Majungaichthys agalegae Schwarzhans & Møller, 2011
photo by W. Schwarzhans & P. R. Møller

Family:  Bythitidae (Livebearing brotulas)
Max. size:  4 cm SL (male/unsexed); 3.5 cm SL (female)
Environment:  benthopelagic; marine; depth range 4 - 5 m
Distribution:  Western Indian Ocean: off northwestern Madagascar (Nosy Mitsio Archipelago) to the Agalega Islands (Mauritius).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 71-75; Anal soft rays: 55-62; Vertebrae: 42-44. This species is distinguished by the following characters: vertebrae 12 + 30-32 = 42-44, pleural ribs on vertebrae 2-11; rays on dorsal fin 71-75 and anal fin 55-62, D/A 20-21; distance from base of ventral fin to base of anal fin 25.5-28; head with rounded snout, scale patch on cheeks with 4 or 5 rows on upper cheek and 2 or 3 rows on lower cheek; p2 pairs of pseudoclaspers almost equally large, outer flap-shaped with broadened tip, inner narrower with anteriorly inclined tip; otolith with indistinctly divided sulcus with extremely small cauda, ostium length to cauda length about 7:1, sulcus slightly inclined, otolith length to otolith height 2.1, otolith length to sulcus length 1.8-1.9 (Ref. 88966).
Biology: 
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 16 August 2019 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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