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
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