Last update: 02 January 2009

Common names:

* proposed name

Synonyms:

Etymology:
'Parapocryptes' comes from the Greek 'para' (near to, very similar to), and 'Apocryptes', which refers to the close similarity between these two oxudercine genera

'rictuosus' is an adjective from the Latin 'rictus' (open mouth), which refers to the wide gape of this species

Maximum recorded length:
106 mm SL (Murdy, 1989)
150 mm SL (Talwar & Jhingran, 1991)

Live colouration (pers. obs.: based on photos of P. Devarapalli):
ground colour pinkyish to reddish brown dorsally and laterally, paler ventrally, and darker dorsally on head; D1 and D2 membrane yellowish, with a dark brown ocellus posteriorly on D2; caudal fin membrane dusky, with series of dark spots along rays; pectoral fins reddish

Colouration on preservation (Murdy, 1989, pers. obs.: India):
ground colour from pale brown to yellowish, paler ventrally from anus to caudal fin, and darker dorsally on head; pigmented flecks inside mouth; small brown spots on pectoral fin base; dark ocellus posteriorly on D2; caudal fin dusky with faint dark spots on rays; other fins from transparent to dusky

Diagnosis (Murdy, 1989):
longitudinal scale count 81-94; TRF 16-19; TRB 16-20; predorsal scales 32-40; caudal fin extremely elongated: 26.6-32.5%SL; body depth 8.3-11.6%SL; head depth 8.9-11.5%SL; head width 8.3-11.2%SL; presence of black pigment inside mouth; two small pores posteriorly on nape.
The genus is characterised by a greatly expanded distal head of the fourth epibranchial (see drawing)

Diet:
no published study is available

Reproduction:
no published study is available

Ecological notes (P. Devarapalli, pers. comm.):
found in a creek fringed by mangrove vegetation

middle: tidal creek, Chollagi, Andhra Pradesh, India (photo: P. Devarapalli, 2008, with permission)

Distribution:
Bay of Bengal; type locality: Puducherry (Pondicherry), Tamil Nadu, India (Murdy, 1989)

Photographs of Pseudapocryptes rictuosus:

A, B: two photos of a specimen of Pa. rictuosus (photo: P. Devarapalli, 2008, Mallati Satyalingam Naicker College, Andhra Pradesh, India)* - * with permission

Drawings of Parapocryptes rictuosus:

above, left: cephalic sensory and nasal pores of Parapocryptes serperaster: an= anterior nostril; ao= anterior oculoscapular canal pore; pio= posterior interorbital pores; pn= posterior nostril (modified from Murdy, 1989)*; above, right: drawing by P. Devarapalli* - * with permission
Videos of Parapocryptes rictuosus: click the image to download (right click --> Save as) or play (left click) the videoclip (clip: P. Devarapalli, 2008, with permission)