Opistognathuspardus, a new species of jawfish (Teleostei: Opistognathidae) from the Western Indian Ocean

摘要

A new species of jawfish, Opistognathus pardus, is described based on a single specimen, 98.8 mm SL, recently collected from the Western Indian Ocean off QuUon (Kerala), India. The combination of a rigid maxilla without flexible lamina posteriorly, aunique color pattern in which most of the head is covered with small, irregular-shaped, dark spots, dorsal-fin rays XI, 11, and the outermost segmented pelvic-fin ray tightly bound to adjacent ray, with the interradial membrane not incised distally distinguishes the new species from other congeners. This is the fourth species of Opistognathus known from the coast of India or Sri Lanka. A range extension for O. macrolepis is also reported.