A new deep‐water conger eel of the genus Rhynchoconger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) from the south‐west coast of India, Arabian Sea

A new species of deep‐water conger eel, Rhynchoconger bicoloratus sp. nov., is described herein based on three specimens collected from the deep‐sea trawlers landing at Kalamukku fishing harbour, off Kochi, Arabian Sea, from a depth beyond 200 m. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by having the following combination of characters: head larger than trunk, rictus at posterior margin of pupil, dorsal fin origin slightly before the pectoral fin insertion, eye diameter 1.7–1.9 times in snout length, ethmovomerine teeth patch broader than long with 41–44 recurved pointed teeth in six or seven rows, vomerine teeth patch pentagonal shaped with single tooth on posterior end, 35 pre‐anal vertebrae, body bicoloured, peritoneum and stomach black. Genetically, the new species differs from its congeners with a divergence of 12.9%–20.1% in the mitochondrial COI gene.