Garra sharq, Kirchner & Kruckenhauser & Pichler & Borkenhagen & Freyhof, 2020

Kirchner, Sandra, Kruckenhauser, Luise, Pichler, Arthur, Borkenhagen, Kai & Freyhof, Jörg, 2020, Revision of the Garra species of the Hajar Mountains in Oman and the United Arab Emirates with the description of two new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), Zootaxa 4751 (3), pp. 521-545 : 538-542

Garra sharq , new species

( Fig. 13 –16)

Garra barreimiae East Clade ( Pichler et al. 2018, Kirchner et al. submitted).

Holotype. NMW-100002, 50.6 mm SL; Oman: Qifayfah , 22.915°N, 58.425°E.

Paratypes. NMW-100003_1, 1, 53 mm SL; NMW-100003_2, 1, 46 mm SL; same data as holotype .— FSJF 4085 , 8 , 35–50 mm SL; Oman: Wadi Kabbah about 3 km east of Saman, 22.983°N, 58.594°E .— FSJF 4083 , 6 , 44–49 mm SL; Oman: Wadi Kabbah near Ghubra Natural Park, 23.022°N, 58.726°E .— FSJF 4095 , 1 , 46 mm SL; Oman: Wadi Kabbah about 5 km west of Saman, 22.979°N, 58.527°E .

Material used in molecular genetic analysis. NMW-100002, holotype; (GenBank accession number: MN 830417 ); NMW-100003_1, paratype; (GenBank accession number: MN 830416 ); NMW-100003_2, paratype; (GenBank accession number: MN 830418 ); Oman: Qifayfah , 22.915°N, 58.425°E.—NMW-100043 ; Oman: Al Hajir , 22.987°N, 58.503°E (GenBank accession number: MN 830420 ).—NMW-100040 ; Oman: Wadi Kabbah , 22.916°N, 58.872°E (GenBank accession number: MN 830419 ).— FSJF DNA-3241 ; Oman: Wadi Kabbah near Ghubra Natural Park, 23.022°N, 58.726°E (GenBank accession numbers: MN830872 , MN830873 , MN830874 ).— FSJF DNA-3243 ; Oman: Wadi Kabbah about 3 km east of Saman, 22.983°N, 58.594°E (GenBank accession number: MN 830875 ) .

Diagnosis. Garra sharq is distinguished from the other species of Garra in the Hajar Mountains by a combination of characters, none of them unique. It is distinguished from G. barreimiae by absence of orange spot at the upper opercle (vs. presence) and a white dorsal fin tip (vs. presence), and by having 10–14 gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch (vs. 15–18). Garra sharq is distinguished from G. gallagheri and G. longipinnis by having a strongly mottled flank pattern (vs. almost plain or with slight mottling) and individual or series of orange midlateral flank scales (vs. no orange scales). It is distinguished from G. shamal by absence of a white dorsal-fin tip (vs. presence), orange scales on the flank usually present (vs. usually absent) and having black dorsal-fin membranes (vs. hyaline, brown, grey, often hyaline in proximal and black on distal portion).

Description. Morphometric data in Table 4. Body elongated, moderately compressed laterally, more compressed in region of caudal peduncle. Dorsal head profile rising gently, slightly convex, continuous with dorsal body profile from interorbital space to about halfway between nape and dorsal-fin origin, gently convex to dorsal-fin origin. Ventral profile more-or-less straight to anal-fin origin. Head moderately large and depressed, with slightly convex or flat interorbital distance. Snout blunt, almost straight. Transverse lobe with 5–14 small or medium sized tubercles on each side, lateral tubercle enlarged, directed sideward. Transverse lobe demarcated posteriorly by a well-developed transverse groove. Proboscis covered with small or medium sized tubercles, largest on anterior margin. Proboscis slightly elevated from depressed rostral surface. Lateral surface of snout covered by small to medium sized tubercles reaching to nare. A patch of tubercles between nare and anterior eye-margin. Depressed rostral surface without tubercles, rarely with few isolated tubercles. Anterior arm of depressed rostral surface reaching to base of rostral barbel, clearly separating transverse lobe from lateral surface. A shallow groove between transverse lobe and lateral surface. No tubercles in juvenile and many adult individuals. Eye placed dorso-laterally in posterior half of head. Barbels in two pairs; rostral barbel located antero-laterally, shorter than eye diameter; maxillary barbel at corner of mouth, shorter than rostral barbel. Rostral cap well-developed, fimbriate, papillate on ventral surface. Upper lip present as a thin band of papillae arranged in two ridges. Upper jaw almost or completely covered by rostral cap. Disc elliptical, about as wide as long and narrower than head width through base of maxillary barbel; groove between antero-median fold and central callous-pad narrow and deep, papillae on latero-posterior flap small; anterior marginal surface of central callous pad with small papillae; posterior margin of latero-posterior flap extending vertically to middle of eye or posterior margin of eye.

Caudal fin with 9+8 branched rays; dorsal fin with 3 simple and 7½ branched rays, last simple ray shorter than head length; distal margin concave; origin closer to snout tip than to caudal-fin base; inserted anterior to vertical through pelvic-fin origin; first branched ray longest, tip of last branched ray reaching vertical to anus. Pectoral fin with 1–2 simple and 11–14 branched rays, reaching to a point 4–7 scales anterior to pelvic-fin origin, length shorter than head length. Pelvic fin with 1 simple and 7–8 branched rays, reaching to, or slightly beyond anus, not reaching anal-fin base, origin closer to anal-fin origin than to pectoral-fin origin, inserts below third or fourth branched dorsal-fin ray. Anal fin short, with 3 simple and 5½ branched rays; first branched ray longest, reaching to dark grey or black blotch on posterior caudal peduncle or slightly anterior to it; distal margin concave; origin closer to caudalfin base than to pelvic-fin origin. Anus 1–3 scales in front of anal-fin origin. Caudal fin forked; tip of lobes pointed; upper lobe longer than lower lobe.

A total of 10–14 gill rakers on lower limb of first branchial arch. Lateral line complete, usually with 30–32 scales on body and 2–3 scales on caudal fin. Transverse scale rows above lateral line 4½; between lateral line and pelvic-fin origin 3½ and between lateral line and anal-fin origin 3½. Circumpeduncular scale rows 12, rarely 13, 14 or 15. Predorsal scales 11–14; scales often irregularly arranged, flank scales smaller. Chest and belly scaled, scales usually absent between pectoral-fin bases; scales deeply embedded. One long axillary scale at base of pelvic fin, and 4–7, usually 6, scales between the posteriormost pelvic-fin base and anus. Pharyngeal teeth in three rows, 2.4.5–5.4.2 (n=2).

Colouration. In ethanol: Head, dorsum and flank dark- or pale-grey. Single or small groups of blackish scales on flank. No midlateral stripe. Mouth, chest and abdomen dark- or pale-grey, paler than back and flank. An indistinct, roundish, large black blotch at posteriormost caudal peduncle. A black blotch at anteriormost lateral line. Fin membranes black, dusty grey or hyaline. Base of posterior branched dorsal-fin rays with a black spot, usually fused with black dorsal-fin membrane. Caudal-fin membranes black, dusty grey or hyaline; 1–2 rays above and 2–4 rays below fork black, membranes whitish.

In life: Background colour brown or yellowish with single or small groups of blackish scales on flank. Individual or small groups of flank scales with orange or cream centre, head yellowish brown. Mouth, chest and abdomen dark or pale brown or cream. An indistinct, roundish, large black blotch at posteriormost caudal peduncle, absent in many individuals. A blue or black blotch at anteriormost lateral line. Fin rays yellowish or hyaline, fin membranes black, dusty grey or hyaline, usually black in dorsal fin. Iris white and orange. Upper part of mental disc blackish in some individuals, depressed rostral surface black or at least darker than proboscis and transverse lobe.

Distribution. Garra sharq is endemic to Oman where it is restricted to the Wadi Dayqah drainage, including wadis Tayyin, Deema and Kabbah, which flows to the coast before entering the sea at the city of Daghmar ( Fig. 2 ). This species also occurs in isolated falaj irrigation systems and springs in the internal basin north of Wahiba Sands. The type locality of G. sharq is pictured in Fig. 17 .

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Arabic word for east: sharq , for the distribution range of the species in north-eastern Oman. A noun in apposition, indeclinable.

Remarks. The distribution of this species in the Wadi Dayqah drainage plus the adjacent internal basin suggests recent connections between both watersheds. While G. sharq is found in the upper Wadi Dayn and falaj irrigation systems in the city of Al-Mintirib, other falaj systems in the area are inhabited by G. gallagheri . As Garra from Wadi Dayn and Al-Mintirib were examined only for molecular characters, we cannot exclude that both species might occur in sympatry or that these are hybrid populations.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Records of Garra species from the Hajar Mountains based on material analysed in this study.

FIGURE 13. Garra sharq, NMW-100002, holotype, 51 mm SL; Qifayfah, Oman.

FIGURE 17. Wadi Qifayfah, Oman; type locality of Garra sharq.