Extending the known northern range of Carcharhinus amboinensis (Müller & Henle, 1839) in the Bay of Bengal: First record from the Odisha coast, India

Abstract

A morphometric study corroborated by DNA barcoding confirms the presence of an under-reported carcharhinid shark species, Carcharhinus amboinensis (Müller & Henle, 1839) [Pigeye shark] from Odisha (northern Bay of Bengal), for the first time. This is the northernmost record of the species along the coastline of India and the Bay of Bengal. Carcharhinus amboinensis closely resembles its sister species, the euryhaline Carcharhinus leucas (Valenciennes, 1839) (Bull shark), in morphological features such as the absence of interdorsal ridge, body colour, and snout and dental morphology. The presence of shared similar morphological traits and their common co-occurrence (sympatric distribution) have been the reasons behind the paucity of records. However, it differs from its sister species by having a larger first dorsal fin than the second dorsal fin, a lesser number of teeth on the lower jaw, and fewer precaudal vertebrae. The present report raises the reported number of carcharhinids from Odisha to thirteen, thereby highlighting the evergrowing, diverse marine environment of Odisha’s rich coastal belt.