Halichoeres zeylonicus (Bennett, 1833), 2000

Pradhan, Alakesh, Medhi, Kabin, Mahapatra, Bijay Kali & Mishra, Subhrendu Sekhar, 2019, First Record of two Labroid fishes of the genera Halichoeres and Cheilinus (Perciformes: Labridae) from Northern Bay of Bengal, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 119 (3) : -

Halichoeres zeylonicus (Bennett, 1833)

1833. Julis zeylonicus Bennett, Proc. Sci. Corr. Zoo. Soc. London, 1832 (2): 183 (Type locality: Sri Lanka) .

2016. Halichoeres zeylonicus : Victor, Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, 22: 16.

Diagnosis: Body moderately deep, and compressed, covered with cycloid scales; depth at gill opening 3.11 in TL ( Table 1). Head compressed to a sharp knife-like edge, extremely convex before eye; Head 4.06 in TL; Eye small and 4.9 in HL and 19.9 in TL; snout very steep and compressed, jaws prominent with 2 large canines situated anteriorly in each jaw; second upper canine teeth recurved. Dorsal fin continuous, but with a gap between second and third spines, the membrane there deeply notched but not to base of fin, origin behind a point midway between eye and pectoral fin base, with 9 spines and 14 soft rays; predorsal length 6.86 in TL, dorsal fin base 1.64 in TL; anal fin with 1 spines and 11 soft rays; pre-anal length 2.24 in TL; pectoral fin well developed with 12 rays; pelvic fins with 1 spine and 5 rays; caudal fin asymmetrically rounded with 14 rays. Lateral lines continuous but steeply curved downward below posterior portion of dorsal fin, with 25 pored scales; 3 rows of scales between lateral line and dorsal fin origin. Cheeks without scales below the eye; operculam with 8 rows of rudimentary scales; breast scaled with moderate sized scales.

Distribution: It occurs throughout Indian Ocean (Red Sea, East Africa, Madagascar to western Indonesia up to Bali Island) ( Froese and Pauly, 2018), but replaced by Halicheres hartzfeldi (Bleeker) in Western Pacific ( Victor, 2016), from India it is reported from Lakshadweep and Gulf of Mannar (see Discussion).