First Record of Two Species of Engraulids, Thrissina gautamiensis Babu Rao, 1971 and Stolephorus tamilensis Gangan, Pavan-Kumar, Jahageerdar and Jaiswar, 2020 (Engraulidae: Clupeiformes) from the West Coast of India

Abstract

The coastal regions of India, encompassing the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west within the northern Indian Ocean, host diverse marine ecosystems. This study focuses on fish specimens collected during a survey conducted in Goa, situated along the western coast of India. Morphological examination of the collected samples revealed the presence of two anchovy species, Thrissina gautamiensis Babu Rao, 1971 and Stolephorus tamilensis Gangan, Pavan-Kumar, Jahageerdar and Jaiswar, 2020, marking their inaugural documentation on the western coast of India. Distinguishing characteristics such as the termination of the maxilla before the base of the pectoral fin, a body depth comprising 23–28% of the standard length, presence of enlarged teeth in both upper and lower jaws, as well as the counts of gill rakers and anal fin rays, were utilized to differentiate T. gautamiensis from its congeners. Conversely, diagnostic traits including a concave pre-opercular margin, the absence of a pre-dorsal spine and a double-pigmented line posterior to the dorsal fin, as well as the lack of scattered melanophores between the dorsal fin and caudal peduncles, along with gill raker counts, were employed to confirm the identification of S. tamilensis. Comparative analysis of the morphological features of the examined specimens with those of the holotypes of both species further corroborated their taxonomic assignments. This discovery underscores the need for comprehensive investigations into the diversity, distribution, and ecological dynamics of small pelagic species inhabiting Indian waters.