Redescription of Stolephorus ronquilloi Wongratana, 1983 and Description of Stolephorus hindustanensis, a New Anchovy from the Western Coast of India (Teleostei: Clupeiformes: Engraulidae)

Abstract

The new anchovy Stolephorus hindustanensis n. sp., described on the basis of 11 specimens collected from Mumbai, western coast of India, closely resembles Stolephorus ronquilloi Wongratana, 1983 in sharing an indented preopercle posterior margin, long maxilla extending beyond the preopercle posterior margin, double pigmented lines on the dorsum behind the dorsal fin, and lacking a predorsal scute. However, the new species differs from S. ronquilloi in having lower counts of gill rakers on the first and second gill arches, higher counts of total vertebrae, a deeper body, greater distances between the snout tip and anal-fin origin, origins of the dorsal and anal fins, and pelvic-fin insertion and anal-fin origin, and longer pelvic fin, third dorsal-fin ray, third anal-fin ray, and postorbital length.