Taxonomy and distributional records of the Indo-Pacific sting fish genus Minous (Scorpaeniformes: Synanceiidae) from Indian waters

Abstract

In this study, we present a taxonomic synthesis and compendium of the diversity and distribution of stonefishes of the genus Minous (Scorpaeniformes: Synanceiidae) from Indian waters, including revised species descriptions, diagnoses, and biometric data from specimens off the coast of Visakhapatnam, central eastern India. A total of 342 Minous specimens (males, females, and juveniles) from Visakhapatnam waters were examined and identified based on external and internal morphology, resulting in the identification of four Minous species: M. coccineus Alcock 1890, M. inermis Alcock 1889, M. monodactylus (Block and Schneider 1801), and M. trachycephalus (Bleeker 1855); the last-named recorded for the first time in Indian coastal waters. Furthermore, the study reports the occurrence of M. inermis (Alcock's scorpionfish) from coastal waters of Visakhapatnam for the first time. Finally, we present a taxonomic key for the identification of the species of Minous present in Indian waters.