First Record of the Longtooth Hairtail, Eupleurogrammus glossodon (Bleeker, 1860) from the South Gujarat Coast, India

This study reports the first record of the Longtooth hairtail (Scombriformes: Trichiuridae family), Eupleurogrammus glossodon (Bleeker, 1860) based on a single specimen caught by commercial trawl off South Gujarat, landed at Dholai fish landing center on January 2023. Identification was confirmed based on detailed morphometric and meristic characteristics of E. glossodon, including a black spot present just behind the bottom of the lower jaw, two large fang-like teeth without barbs in the upper jaw, a pair of fangs at the tip of the lower jaw. The lower hind margin of the gill cover is convex, the pelvic fin small scale-like; situated below the 11th to 14th dorsal fin soft ray, and dorsal fin III/118-130. The comparison facilitates a better taxonomic understanding of these species. However, several hairtail fishes have been reported from the South Gujarat Coast. The present study confirms the first report of E. glossodon from the South Gujarat Coast of India with detailed morphological characteristics.