Aenigmachanna, Britz & Anoop & Dahanukar & Raghavan, 2019

Britz, Ralf, Anoop, V. K., Dahanukar, Neelesh & Raghavan, Rajeev, 2019, The subterranean Aenigmachanna gollum, a new genus and species of snakehead (Teleostei: Channidae) from Kerala, South India, Zootaxa 4603 (2), pp. 377-388 : 378

Aenigmachanna , new genus

Type species: Aenigmachanna gollum

Diagnosis. Distinguished from Channa and Parachanna by the following characters, which are unique among channids: a very slender (maximum body depth only 11.1–11.3% SL), eel-like body (head length only 20.8–21.6% SL), large mouth (jaw length 60.4–61.1 % HL), 43–44 anal-fin rays, absence of a body lateral line with pored scales, 83–85 scales in a lateral series, colour pattern and absence of buoyancy. It is further distinguished from other channids by the following combination of characters: 64 vertebrae, 56–57 dorsal-fin rays, and the absence of pelvic fins.

Etymology. Derived from the Latin word aenigma, enigma, and Channa , the genus name of Asian snakeheads. Gender feminine.