Confirming the occurrence of two fish (Family: Hemiramphidae) species, Euleptorhamphus viridis (van Hasselt, 1823) and Oxyporhamphus micropterus (Valenciennes, 1847) by morpho-meristic and molecular characterization from the Indian Coast

Thomas, Toji and Abdussamad, E M and Sijad, B and Sneha, M G and Retheesh, T B (2025) Confirming the occurrence of two fish (Family: Hemiramphidae) species, Euleptorhamphus viridis (van Hasselt, 1823) and Oxyporhamphus micropterus (Valenciennes, 1847) by morpho-meristic and molecular characterization from the Indian Coast. Marine Biodiversity, 55. pp. 1-12. ISSN 1867-1624

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Abstract

This study confirms the occurrence with detailed morphometric, meristic, and molecular characterization of two halfbeak species, Euleptorhamphus viridis (van Hasselt, 1823) and Oxyporhamphus micropterus (Valenciennes, 1847), from Indian waters, based on specimens collected along the Tamil Nadu coast between 2019 and 2021. A comprehensive analysis of 29 morphometric measurements and 10 meristic counts revealed species-specific distinctions, including variations in body depth, fin ray counts, vertebral number, predorsal scales, and gill raker counts. Molecular data derived from COI and 16S rRNA sequences further confirmed the genetic distinctiveness of the two species, contributing valuable insights for future population genetic studies. This research enhances the understanding of the morphological and genetic diversity of halfbeak fishes in India, providing a foundation for systematic and evolutionary studies.

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