First record of the Evermann’s snake eel, Ophichthus lithinus (Actinopterygii: Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), from northern Indian Ocean

Abstract

A little known species of snake eel, Ophichthus lithinus (Jordan et Richardson, 1908), is reported for the first time from the east coast of India, Bay of Bengal based on two specimens 632 and 720 mm in total length, collected respectively at Digha, West Bengal and Kalpakam, Tamil Nadu, India. This is the first attempt to provide a detailed description of the species from the Indian Ocean. The presently reported findings constitute an extension of the known distributional range of this species from the Western Pacific to the eastern coast of India.

Keywords

• new record
• fish
• West Bengal
• Tamil Nadu
• India