Waikhomia, Katwate & Kumkar & Raghavan & Dahanukar, 2020

Katwate, Unmesh, Kumkar, Pradeep, Raghavan, Rajeev & Dahanukar, Neelesh, 2020, Taxonomy and systematics of the ‘ Maharaja Barbs’ (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), with the description of a new genus and species from the Western Ghats, India, Zootaxa 4803 (3), pp. 544-560 : 548

Waikhomia , gen. nov.

Type species. Waikhomia hira , sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Waikhomia , a new genus of cyprinid fishes ( Teleostei: Cyprinidae ), differs from all South and Southeast Asian genera of Smiliogastrinae by the following combination of characters and character states: adult size 29–59 mm SL; barbels absent; last unbranched dorsal-fin ray smooth, the length of segmented apex covering>50% of total length of fin ray; 3 unbranched (including 2 supernumerary and one serially associated unbranched ray) and 8 branched dorsal-fin rays; 3 unbranched (including 2 supernumerary and one serially associated unbranched ray) and 5 branched anal-fin rays; 30 total vertebrae, 17 abdominal and 13 caudal vertebrae; post-epiphysial fontanelle absent, frontals slender, elongated, parietals narrow; infraorbital 3 deep, partially overlapping cheek and preopercle; maxilla and dentary large; gill rakers simple, acuminate (not branched or laminate), usually few (none or up to 3 on lateral margin of epibranchial 1, and 3–4 on lateral margin of ceratobranchial 1) or absent; ceratobranchial 5 with 3 rows of slender, robust conical ‘pharyngeal’ teeth, anteriormost row with 2, middle with 3 and posteriormost with 4 conical and 1 small, last elongate teeth; 3–4 supraneurals, last one not extending over anterior plane of proximalmiddle radial of dorsal-fin, leaving prominent gap between posteriormost supraneural and proximal-middle radial of dorsal fin; lateral line complete, with 23–25 perforated scales; characteristic body coloration pattern consisting of multiple (6–8) spots and blotches on sides of body; dorsal fin high, black in mature males; pelvic fins jet black, with tip of fins white; nuptial tubercles present in mature males, scattered across snout, ventral side of head posteriorly to pelvic-fin base and onto outer unbranched ray of pectoral and pelvic fins.

Distribution. Waikhomia is endemic to the streams of the northern and central part of the Western Ghats of India and comprises two species, viz. Waikhomia sahyadriensis and a new species, W. hira new species, which we describe below. In the present study, populations of Waikhomia were recorded from several tributaries of the east-flowing Krishna River system, including in the upstream regions of the Venna River (the type locality of W. sahyadriensis ) and the Koyna River in Maharashtra, Tunga River near Kudremukh in Karnataka, and from the other independent west-flowing rivers like Sharavati, Aghanashini and the Kali (type locality of W. hira ).

Etymology. The new genus Waikhomia is named for Vishwanath Waikhom, for his contributions to the taxonomy and systematics of Indian freshwater fishes.