taxonID	type	description	language	source
BA145B330B4AFF88843AF90A36D35D57.taxon	vernacular_names	Humpback Grouper or Panther Fish	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B4AFF88843AF90A36D35D57.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined EBRC / ZSI / F 12837, 01 ex., 490 mm SL, Digha fish landing centre, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, Ray and party, 28 / iii / 2018.	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B4AFF88843AF90A36D35D57.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnostic characters D: X + 19; A: III + 10; P: 16; V: I + 5; C: 17; GR: 11; LL: 61. Medium size grouper with quite compressed and deep body; highly concave dorsal profile of head followed by straight portion up to posterior part of eyes and after that steeply rises to dorsal fin origin, upper part of snout flat. Mouth oblique, lower jaw larger than upper jaw; villiform teeth present on jaws in bands. Eyes small, preorbital narrow; preopercular angle serrated and operculum with two flat spines. A vertical slit present on posterior nostril. Dorsal fin started over the opercle, caudal and pectoral fin rounded (Figure 1).	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B4AFF88843AF90A36D35D57.taxon	description	Colour Body light whitish brown with randomly scattered round black spots on head, body and fins	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B4AFF88843AF90A36D35D57.taxon	distribution	Distribution Eastern Indian Ocean, Western Pacific: Bangladesh, Myanmar, Andaman Sea and Indonesia east to Fiji, North to Southern Japan, Australia and Hawaiian (Froese and Pauly, 2022). From Indian coast this species is reported from Andaman and Nicobar Island (Day, 1875; Rao et al., 2000; Rajan et al., 2017), Tamil Nadu (Ramesh et al., 2008) and Kerala (Fischer & Bianchi, 1984; Bijukumar and Raghavan, 2015). Present study reports this species first time from northern part of east coast of India as well as West Bengal.	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B49FF89843AF9AB370A5EF8.taxon	vernacular_names	Tomato Grouper	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B49FF89843AF9AB370A5EF8.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined EBRC / ZSI / F 13618, 02 ex., 230.2 – 240 mm SL, Digha fish landing centre, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, Ray and party, 06 / ii / 2022.	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B49FF89843AF9AB370A5EF8.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnostic characters D: IX + 16; A: III + 9; P: 18; V: I + 5; C: 18 GR: 23; LL: 119. Body robust, deep and slightly compressed. Head large and its dorsal profile straight, interorbital space slightly convex, mouth oblique, lower jaw longer than upper jaw, nape convex. Teeth villiform, present in bands on jaws, a pair of canine teeth present in front of on both jaws, small teeth present on vomer and palatine. Preopercle margin serrated opercle with flat spines; maxilla cross the posterior margin of eye. Pelvic fin extent up to the anus, caudal fin rounded (Figure 2).	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B49FF89843AF9AB370A5EF8.taxon	description	Colour Vibrant reddish brown with numerous whitish spots on body; whitish network like patterns present on head	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B49FF89843AF9AB370A5EF8.taxon	distribution	Distribution Indo-West Pacific: East Africa, South Africa, Socotra, Madagascar and Mascarenes east to Marshall Islands, Samoa and Tonga, north to Japan, south to Western Australia and New Caledonia (Froese and Pauly, 2022). From Indian coast this species was reported from Andaman and Nicobar Island (Dhandapani and Mishra, 1998; Rao et al., 2000; Rajan et al., 2017), Odisha (Behera et al., 2015), Andhra Pradesh (Kandula et al., 2015), Tamil Nadu (Mishra and Krishnan, 2003; Anrose et al., 2007; Ramesh et al., 2008; Sluka and Lazarus, 2010; Barman et al., 2011), Kerala (Bineesh et al., 2014; Basheer et al., 2017), Karnataka (Sluka and Lazarus, 2010) and Lakshadweep (Jones and Kumaran, 1959; Jones, 1969; Jones and Kumaran, 1980). Present study reports this species from West Bengal coast for the first time which indicates of its distribution throughout the east cost of India.	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B48FF8E843AF9CC372A5C84.taxon	vernacular_names	Dotted grouper	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B48FF8E843AF9CC372A5C84.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined EBRC / ZSI / F 13091, 01 ex., 87.6 mm SL, Petuaghat fish landing centre, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, Ray and party, 22 / x / 2019.	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B48FF8E843AF9CC372A5C84.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnostic characters D: XII + 13; A: III + 8; P: 18; V: I + 5; C: 19 GR: 22; LL: 65. Medium sized fish with stout and moderately compressed body. Dorsal profile of head and interorbital space convex. Preopercle with 3 enlarge serrae; upper edge of opercle straight; maxilla reaches almost vertical at the end of the eye. Mouth oblique, lower jaw slightly larger than upper jaw; mid side of lower jaw with two rows of teeth. Pelvic fin not reach up to the anus, caudal fin rounded (Figure 3).	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B48FF8E843AF9CC372A5C84.taxon	description	Colour Body light brown (whitish after preservation) with three rows of dark spots on body starting from posterior orbital margin	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B48FF8E843AF9CC372A5C84.taxon	distribution	Distribution Red Sea; Indo-West Pacific: East Africa, South Africa, Comoros, Madagascar and Persian Gulf east to Philippines and New Guinea, north to Korea, southern Sea of Japan, Ogasawara Islands (Japan) and Australia (Froese and Pauly, 2022). From Indian coast this species is reported from Andaman and Nicobar Island (Rajan, 2015; Rajan et al., 2017), Andhra Pradesh (Kandula et al., 2015), Kerala (Fischer and Bianchi, 1984; Bineesh et al., 2014; Basheer et al., 2017). Present paper reports this species first time from West Bengal coast as well as Northern part of east coast India.	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B48FF8E843AF9CC372A5C84.taxon	discussion	Comments This species closely resembles Epinephelus magniscuttis Postel, Fourmanoir & Guézé, 1963. However, E. epistictus is clearly differentiated from E. magniscuttis in having fewer and smaller dark spots on head and body, further, juveniles of E. epistictus having dark spots arranged in three longitudinal rows on body (Heemstra and Randall, 1993).	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B4EFF8F843AFFA632B65C89.taxon	vernacular_names	Indian Soapfish	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B4EFF8F843AFFA632B65C89.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined EBRC / ZSI / F 12836, 01 ex., 213 mm SL, Digha fish landing centre, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, Ray and party, 28 / iii / 2018.	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B4EFF8F843AFFA632B65C89.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnostic characters D: VIII + 12; P: 15; A: III + 8; V: I + 5; C: 17; GR: 2 + 6; LL: 52. Medium size fish with oblong and compressed body. Mouth moderately large, lower jaw longer than upper jaw. Maxilla reach vertically up to the posterior margin of eyes. Villiform teeth present in jaws, vomer and palatine. Upper part of preopercle margin with 3 spines, subopercle and interopercle smooth; at the tip of the chin a fleshy flap present which length is almost similar to eye diameter; caudal fin rounded (Figure 4).	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B4EFF8F843AFFA632B65C89.taxon	description	Colour Body brownish with numerous dark-edged small white spots arranged in close set, forming reticulation present on head, body and fins; 5 black saddles on back, the first on nape, second on pre dorsal region, third on base of spinous part of dorsal fin, fourth on base of soft part of dorsal fin and the last anteriorly on caudal peduncle.	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B4EFF8F843AFFA632B65C89.taxon	distribution	Distribution Indian Ocean: Socotra, Seychelles, Réunion and Mauritius (Mascarenes) and Maldives east to Andaman Sea, western Indonesia, Sumatra and Java. From Indian coast this species is reported from Andaman and Nicobar Island (Rajan and Sreeraj, 2015), Tamil Nadu (Varghese et al., 2011) and Kerala (Akhilesh et al., 2021). Present study reports this species first time from northern part of east coast of India as well as West Bengal.	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
BA145B330B4EFF8F843AFFA632B65C89.taxon	discussion	Remarks Pogonoperca ocellata and P. punctata were previously synonymised but after that Anderson et al., (1998); Randall and Schraml, (2010) considered those as two different species. However, P. ocellata possesses whitish spots on the body which are much smaller and dense in comparison to P. punctata; further dense white markings also present in all fins of P. ocellata which are absent in case of P. punctata (Anderson et al., 1998).	en	Ray, Dipanjan, Roy, Sanmitra, Mohapatra, Anil (2023): First occurrence report of three rare Serranid fishes from northern part of east coast of India and a new record from West Bengal coast, India. Species (e 10 s 1010) 24 (73): 1-8, DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010, URL: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e10s1010
