Further Documentation of the Indian Frogfish, Antennarius indicus (Teleostei: Lophiiformes), from the ROPME Sea Area; a Molecular and Morphological Approach

Abstract

The present study provides morphological and molecular data on the Indian frogfish, Antennarius indicus, recorded from the Iranian waters of the northern Gulf of Oman. A single specimen was captured from a coral reef at ca. 5 m depth in the Chabahar Bay. Species identification was performed based on external morphology and sequence analysis of 16S and COI mitochondrial genes. Our results support the notion that the type of illicium is one of the most important features in distinguishing species within the genus Antennarius. However, using meristic characters such as counts of pectoral fin rays in the delimitation of Antennarius indicus should be taken with caution as they may only represent the existence of different populations. This record from Iran, which adds a brand new species to the Iranian marine fish fauna, fills the gap in the distribution range of the species from westernmost Persian Gulf (Iraq) to the easternmost Gulf of Oman (Pakistan) and also confirms the presence of the species in the northern Gulf of Oman.