Range extension of the red-tipped halfbeak Hyporhamphus xanthopterus (Valenciennes, 1847) in the Cauvery River, Western Ghats of India: Integrative taxonomy and resolution of taxonomic misidentifications

Thomas, Toji and Abdussamad, E M and Tandel, M A and Sijad, B and Ragesh, N and Divya, P R (2025) Range extension of the red-tipped halfbeak Hyporhamphus xanthopterus (Valenciennes, 1847) in the Cauvery River, Western Ghats of India: Integrative taxonomy and resolution of taxonomic misidentifications. Indian Journal of Fisheries, 72 (4). pp. 128-135. ISSN 0970-6011

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Abstract

This study reports a noteworthy range extension of the freshwater halfbeak Hyporhamphus xanthopterus (Valenciennes, 1847) from the Western Ghats of India, with the first confirmed record from the Cauvery River in Tamil Nadu. This discovery significantly expands the known distribution of the species within Indian freshwater ecosystems. This study presents the first molecular validation of H. xanthopterus from Indian waters, integrating mitochondrial DNA data with detailed morphometric and meristic analyses. The findings contribute to resolving taxonomic ambiguities within the genus Hyporhamphus, provide refined diagnostic criteria for accurate species identification and offer new insights into the biogeographical distribution of this poorly understood taxon. These results establish a valuable baseline for future taxonomic, phylogenetic and conservation-oriented research on freshwater halfbeaks in South Asia.

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