Unraveling a 146 Years Old Taxonomic Puzzle: Validation of Malabar Snakehead, Species-Status and Its Relevance for Channid Systematics and Evolution

• Allen Benziger ,

  Contributed equally to this work with: Allen Benziger, Siby Philip, Rajeev Raghavan

  Affiliations Department of Zoology, Fatima Mata National College, Kollam, Kerala, India, Centre for Aquaculture Research and Extension, St. Xavier's College, Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu, India

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• Siby Philip ,

  Contributed equally to this work with: Allen Benziger, Siby Philip, Rajeev Raghavan

  Affiliations CIMAR/CIIMAR, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal, Conservation Research Group, St. Albert's College, Kochi, Kerala, India

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• Rajeev Raghavan ,

  Contributed equally to this work with: Allen Benziger, Siby Philip, Rajeev Raghavan

  Affiliations Conservation Research Group, St. Albert's College, Kochi, Kerala, India, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom, Concert for Ecology and Applied Technology, Kochi, Kerala, India

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• Palakkaparambil Hamsa Anvar Ali,

  Affiliation Conservation Research Group, St. Albert's College, Kochi, Kerala, India

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• Mithun Sukumaran,

  Affiliation Institute of Tropical Aquaculture, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

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• Josin C. Tharian,

  Affiliations Conservation Research Group, St. Albert's College, Kochi, Kerala, India, Department of Zoology and Environmental Science, St. Johns College, Anchal, Kerala, India

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• Neelesh Dahanukar,

  Affiliation Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, Maharashtra, India

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• Fibin Baby,

  Affiliation Conservation Research Group, St. Albert's College, Kochi, Kerala, India

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• Reynold Peter,

  Affiliation Marine Biotechnology Division, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, Kerala, India

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• Karunakaran Rema Devi,

  Affiliation Zoological Survey of India, Southern Regional Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

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• Kizhakke Veetil Radhakrishnan,

  Affiliation Ichthyology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China

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• Mohamed AbdulKather Haniffa,

  Affiliation Centre for Aquaculture Research and Extension, St. Xavier's College, Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu, India

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• Ralf Britz,

  Affiliation Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom

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• Agostinho Antunes

  * E-mail: aantunes@ciimar.up.pt

  Affiliation CIMAR/CIIMAR, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal

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