Mitochondrial phylogeny of fusilier fishes (family Caesionidae) from the Laccadive archipelago reveals a new species and two new records from the Central Indian Ocean.

Fusiliers of the family Caesionidae comprise a group of Indo-Pacific reef fishes important in the live bait and artisanal fisheries in many parts of its range, particularly in the Indian Ocean region. Using newly generated mitochondrial COI sequences of 10 species of caesionid fishes from the Laccadive archipelago, we carried out a molecular phylogenetic analysis, which has helped improve our understanding of the diversity, distribution, and systematics of this poorly known group of fishes. The two speciose genera within Caesionidae, Caesio and Pterocaesio, were revealed to be paraphyletic, and as a result, four names earlier considered as subgenera within Caesionidae (Flavicaesio, Odontonectes, Pisinnicaesio, and Squamosicaesio) were elevated to the status of distinct genera.

Two new species of the codling fish genus Physiculus from Lakshadweep, India (Gadiformes: Moridae).

The genus Physiculus is widespread in the Indo-Pacific with more than 32 valid species, and about 12 species were recorded only from the Indian Ocean. Two new species similar to each other are collected from the outer reef drop off of Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep, India, Arabian Sea and described. Physiculus indicus sp.