Barilius malabaricus

description

Description. See Tables 1 and 2 for morphometric and meristic characters, and Figures 6, 7 for general appearance. Body deep, depth about one-third SL, laterally compressed, dorsal profile slightly curved, ventral profile deeply convex. Caudal peduncle deep, depth almost equal to length. Head small, length about one-fourth SL, depth more than three-fourths length, dorsal profile almost straight, a slightly raised at nape. Eyes large, placed forward, diameter about one-third HL. Mouth oblique, angle of gape reaching middle of orbit. Two pairs of minute barbels (rostral and maxillary). Nostrils closer to eye than to snout tip. Lower jaw slightly longer than upper jaw. Snout length about one-third HL. Dorsal fin with 3 simple and 11 ½ (10) branched rays, posterior margin slightly concave, origin anterior to analfin origin. Pelvic fin short, not reaching anal-fin origin, with 1 simple and 8 (10) branched rays. Anal fin with 3 simple and 14 ½ (7) – 15 ½ (3) branched rays, ventral margin deeply concave, a sharp curve among first few branched rays. Pectoral fin with 1 simple and 11 (7) – 12 (3) branched rays. Caudal fin deeply forked, lobes subequal, lower lobe slightly longer, with 1 + 9

Barilius ardens (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), a new species from the Western Ghats, India, with redescription of B. malabaricus and B. canarensis

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Barilius malabaricus is distinguished from B. ardens by its unique colour pattern, consisting of a single or a double row of spots along the length of the body, the first row with 9 – 13 round or oval bluish-green spots 1 – 2 scales high and 1 – 2 scales wide and the second row, if present, with 3 – 4 smaller spots reaching up to the anal-fin origin (vs. a row of 7 – 9 large, vertically-elongate, bluish-green blotches 4 – 6 scales high and 2 – 3 scales wide along the length of the body, of which in large adults the first three blotches are fragmented into a smaller row of blotches: see Figs. 1 & 6) Moreover, B. malabaricus can be distinguished from B. ardens by its fifth ceratobranchial, which has 5 + 4 + 2 (vs. 5 + 4 + 3) teeth. B. malabaricus can be distinguished from B. canarensis and B. bakeri by having 11 ½ (vs. 10 ½) branched dorsal-fin rays and 14 ½ – 15 ½ (vs. 13 ½) branched anal-fin rays, and having the dorsal and anal fins margined with bright orange (vs. broadly margined with white: see Figs. 4,6 & 9). B. malabaricus can further be distinguished from B. canarensis and B. bakeri by having well-defined gill rakers (vs. fleshy, rudimentary gill rakers: see Figs.

Barilius ardens (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), a new species from the Western Ghats, India, with redescription of B. malabaricus and B. canarensis

distribution

Distribution. Barilius malabaricus was collected from the Payaswini and Vallapattanam Rivers, both of which flow through north Kerala, but probably occurs throughout a wider range in the southern Karnataka and northern Kerala regions.

Barilius ardens (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), a new species from the Western Ghats, India, with redescription of B. malabaricus and B. canarensis

materials_examined

Material examined. ZSI / SRC, F. 8815, 90.7 mm SL, 12 ° 31 ’ 38 ” N, 75 ° 25 ’ 35 ” E, Payaswini River, Karnataka, India, A. Rai. ZSI / SRC, F. 8816, 61.8 – 76.8 mm SL, 4 ex., same collection data. MKC 416, 5 ex., 61.8 – 42.6 mm SL, Valapattanam River, Irrity, Kerala, India, N. Sood.

Barilius ardens (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), a new species from the Western Ghats, India, with redescription of B. malabaricus and B. canarensis