Discovery of a new Muraenichthys eel (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the Bay of Bengal, India, with its molecular characterization

Abstract

Muraenichthys hibinoi sp. nov. is described herein based on two specimens collected from Shankarpur fishing harbor, West Bengal, India. The new species differs from Muraenichthys gymnopterus, Muraenichthys hattae, Muraenichthys longirostris, and Muraenichthys thompsoni by having less distance between the anus and the origin of dorsal fin (61.8%–57.37% vs 73.8%–82% in HL). The new species has a close morphological affinity with Muraenichthys gymnopterus and Muraenichthys hattae with significant differences from both species. The new species differs from Muraenichthys gymnopterus by having higher vertebral count, i.e., predorsal vertebrae (40–41 vs 30), pre-anal vertebrae (50 vs 43), and total vertebrae (140–141 vs 130). The new species also differs from Muraenichthys hattae, having fewer total vertebrae (141–142 vs 148–155) and fewer pre-dorsal vertebrae (40–41 vs 48–53). The COI gene sequence of the new species has been generated and submitted to the NCBI database with accession numbers OP114397. The new species differs from all the available congeneric sequences for Myrophinae group available in NCBI or BOLD with K2P distances of 8.4% to 9.5%. Thus, both the genetic and morphometric data confirm the presence of a new species in Myrophinae from Indian waters.