Occurrence record of Long-jaw goby Gobiopsis macrostomus Steindachner, 1861 (Gobiiformes: Gobiidae) from Chilika lagoon, Odisha coast, India

Abstract

Morphometrics and meristic study reveal the first record of Long-jaw goby, Gobiopsis macrostomus Steindachner, 1861 (Gobiidae), from Chilika lagoon, Odisha, India. The genus is reported for the first time from the Chilika lagoon. The genus Gobiopsis has a characteristic depressed barbled, naked head, a pug-nose snout, and a horizontal fleshy fold on mid-cheek area. The reported species has strongly ctenoid body scales, 38 – 39 scales on lateral series, only one pair of chin barbels, two preopercular pores, and the presence of both temporal pores. The present paper reports the species based on five specimens collected from Satapada (Puri), an addition to the ichthyofaunal diversity of Chilika lagoon, Odisha.