Journal Article

The subterranean Aenigmachanna gollum, a new genus and species of snakehead (Teleostei: Channidae) from Kerala, India

Britz, R., Anoop, V.K., Dahanukar, H. and Raghavan, R.

Record Number:
4349
Year:
2019
Journal:
Zootaxa
Pages:
377-388
Volume:
4603
PMCID:
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4603.2.10
URL:
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:829DA902-069E-42EF-A9D5-AADF71587F67
Abstract:
Aenigmachanna gollum, new genus and species, is described from Kerala, South India. It is the first subterranean species of the family Channidae. It has numerous derived and unique characters, separating it from both the Asian Channa Scopoli and the African Parachanna Teugels & Daget. Uniquely among channids, A. gollum has a very slender (maximum body depth only 11.1–11.3% SL), eel-like body (head length 20.8–21.6% SL), large mouth (jaw length 60.4–61.1 % HL), 43– 44 anal-fin rays, 83–85 scales in a lateral series, an unusual colour pattern and it lacks pored lateral-line scales on the body and body buoyancy. In addition, it is distinguished by its DNA barcode sequence, which is 15.8–24.2% divergent from other species of the family Channidae. Morphological modifications usually associated with a subterranean life, such as reduction of eyes and enhancement of non-visual senses (taste, smell, mechanosensory systems) are absent in A. gollum. However, it shares with subterranean fishes a slight reduction of its pigmentation in comparison to epigean channids. Key words: Western Ghats-Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot, relict lineages, laterite, aquifer
Times Cited:
10
Relevent Species:
Aenigmachanna gollum Britz, Anoop, Dahanukar and Raghavan 2019Pangio bhujia Anoop, Britz, Arjun, Dahanukar and Raghavan 2019Horaglanis abdulkalami Subhash Babu 2012Horaglanis alikunhii Subhash Babu and Nayar 2004Horaglanis krishnai Menon 1950Kryptoglanis undescribed species [Vincent 2012]Kryptoglanis shajii Vincent and Thomas 2011Rakthamichthys indicus (Eapen 1963) Britz, Dahanukar, Standing, Philip, Kumar, and Raghavan 2020Rakthamichthys roseni (Bailey and Gans 1998) Britz, Dahanukar, Standing, Philip, Kumar and Raghavan 2020Rakthamichthys digressus (Gopi 2002) Britz, Dahanukar, Standing, Philip, Kumar and Raghavan 2020