First record of <i>Xenocephalus australiensis</i> (Actinopterygii: Uranoscopidae) from the Arabian Sea, Western Indian Ocean with taxonomic note

Abstract A single specimen of the Australian stargazer, Xenocephalus australiensis , was recently collected from the southwest coast of India, Arabian Sea. Since its original description, from northwest Australia, there have been no detailed reports on the species occurrence. The present study documents the first geographical record of X. australiensis in the Arabian Sea, Western Indian Ocean. Morphological characters are enumerated and compared with the voucher specimens from the original description. A detailed description of the specimen is provided, contributing valuable insights into the characteristics of X. australiensis in the Indian waters along with major distinguishing characters of the species in the genus Xenocephalus . This study extends the known geographic range of the species from northwest Australia, Eastern Indian Ocean, to the Arabian Sea, Western Indian Ocean.