Garra dohjei, Marngar & Mawlong & Lokeshwor, 2024

Marngar, Ibansiewdor, Mawlong, Batngenlang & Lokeshwor, Yumnam, 2024, Garra dohjei, a new species of labeonine fish (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from Meghalaya, India, Zootaxa 5507 (3), pp. 478-488 : 479-484

Garra dohjei , sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Holotype: ZSI FF 10399, 99.6 mm SL, female; India: Meghalaya, Ri-bhoi district, Ñiangdai River near Ñiangdai village (Brahmaputra basin), 25°40′16″N & 91°49′45″E, altitude 837 m above sea level; Batngenlang Mawlong & N. Mylliem Umlong, 6 March 2022.

Paratypes: ZSI FF 10400, 2 ex., 75.8–96.5 mm SL, males; data as for holotype. ADBU-FM/5090 /2–5, 4 ex. , 53.0– 115.2 mm SL, females; ADBU-FM/5090 /8–11, 3 ex., 38.7–92.5 mm SL, males; data as for holotype. Two specimens ( ADBU-FM/5090 / 3, 115.2 mm SL, female; ADBU-FM/5090 /11, 92.5 mm SL, male) were dissected, cleared and stained for biology and osteology .

Common name: ‘ Doh jei ’ (in Khasi dialect).

Diagnosis. Garra dohjei , is distinguished from its congeners by having the following combination of characters: a black spot immediately anterior to upper angle of gill opening, 5–6 dark black stripes on caudal peduncle; well-developed transverse lobe with 9–12 low minute tubercles, transverse groove deep; snout rounded with incipient proboscis; long pelvic fin reaching to midway of anus-anal distance when adpressed, surpassing anus; 33–34 lateral line scales, 9–10 predorsal scales, 16 circumpeduncular scales rows, transverse scale rows 4½/3½/4½; 8½ branched dorsal-fin rays, 15 branched pectoral-fin rays; and total vertebrae 33.

Description. Morphometric data in Table 1 . Body elongate; predorsal region cylindrical in cross section, slightly broad laterally, then gently compressing up to dorsal-fin base, ratio of body depth to body width at dorsal-fin origin 0.9–1.4 times, thereafter decreasing towards caudal-fin base. Dorsal profile evenly arched to dorsal-fin origin, thereafter gently sloping towards caudal peduncle. Ventral profile flattened from head to chest, then more or less round up to pelvic-fin origin, and straight from pelvic to caudal-fin base. Head moderately large; moderately depressed, ratio of head width to head depth at nape 0.5–1.2 times with slightly convex interorbital space; ratio of head depth at nape to dorsal head length and to lateral head length 0.6–1.0 and 0.6–0.7 times respectively; ratio of head width at nape to dorsal head length and to lateral head length 0.3–1.1 and 0.3–0.7 times respectively. Snout broadly rounded with transverse lobe covered with 9–12 rounded pits, some fitted with tubercles, demarcated posteriorly by deep transverse groove, 12–13 located on anterior lateral side of nostrils, 10–12 on dorso-anteriormost portion of transverse lobe. Incipient proboscis notch-like in ethmoid region without forming prominent groove anterior to nostrils. Sublachrymal groove shallow. Lateral groove shallow, not connected with rostral cap. Rostral lobe absent.

Barbels in two pairs; rostral barbel anterolaterally located, shorter than eye diameter (about half of eye diameter); maxillary barbel at corner of mouth, shorter than rostral barbel. Rostral cap well-developed, pendulous and greatly crenulated with wide papillated distal margin, separated from upper jaw by deep groove, laterally continuous with lower lip around corners of mouth ( Fig. 2 ). Upper lip absent; upper jaw fully covered by rostral cap, with thin horny sheath on cutting edge. Lower lip modified to form gular disc. Disc elliptical, shorter than wide, narrower than head width through base of maxillary barbell. Each labellum on anterolateral lobe of lower lip well-developed, papillated with a slight notch on lateral region of lateroposterior flap. Torus fleshy and crescentic skin fold with numerous minute papillae, anterior separated from lower jaw by deep subtoral fold extending along entire length of lower jaw and posteriorly bordered by shallow transverse toral groove with central elliptical pulvinus. Lateral and posterior labrum, surrounding central pulvinus, semi-circular, papillated and distally free; posterior margin reaching vertical of posterior margin of eye.

Dorsal fin with 2 simple and 8½ branched rays; distal margin concave; origin almost nearly, or at midway between snout tip and caudal-fin base, inserted vertical in advanced from pelvic-fin origin; first branched ray longest, last branched ray not extending vertically to vent. Pectoral fin acuminating with 1 simple and 15 branched rays, reaching midway from posterior pectoral-fin base to pelvic-fin origin when adpressed. Pelvic fin acuminating with 1 simple and 8 branched rays, reaching to midway of anus-anal distance when adpressed, surpassing anus; origin closer to anal-fin origin than to pectoral-fin origin, inserted vertically below to base of third branched dorsal-fin rays; distal margin almost truncate.Anal fin short with 2 simple and 5½ branched rays, first branched ray longest, nearly reaching base of caudal fin when adpressed; origin midway between caudal-fin base and pelvic-fin origin. Anus closer to anal-fin origin than to pelvic-fin origin. Caudal fin forked with 10+9 principal rays; lobes subequal, upper lobe slightly longer than lower, tips of lobes pointed. Caudal peduncle 0.9–1.3 times longer than deep.

Lateral line complete with 33(2)–34*(9) scales. Transverse scale rows above lateral line scales 4½; between lateral line and pelvic-fin origin 4; between lateral line to anal-fin origin 4½. Circumpeduncular scales 16. Predorsal scales 9 (2) or 10* (9); scales regularly arranged, same size as flank scales. Chest and belly scaled. One long axillary scale at pelvic-fin base, its tip reaching posterior end of pelvic-fin base. Scales between anus and anal-fin origin 4 (11). Dorsal-fin base scales 6 (11). Anal-fin base scales 4 (11), of which last 3–4 connected to anal-fin base.

Osteological features. Total vertebrae 33 (1), abdominal vertebrae 17 (1), caudal vertebrae 16 (1), dorsal fin insertion between 10 th and 11 th vertebrae, and anal fin insertion between 21 st and 22 nd vertebrae. Pelvic fin articulates from lateral rib of 11 th vertebra. First branchial arch with 19 gill rakers viz., 17 in hypobranchial and 2 in epibranchial. 5 th ceratobranchial with 9 teeth in three rows.

Sexual dimorphism. Males with slender body, smaller than females with prominent tubercles in transverse lobe ( Fig. 3 ). Females with wider body than males at dorsal-fin origin. Males distinguished from females in having deeper body (18.2–23.5 % SL vs. 14.7–19.8), narrower body at anal-fin origin (8.8–9.7 % SL vs. 10.0–12.6), and longer preanus distance (69.0–75.4 % SL vs. 63.8–69.9).

Notes on biology. One dissected gravid female (ADBU-MF/5090/ 3, 115.2 mm SL, 24.7 g body wt.) contained about 2533 ova (weight of ovaries 974 mg). Air bladder physostomous, with two chambers (total length of air bladder 10.8% SL); anterior lobe (55.6% of total length of air bladder) longer than wide (ratio of width to length of anterior chamber 0.6 times); posterior lobe of air bladder 44.3% of total length of air bladder) with a narrow tapering posterior end, ratio of its maximum width to length 0.3 times.

Colouration. In fresh specimens ( Fig. 4 ), head and body dark olivaceous, both dorsally and laterally, orange to pinkish cream on ventral surface of head and thorax. Background colour of each scale on flanks faint dark olivaceous. Each scale with darker margin on free posterior end. A black spot immediately anterior to upper angle of gill opening. Five or six narrow dark black stripes on caudal peduncle region. Eye pupil black with light grey ring. Interradial membrane of anal and caudal fin orange. Lower lobe of caudal-fin rays from caudal fork tinged with black, rays above caudal fork dark olivaceous, distal margin of caudal-fin rays fainted. A faint black blotch at caudal-fin base in live specimens.

Colour in formalin. In formalin preserved specimens, head, dorsum and side blackish or dark grey. Mouth, chest and abdomen pale yellowish. Distal margin of fins greyish white. Dorsal, caudal, pelvic and pectoral-fins rays dark grey, interradial membrane light grey.

Distribution and habitat. This species is known from the Ñiangdai, a small tributary of the Brahmaputra River along its southern basin ( Fig. 5 ) at Ñiangdai village under Ri-bhoi district about 25.7 km away from Shillong, Meghalaya, India. The catchment area at the collection site is covered with forests and sparsely arranged cultivated land on both sides. The substrate at the collection site comprised boulders, cobbles, pebbles, gravels, sand, silt and clay ( Fig. 6 ). Devario aequipinnatus , Neolissochilus hexagonolepis , Pethia shalynius , Garra lissorhynchus , G. nasuta , Schistura sp. , Glyptothorax sp. , and Channa sp. were collected with the new species.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from ‘ Doh jei ’, the local name of Garra in Khasi dialect.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Garra dohjei¸ ZSI FF 10399, holotype, 99.6 mm SL; A. lateral, B. dorsal, C. ventral. ADBUFM/5090/8, paratype, 87.8 SL, male; D. lateral. E

FIGURE 2. Oromandibular structure of Garra dohjei¸ ZSI FF 10399, holotype, 99.6 mm SL.

FIGURE 3. Lateral view of head showing sexual dimorphic characters of Garra dohjei. A. ZSI FF 10399, holotype, 99.6 mm SL with low tubercles; B. ADBU-MF/5090/8, paratype, 87.8 mm SL, male with prominent tubercles.

FIGURE 4. Garra dohjei¸ live image of an uncatalogued individual, 90.4 mm SL.

FIGURE 5. Map depicting the collection locality of Garra dohjei. Solid star represents the collection site.

FIGURE 6. Type locality of Garra dohjei, Ñiangdai River near Ñiangdai village, Meghalaya, India. The direction of flow is northwards

Tables

TABLE1. Biometric data of Garra dohjei (n = 11); range and mean ± SD includes holotype.

	Holotype	Paratypes
		Range	Mean	S.D.
Standard length (mm)	99.6	38.7–115.2
In percents of Standard length
Body depth	22.3	15.0–22.8	21.4	1.0
Head length (dorsal)	22.7	15.0–26.6	22.2	0.8
Head length (lateral)	25.6	22.3–29.0	24.4	1.0
Head depth at nape	16.2	13.3–17.9	16.3	0.2
Head depth at eye	10.9	9.4–12.9	10.6	0.3
Head width	18.7	15.2–20.1	17.2	1.4
Body width at dorsal-fin origin	19.4	13.7–19.5	18.8	0.6
Body width at anal-fin origin	10.1	8.2–11.1	10.4	0.4
Caudal peduncle length	15.7	11.6–16.4	15.0	1.9
Caudal peduncle depth	13.1	10.9–13.8	13.1	0.4
Dorsal-fin length	24.4	19.2–27.4	23.2	1.0
Dorsal-fin base length	17.5	12.4–20.0	16.3	1.1
Anal-fin length	19.4	15.5–20.6	18.3	1.0
Anal-fin base length	8.0	7.1–8.7	7.5	0.5
Pectoral-fin length	22.9	18.7–24.3	21.9	0.9
Pelvic-fin length	20.1	16.2–20.4	19.8	0.7
Predorsal length	49.0	40.2–49.0	47.6	1.2
Prepectoral length	23.2	20.5–25.2	20.9	0.3
Prepelvic length	53.9	48.9–56.2	52.3	1.7
Preanus length	69.3	63.6–75.9	66.8	2.6

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