A new snake eel species of the genus Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the southeast coast of India, Bay of Bengal with taxonomic account of Ophichthus chilkensis.

A new species of the ophichthid eel of the family Ophichthidae is described based on five specimens collected from the Mudasalodai fish landing centre, Off Cuddalore coast, southeast coast of India, Bay of Bengal. Ophichthus naevius sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by having a unique colour pattern: dorsal body with dense of numerous dark spots or patches, ventral body pale yellowish green, dorsal fin origin just before pectoral fin tip, vertebral formula: 12-14/52-53/134-138, teeth on jaw uniserial and pointed. The study also reports the range extension and molecular evidence of Ophichthus chilkensis from south India. Molecular analyses were done for both species and their phylogenetic relationship suggests that the new species exhibit 10.2% genetic divergence with its' congener, O. sangjuensis followed by O. brevicaudatus (10.4%), and Ophichthus sp.1 (11.8%) also forms closest clade in both BI and ML Tree. Similarly, according to the topology of ML tree, the species O. chilkensis forms clade with Ophichthus sp. 5, O. remiger, O. frontalis, Ophichthus sp. 6 and O. rex. and suggests that would be the genetically closest congener. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.