Abstract
The occurrence of 2 ichthyophiid caecilians, Ichthyophis khumzhi Kamei, Wilkinson, Gower & Biju, 2009 and Ichthyophis moustakius Kamei, Wilkinson, Gower & Biju, 2009 in the state of Mizoram in northeast India is reported for the first time. These records significantly increase the known distribution range of these striped forms of Ichthyophis which were previously known only from their type localities in the state of Manipur.
Highlights
Ichthyophiid caecilians from India are represented by 2 constituent genera—Uraeotyphlus Peters, 1880 which is restricted in distribution to the South Western Ghats and Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 which is more widespread, inhabiting the mesic regions of peninsular India and the northeastern states (Gower et al 2002, Wilkinson et al 2007, Kamei and Biju 2016)
In the northeastern states of India, the genus Ichthyophis is represented by seven striped form species (I. alfredi Mathew & Sen, 2009; I. daribokensis Mathew & Sen, 2009; I. garoensis Pillai & Ravichandran, 1999; I. khumhzi; I. moustakius; I. nokrekensis Mathew & Sen, 2009; I. sendenyu Kamei, Wilkinson, Gower & Biju, 2009), while I. sikkimensis Taylor, 1960 is the only unstriped form (Kamei and Biju 2016)
We studied a collection of 22 specimens of striped form Ichthyophis spp. from Mizoram, India, collected over a period of 2 years from 2008 to 2010
Summary
Ichthyophiid caecilians from India are represented by 2 constituent genera—Uraeotyphlus Peters, 1880 which is restricted in distribution to the South Western Ghats and Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 which is more widespread, inhabiting the mesic regions of peninsular India and the northeastern states (Gower et al 2002, Wilkinson et al 2007, Kamei and Biju 2016). Members of the genus Ichthyophis are provisionally divided into 2 non-monophyletic groups based on the presence or absence of a yellow lateral stripe which serves as a useful diagnostic character (Gower et al 2002, Wilkinson et al 2007). They are represented by 14 extant species in India out of which only 2 (I. sikkimensis Taylor, 1960 and I. bombayensis Taylor, 1960) are unstriped forms. Ichthyophis husaini Pillai & Ravichandran, 1999, until recently misidentified as an unstriped form, was relegated into the synonymy of I. garoensis based on morphological examination (Kamei and Biju 2016).
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