First record and expanded description of Scalicus orientalis (Teleostei: Peristediidae) from Mozambique, southwestern Indian Ocean

The oriental armored gurnard, Scalicus orientalis (Fowler), a benthic species in the family Peristediidae, is redescribed based on a specimen collected in 2023 from off the coast of Mozambique during an ecosystem survey by the R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, alongside four comparative specimens housed in the NRF-SAIAB National Fish Collection. This study is part of a post-survey taxonomic initiative under the EAF-Nansen Programme, aimed at strengthening taxonomic capacity in the East African region and advancing knowledge of its marine fish biodiversity. Detailed morphological analyses, including updated meristic and morphometric data, are presented with illustrations of both fresh and preserved coloration. DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial COI gene was used to support morphological identification, and species boundaries within the genus Scalicus were further evaluated using three molecular species delimitation methods: assemble species by automatic partitioning (ASAP), automatic barcode gap discovery (ABGD), and Bayesian implementation of the Poisson tree process (PTP). The results confirm the identification of the Mozambican specimen as S. orientalis, representing the first report of this species from the East African coast and the second record from the southwestern Indian Ocean. A revised key to the species of Scalicus is also provided.