A new species Ophichthus chennaiensis sp. nov. (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the southeast coast of India

A new species of snake eel, Ophichthus chennaiensis sp. nov. (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae: Ophichthinae), is described on the basis of a specimen collected from dumped fish disposed of by bottom trawlers at Kasimedu fishing harbour, Chennai. Ophichthus chennaiensis sp. nov is distinguished from its congeners by having its dorsal-fin origin one pectoralfin length behind the pectoral-fin tip, preanal length 2.4 in TL, biserial maxillary, uniserial mandibular teeth, biserial to uniserial vomerine teeth, and its vertebrae (predorsal 19, preanal 53, and total vertebrae 154).