Journal Article
Diversity and distribution of dragon snakeheads of the family Aenigmachannidae, and the identity of Aenigmachanna mahabali
Raghavan, R., Dahanukar, N., Anoop, V.K., Arjun, C.P. and Britz, R.
Record Number:
5754
Year:
2022
Journal:
Zootaxa
Pages:
295-300
Volume:
5120
Abstract:
The family Aenigmachannidae (dragon snakeheads) comprises an ancient ‘Gondwanan’ lineage within the acanthomorph
clade Labyrinthici (Anabantiformes) (Britz et al. 2020). Considered ‘living fossils’, these bizarre snakehead-like fishes
are endemic to south-western peninsular India (Britz et al. 2020), from where a single genus, Aenigmachanna, and two
species A. gollum and A. mahabali are currently known (Britz et al. 2019; Kumar et al. 2019). Both species have been
known only from their original descriptions, and no further information on their distribution, population status or ecology
is available. While A. gollum was collected from a paddy-field in the village of Oorakam in Malappuram district, Kerala
(Britz et al. 2019), A. mahabali was found in a well in the village of Peringara, in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala (Kumar
et al. 2019).
Times Cited:
1
Relevent Species: