimens were caught from channels connecting estuaries to the sea and are not very frequent. It may be possibly caught during the migration.

Etymology. The species is named Cirrhimuraena odishaensis based on the collection site “ Odisha ” — a state of India. The common name of the species is proposed as “ Odisha fringe-lip eel.”

Comparative materials. Cirrhimuraena indica (Holotype) — EBRC /ZSI/F 11811 (232 mm TL), Paradeep fishing harbour, Odisha, India, 10 May 2019. Paratypes EBRC /ZSI/F 12062, 1 ex. (345 mm TL), Non-type EBRC/ ZSI/F 12063 (400 mm TL), EBRC /ZSI/F 12064, 1 ex. (512 mm TL) , EBRC /ZSI/F 12065, 1 ex. (353 mm TL) and EBRC /ZSI/F 12066, 1 ex. (380 mm TL), Paradeep fishing harbour, Odisha, India, 25 October 2019 , EBRC/ZSI/F 12067 (1 ex, 401 mm TL) and MARC /ZSI/F 7778 (1 ex, 381 mm TL), Petuaghat Fishing Port , West Bengal, India, 16 Jan. 2020 .

Cirrhimuraena playfairii — EBRC /ZSI/F12060, 1 ex. (452 mm TL), Paradeep fishing harbour, Odisha coast, India, 25 October 2019 , EBRC /ZSI/F1576, 1 ex. (502 mm TL), Upapara , near Kakinada (Godavari Estuary), Andhra Pradesh, India, 18 Mar. 1995 .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Holotype. EBRC/ZSI/F 11811, A. Cirrhimuraena odishaensis sp. nov. collected from the Indian coast; B. Origin of dorsal fin in the new species; C. Upper jaw with 13 cirri in the new species.

FIGURE 3. Teeth diagram of Cirrhimuraena odishaensis sp. nov. showing single row of mandibular teeth on lower jaw and teeth pattern on upper jaw.

FIGURE 4. Pores diagram of Cirrhimuraena odishaensis sp. nov. Pores: IO = infraorbital; MP = mandibular; SO = supraorbital; ST: supratemporal.