A new species of finless ophichthid eel genus Apterichtus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the Arabian Sea

A new species of finless ophichthid eel, Apterichtus nanjilnaduensis is described based on six specimens collected from the Arabian Sea. The new species is diagnosed by the following combination of characters: head length 11.0-13.5, tail length 1.8-2.0, body depth 55.4-86.7 in total length; anterior margin of eye behind tip of lower jaw; 3 preopercular and 3 supratemporal pores; teeth conical, uniserial on jaw; 1 vomerine tooth (one specimen with 2); body golden reddish to pink, head darker than body with melanophores, ventral body pale white from anus to just before tail tip, reddish at tip; and mean vertebral formula 61-141. This is the first record of the genus Apterichtus from the Indian waters.