New signal fish discovered off Kerala coast
The deep waters of the Lakshadweep sea off the Kerala coast are home to an unusual species of fish with a unique colour pattern and an interesting behaviour that allows it to communicate with others of the same species by flipping its highly specialised dorsal fins.
The new signalfish is described on the bases of two male specimens measuring about 3.3 inches. The species named Pteropsaron indicum was collected by trawlers at a depth of 70 metres during a marine biodiversity survey. The new species is known only from the Lakshadweep Sea (Laccadive Sea) off Kerala, southern India. P. indicum has two bright-yellow bands running along sides and on the top with three vertical bright-yellow band on the head to gills.
Signalfish most of time seem like gobies but are not. They tend to be more colorful and are generally found on the open sand. The new signalfish look amazing with the three bands that might be the reason for keeping the common name as the Indian Signalfish. The complete description papers are at Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation.
Scientists from the University of Kerala and the Ocean Science Foundation, USA have reported the discovery of the new species of signal fish, the first one of the genus recorded in Indian waters.
