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| Iago gopalakrishnani Bineesh, Beura, Das, Nashad & Akhilesh, 2025 |
Abstract
Sharks of the genus Iago Compagno and Springer, 1971 (Carcharhiniformes: Triakidae) that commonly occur in the deep waters of the Indo-Pacific, are an interesting group phylogenetically. Currently, three nominal species of Iago are known globally, namely, Iago garricki, I. omanensis and I. mangalorensis. In this study, we describe a new species of hound shark, Iago gopalakrishnani sp. nov. from the deep waters of eastern Arabian Sea, India. Iago gopalakrishnani sp. nov. is distinct in its dark chocolate brown to blackish colouration and low fins; pre-oral length 4.7–6% TL, 22.4-25% head length; first dorsal height 5.8-7% TL, first dorsal length 10.6–14.1% TL, first dorsal base length 6.7-9.8% TL, second dorsal length 8.9-10.9% TL and vertebral counts 117-123. Iago gopalakrishnani sp. nov. is genetically distinct from congeners. COI based analysis of Iago gopalakrishnani sp. nov formed a distinct clade in phylogenetic reconstruction with a genetic distance of 4.5-5.2% when comparing K2P parameters with congeners.
Keywords: Diversity, Genetics, Indian Ocean, Morphology, Sharks, Taxonomy
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| Iago gopalakrishnani sp. nov. (a) Holotype dorsal view, Reg. No. MBRCF3164, adult female, 447 mm TL. (b) Paratype dorsal view, Reg. No. MBRCF3165, adult male, 450 mm TL, (c) Paratype lateral view. |
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| Iago gopalakrishnani sp. nov. (a) Holotype, Regd. No. MBRCF3164, adult female, 447 mm TL, ventral view of head. (b) Paratype 1, Regd. No. MBRCF3165, adult male, 450 mm TL, ventral view of head. |
Iago gopalakrishnani sp. nov.
K. K. Bineesh, Sweta Beura, Moumita Das, M. Nashad and K. V. Akhilesh. 2025. Description of A New Species of Hound Shark, of the Genus Iago (Carcharhiniformes: Triakidae) from the northern Indian Ocean. Indian Journal of Fisheries. 72(1); DOI: doi.org/10.21077/ijf.2025.72.1.152519-03
