Arabian barracuda | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Istiophoriformes |
Family: | Sphyraenidae |
Genus: | Sphyraena |
Species: | S. arabiansis
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Binomial name | |
Sphyraena arabiansis (ABDUSSAMAD, 2015)
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Sphyraena arabiansis commonly known as the Arabian barracuda Is a species of barracuda found in the eastern Arabian Sea. Once thought to be a population of great barracuda they are now considered distinct due to morphological and genetic differences. [1] [2]
Discovered off the coast of Kerala in Southwest India and around the Lakshadweep Islands. [3] They are also known to occur in other parts of the Arabian sea such as off the coast of Pakistan. [4]
Arabian barracudas are closely related to Great barracudas but are distinguished by having many small cycloid scales down the length of the body, a lack of black spots, a rounded maxilla that ends before and below the anterior margin of the eye, and their Lateral line curves before the origin of the dorsal fin. [2] These morphological differences along with a few others and genetic differences distinguish the two species. [3] [2]