Short Communication: The first report on the occurrence of Dactyloptena peterseni (Nyström, 1887) (Dactylopteriformes; Dactylopteridae) in the northern Arabian Sea

The dactylopterid fishes are non-commercial fishes and occasionally caught as a by-catch during commercial trawling. Two specimens of Dactyloptena peterseni were collected during the survey of commercial trawl catch at Karachi fish harbor. This is the first report on the occurrence of Dactyloptena peterseni in the Pakistani waters. The present study gives the detail description of morphometric and meristic characters of D. peterseni. The D. peterseni is characterized by possessing a single, isolated, elongate spine anterior to continuous spinous dorsal fin. The present specimen showed resemblance with the specimens described from other parts except in having 6 rays in ventral fins.