[Ichthyology • 2024] Tachysurus wuyueensis • A New Species of Catfish (Siluriformes: Bagridae) from the Qiantang-Jiang Basin, southeast China

  

Tachysurus wuyueensis

Zhou, Yuan & Shao, 2024

DOI: 10.3897/zse.100.120676

Abstract

Tachysurus wuyueensis, new species, is described from the Qiantang-Jiang Basin, situated in Suichang County, Zhejiang Province and Xiuning County, Anhui Province, southeast China. The coastal basin drains into the East China Sea. The new species belongs to the T. pratti-T. truncatus group within the genus Tachysurus defined by having a smooth anterior margin of the pectoral-fin spine, short maxillary barbels not extending beyond the base of the pectoral-fin spine, short dorsal spine not exceeding two thirds of head length and an emarginated caudal fin. This new species is distinct from all other species of this group, Tachysurus pratti (Gunther, 1892), T. truncatus (Regan 1913), T. gracilis (Li, Chen & Chan, 2005) and T. brachyrhabdion (Cheng, Ishihara & Zhang, 2008), in having a shorter prepelvic body (length 40.0–46.4% of SL vs. 45.8–54.8%). It further differs from T. pratti, T. truncatus and T. gracilis in having more vertebrae (45–47 vs. 37–44) and more anal fin rays (21–25 vs. 14–20), from T. brachyrhabdion in having a more slender body (depth 10.1–13.5% of HL vs. 13.1–17.6%). Molecular phylogeny, based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt. b) gene confirms the validity of T. wuyueensis and the T. pratti-T. truncatus group. Furthermore, this study addresses the diagnostic traits distinguishing the T. pratti-T. truncatus group from the T. tenuis-T. crassilabris group which have historically been treated as a single species group due to morphological similarities.

Key Words: Caudal fin shape, new taxon, stream-dewelling species, taxonomy

 Tachysurus wuyueensis Zhou, Yuan & Shao, sp. nov.

 

Diagnosis: Distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: a smooth anterior margin of the pectoral-fin spine, short maxillary barbels not extending beyond the base of the pectoral-fin spine, short dorsal spine not exceeding two-thirds of head length, prepelvic length 40.0–46.4% SL, 45–47 vertebrae, 21–25 anal-fin rays, body depth 10.1–13.5% SL, a slightly emarginated caudal fin.

Etymology: The specific epithet is based on the two rival states Wu and Yue which were bordered by the Qiantang-Jiang in southeast China more than 2000 years ago. The onomatopoeic Chinese sound of this species is “Wu Yue Ni Chang”.

 Jia-Jun Zhou, Le-Yang Yuan and Wei-Han Shao. 2024. Tachysurus wuyueensis (Teleostei, Bagridae), A New Species of Catfish from the Qiantang-Jiang Basin, southeast China. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 100(2): 583-595. DOI: 10.3897/zse.100.120676

[Ichthyology • 2023] Mystus celator • A New Species of Catfish (Siluriformes: Bagridae) from northern Myanmar

 

 Mystus celator

Ng & Kottelat, 2023

DOI: 10.3897/vz.73.e110875

Abstract

Mystus celator sp. nov. is described from the Irrawaddy River drainage in northern Myanmar. It can be distinguished from congeners in having a combination of: three equally dark longitudinal stripes separated by two pale interspaces on sides of body; round, dark tympanic spot; ovoid, dark spot on caudal peduncle; length of adipose-fin base 18.0–23.3% SL; angle of predorsal profile 21–24°; posterior cranial fontanelle not reaching base of supraoccipital process; 25–30 rakers on the first branchial arch; and 35–36 vertebrae. The identity of Mystus pulcher is fixed with the designation of a lectotype.

Key words: Freshwater fishes, Irrawaddy River, Teleostei

 Mystus celator sp. nov., MHNG 2790.082, holotype, 80.6 mm SL;
Myanmar: Thein Lin Chaung at Thein Lin village.
Dorsal, lateral and ventral views.

Mystus celator sp. nov.

 

Diagnosis: Mystus celator sp. nov. is distinguished from congeners except for M. pulcher and M. rufescens in having a combination of three equally dark longitudinal stripes separated by pale interspaces on the sides of the body, a round, dark tympanic spot, and an ovoid, dark spot on the caudal peduncle (vs. at least one of these three features absent; Table 1). It differs from M. pulcher and M. rufescens in having a shorter adipose-fin base (18.0–23.3% SL vs. 27.5–49.1), with the following combination of characters further distinguishing it from congeners: angle between body axis and predorsal profile 21–24°, posterior cranial fontanel not reaching base of supraoccipital process, 25–30 rakers on the first branchial arch, and 35–36 vertebrae.

Etymology: The specific name comes from the Latin noun celator, meaning a concealer or hider, and is used in allusion to its close similarity to (and misidentification with) M. pulcher.

Heok Hee Ng and Maurice Kottelat. 2023. Mystus celator, A New Species of Catfish from northern Myanmar (Actinopterygii: Siluriformes: Bagridae). Vertebrate Zoology. 73: 981-990. DOI: 10.3897/vz.73.e110875

 

[Ichthyology • 2022] Mystus irulu • A New Species of Bagrid Catfish (Siluriformes: Bagridae) from the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India

Mystus irulu

Vijayakrishnan & Praveenraj, 2022

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5120.3.10 

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photo: Pranav Joshi

 

Abstract

Mystus irulu, new species, is described from the Netravathi River system from the Western Ghats of Karnataka. It differs all South Asian congeners in having a uniformly black colour pattern, a long-based adipose fin reaching the base of the last dorsal-fin ray anteriorly, dorsal fin with convex dorsoposterior margin, and the following combination of characters: body depth at anus 19.9–22.3 % SL, dorsal-fin spine length 17.5–18.7 % SL, adipose-fin base 34.2–38.4 % SL, caudal peduncle depth 10.6–11.9 % SL and eye diameter 27.2–37.1 % HL.

Keywords: Pisces, Siluriformes, Bagridae, Western Ghats, Netravathi River, Karnataka

Mystus irulu, new species

 

Balaji Vijayakrishnan and Jayasimhan Praveenraj. 2022. Mystus irulu, A New Species of Bagrid Catfish from the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India (Teleostei: Bagridae). Zootaxa. 5120(3); 443-448. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5120.3.10

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It is named as Mystus irulu in reference to the uniform black colored body of this species. The specific name irulu is derived from Kannada (the official language of the state of Karnataka), meaning dark.

[Ichthyology • 2020] Catfishes of the Genus Sperata (Pisces: Bagridae) in India

 Sperata in India

in Kumar, Charan, Krishnaprasoon & Basheer, 2020. 

DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14590 

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Abstract

DNA barcode data of the South Asian bagrid catfish genus Sperata indicate the presence of at least five species in the Indian subcontinent. Those results, which are supported by morphological data, show a marked increase in species diversity from the recent taxonomic and fishery literature, although each of the five species had been previously named. Two species are restricted to rivers of peninsular India south of the Godavari: Sperata aorides from the Cauvery river basin and S. seenghala from the Krishna river basin. Most literature records of S. seenghala from the Ganges‐Brahmaputra‐Meghna river basins likely refer to S. lamarrii, a species which appears to also be present in the Indus river basin. Some genetic data reported as S. seenghala from the Ganges‐Brahmaputra‐Meghna river basins refer to S. aorella. S. aor is widespread in the Ganges‐Brahmaputra‐Surma river basins in India and Bangladesh, extending southwards to the Godavari river.

Keywords: Cauvery, fisheries, Ganges, ichthyology, Krishna, taxonomy, zoogeography

  

Sperata aorides (Jerdon)

Sperata lamarrii (Valenciennes)

Sperata seenghala (Sykes)

Sperata aor (Hamilton)

Sperata aorella (Blyth)

CONCLUSION: 

The results of our investigation suggest there are at least five valid species of Sperata in the Indian subcontinent. S. aorides is endemic to the Cauvery river basin and S. seenghala is probably endemic to the Krishna river basin. Records of S. seenghala from the Ganges‐Brahmaputra‐Meghna river basins likely refer to S. lamarrii, a species which appears to also be present in the Indus river basin. Additionally, some reports of S. seenghala from the Ganges‐Brahmaputra‐Meghna river basins definitely refer to S. aorella. Neither S. lamarrii nor S. aor appear to be present in peninsular India south of the Godavari, and investigations into reports of S. aor and S. seenghala from river basins removed from their original descriptions may yield additional species. Proper taxonomic identification of species within the genus is critical given the importance of this genus to fisheries and attempts to introduce them to aquaculture.

 

Rahul Girish Kumar, Ravi Charan, Nadumury Pradeep Krishnaprasoon and Valaparambil Saidumohammad Basheer. 2020. Catfishes of the Genus Sperata (Pisces: Bagridae) in India. 

Journal of Fish Biology. DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14590  

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[Ichthyology • 2019] Mystus prabini • A New Species of Catfish (Siluriformes: Bagridae) from Arunachal Pradesh, north-eastern, India

Mystus prabini 

Darshan, Abujam, Humar, Parhi, Singh, et al. 2019

  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4648.3.6

Abstract

Mystus prabini, new species, is described from the Sinkin and the Dibang River in the Lower Dibang Valley District of Arunachal Pradesh, India. The new species differs from all South-Asian congeners except M. bleekeri, M. cavasius, M. zeylanicus,  M. falcarius, M. seengtee, M. cineraceus, M. ngasep, M. rufescens and M. ankutta in having a long adipose fin that reaches anteriorly (vs. distinctly does not reach) the base of the last dorsal-fin ray. The new species can be distinguished from the named nine species in having (vs. lacking) a narrow black mid-lateral stripe extending from the anterior region of tympanic spot to the rounded black spot at the caudal-fin base. The analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequence shows that the K2P value between Mystus prabini and all other Mystus species ranges from 8.6–22.1%. Mystus prabini is closest genetically to M. bleekeri and M. albolineatus, from which species it has a genetic distance of 8.6% and 13.9%, respectively. The genetic distance (K2P) between the new species and M. dibrugarensis is 21.1%.  

Keywords: Pisces, DNA barcoding, Mystus, New species, Brahmaputra basin

Achom Darshan, Santoshkumar Abujam, Ram Humar, Janmejay Parhi, Yambem Suresh Singh , Waikhom Vishwanath, Debangshu Narayan Das and Pramod Kumar Pandey. 2019. Mystus prabini, A New Species of Catfish (Siluriformes: Bagridae) from Arunachal Pradesh, north-eastern, India. Zootaxa. 4648(3); 511–522. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4648.3.6

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[Ichthyology • 2016] Olyra praestigiosa • A New Species of Anguilliform Catfish (Siluriformes: Bagridae) from Bangladesh and northeastern India

Olyra praestigiosa

Ng & Ferraris, 2016

Abstract

We describe Olyra praestigiosa, a new anguilliform bagrid catfish, from the Brahmaputra River drainage in Bangladesh and northeastern India. The new species differs from congeners in having the following unique combination of characters: interorbital distance 30–37% HL; body depth at anus 6–9% SL; length of adipose-fin base 99–16% SL; adipose fin separate from upper principal caudal-fin rays; post-adipose distance 15–18% SL; 17–22 anal-fin rays; caudal peduncle length 14–19% SL; and caudal peduncle depth 6–8% SL.

Keywords: Pisces, New fish species, Brahmaputra River drainage

Heok Hee Ng and Carl J Jr. Ferraris. 2016. A New Species of Anguilliform Catfish (Actinopterygii: Siluriformes: Bagridae) from Bangladesh and northeastern India. Zootaxa. 4079.3; 388-392. DOI:  mapress.com/j/zt/article/view/zootaxa.4079.3.6