Garra simbalbaraensis, Rath & Shangningam & Kosygin, 2019

Rath, Shibananda, Shangningam, Bungdon & Kosygin, Laishram, 2019, Garra simbalbaraensis, a new species of cyprinid fish (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from Himachal Pradesh, India, Zootaxa 4652 (3), pp. 487-496 : 488-491

Garra simbalbaraensis , new species

( Fig. 1 )

Holotype: ZSI FF 8003, 60.8 mm SL; India: Himachal Pradesh, Sirmaur District, Simbalbara River, Yamuna River Basin , 30º27ꞌ N 77º34ꞌ E, K.A. Subramanian and party, 27 th November 2012.

Paratypes: ZSI FF 8004, 3 ex., 60.6–69.7 mm SL, collected with the holotype.

Diagnosis: Garra simbalbaraensis , new species, a member of the ‘snout with a proboscis’ species group, is distinguished from the other members of the group in having the following combination of characters: proboscis unilobed, short, thick and rounded, strongly projecting downward above the transverse groove; lateral line scales 32−33; transverse scale rows 4/1/3½; predorsal scales 9−11; and total vertebrae 32.

Description: General body appearance as shown in Figure 1 . Morphometric data for the holotype and paratypes are presented in Table 1 . Body elongate, compressed laterally, more compressed towards caudal peduncle. Dorsal profile smoothly arched to dorsal-fin origin, then sloping down towards caudal peduncle. Ventral profile flattened from head to chest, then more or less rounded up to pelvic-fin origin and approximately straight towards caudal-fin base. Head large, depressed, with slightly convex interorbital space; height less than length; width equal to height. Eyes small, dorso-laterally located, closer to posterior margin of opercle than to snout tip. Snout slightly pointed, its transverse lobe covered with 11–12 medium- to large-sized unicuspid tubercles, demarcated posteriorly by deep transverse groove; with 6−7 unicuspid tubercles on slightly elevated lateral surface, 1–2 minute unicuspid tuber- cles on upper anterior region of nostrils. Proboscis prominent, strongly projecting downward above the transverse groove, width smaller than internarial space, with two large uni- to bi-cuspid tubercles on anterior margin, 4–5 unito bi-cuspid tubercles on anteroventral marginal aspect, 3 unicuspid tubercles in a single row on lateral margin, differentiated from depressed rostral surface by a distinct transverse groove; proboscis short, thick and rounded ( Fig. 2 ). Depressed rostral surface soft, spongy. Sublachrymal groove deep, horizontally curved. Rostral lobe absent.

Barbels in two pairs: rostral barbel anteroventrally located, longer than eye diameter; maxillary barbel at angle of mouth, shorter than rostral barbel. Rostral cap well-developed, extended, highly fimbriate, papillate ventral surface moderately wide; separated from upper jaw by deep groove, laterally continuous with lower lip. Upper lip appearing as thin band of weakly-developed papillae in one ridge. Upper jaw entirely covered by rostral cap. Disc elliptical, wider than long, narrower than head width through roots of maxillary barbels; anterolateral lobe of lower lip papillate; anteromedian fold well developed with papillae, not covered by rostral cap; groove between posterior anteromedian fold and central callous pad appears shallow; papillae on inner half of whole length of lateroposterior flap coarsely arranged; posteriormost margin of lateroposterior flap extending beyond vertical to eye.

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Dorsal fin with 3 (4) simple and 8½ (4) branched rays, distal margin concave, origin equidistant between snout tip and caudal-fin base, inserted anterior to vertical through pelvic-fin origin, first branched ray longest, last branched ray extending to vertical between vent and anal-fin origin. Pectoral fin with 1 (4) simple and 13(4) branched rays, reaching beyond midway to pelvic-fin origin, margin subacuminate. Pelvic fin with 1 (4) simple and 7½ (4) branched rays, second branched ray longest, reaching beyond midway to anal-fin origin, reaching anus; not extending to base of anal fin, its origin closer to anal-fin origin than to pectoral-fin origin, inserted vertically below base of fourth branched dorsal-fin ray; distal margin almost truncate. Anal fin short with 3 (4) simple and 5½ (4) branched rays, first branched ray longest, not reaching base of caudal fin, distal posterior margin slightly concave, origin closer to caudal-fin base than to pelvic-fin origin. Anus closer to anal than to pelvic-fin origin. Caudal fin forked, lower lobe slightly longer, tip of lobes pointed, 10+9 (4) principal rays.

Lateral line complete with 32 (2) or 33 (2) scales. Transverse scale rows above lateral line scales 4 (4); between lateral line and pelvic-fin origin 3½ (4); between lateral line and anal-fin origin 3. Circumpeduncular scales 16. Predorsal scales 9 (2), 10 (1) or 11 (1); scales regularly arranged, same size as flank scales. Chest and belly scaled. One long axillary scale at base of pelvic fin, its tip reaching posterior end of pelvic-fin origin. Dorsal-fin base scales 6 (4) of which last 5−6 attached to base of dorsal fin. Anal fin base scales 4, of which last 2−3 connected to fin base. Scales between anus and anal-fin origin 4 (4).Total vertebrae 32, comprised of 21 abdominal and 11 caudal vertebrae ( Fig. 3 ).

Coloration: Body yellowish gray, fading ventrally. Head dorsum and side dark gray. Ventral side of body yellowish-white. Dorsal-fin rays 3−7 spotted proximally with melanophores. Dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins with minute scattered melanophores. Anal and caudal fins grayish yellow. Caudal fin grayish, median rays, tips of upper and lower lobe dark brown. A black spot at upper angle of gill opening.

Distribution: Garra simbalbaraensis is known from the Simbalbara River, Sirmaur District, Himachal Pradesh, India ( Figs. 4−5 ).

Etymology: The species is named after its type locality, the Simbalbara River.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Garra simbalbaraensis ZSI FF 8003, holotype, 60.8 mm SL, Yamuna River Basin: Simbalbara River, Sirmaur District, Himachal Pradesh, India, a, lateral, b, ventral and c, dorsal views.

FIGURE 2. Garra simbalbaraensis, ZSI FF 8003, holotype, 60.8 mm SL, a, dorsal and b, lateral view of head and c, mental adhesive disc

FIGURE 3. Radiograph of Garra simbalbaraensis ZSI FF 8004, paratype, 60.6 mm SL.

FIGURE 4. Simbalbara River, type locality of Garra simbalbaraensis.

FIGURE 5. Map of Himachal Pradesh, showing type locality of Garra simbalbaraensis.

Tables

TABLE 1. Morphometric data of holotype and paratypes of Garra simbalbaraensis. Ranges include values of holotype (n=4). SD, standard deviation

	Holotype	Range	Mean	SD
Standard length (mm)	60.8	60.6–69.7
In % of standard length
Body depth	25.4	22.4–25.4	24.0	1.2
Head length	27.3	27.1–29.3	28.4	1.4
Head depth at eye	15.4	14.9–16.6	15.7	0.7
Head depth at occiput	15.6	15.0–17.6	15.8	1.2
Body width at anal-fin origin	08.2	07.9–08.4	8.3	0.3
Body width at dorsal-fin origin	14.1	14.1–16. 3	15.4	0.9
Caudal peduncle length	13.8	12.3–17.0	14.9	2.2
Caudal peduncle depth	12.8	11.2–13.3	12.7	1.0
Dorsal-fin base length	17.7	16.5–19.4	17.9	1.2
Dorsal fin length	27.4	24.4–27.4	25.5	1.3
Pectoral fin length	23.8	20.9–23.7	23.0	1.3
Pelvic fin length	21.7	18.9–21.7	20.4	1.4
Anal-fin base length	09.2	07.9–09.2	08.5	0.6
Anal fin length	22.0	18.3–22.0	20.7	1.7
Predorsal length	49.5	48.9–52.5	50.4	1.5
Prepectoral length	25.3	25.0–28.4	26.1	1.5
Prepelvic length	52.9	52.5–57.6	54.4	2.2
Preanal length	80.9	75.4–82.4	79.3	3.0
Pelvic anal distance	25.3	23.4–25.3	24.1	0.9
In % of head length
Snout length	48.7	48.0–50.0	49.1	0.8
Eye diameter	19.2	16.8–21.6	18.9	2.0
Inter-orbital distance	40.9	39.8–43.3	41.0	1.6
Disc width	52.4	45.3–55.0	50.6	4.1
Disc length	39.7	34.8–39.8	38.1	2.3
Callous pad width	28.3	26.4–29.1	27.6	1.2
Callous pad length	22.2	18.5–22.2	20.1	1.5