Garra findolabium, Li, Feng-Lian, Zhou, Wei & Fu, Qiang, 2008

Li, Feng-Lian, Zhou, Wei & Fu, Qiang, 2008, Garra findolabium, a new species of cyprinid fish (Teleostei: Cypriniformes) from the Red River drainage in Yunnan, China, Zootaxa 1743, pp. 62-68 : 63-67

Garra findolabium , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 2 A)

Holotype: SWFC 0 412045, 70.6mm SL, China: Yunnan: Niuluohe (22°26.62'N, 101°52.21'E) in Jiangcheng County, a branch of the Lixian-Jiang (belong to the Red River basin); collected by W. Zhou and Y. Yang in 9 Dec. 2004.

Paratypes: SWFC 0412046-0412047, 2, 63.1–65.1mm SL, same data as holotype.

Diagnosis: Garra findolabium can be distinguished from all other congeners in Southeast Asia and China by having the following combination of characters: posterior edge of the oral sucking disc with a median fissure dividing it into two lamellae; caudal fin with an anomalistic dark patch, extending to 50% of caudal fin length; absence of barbels; absence of a proboscis in front of nostrils; 37–38 lateral line scales; 16 circumpeduncular scales; distance of anus to anal-fin origin about 33.3–38.7% of distance of pelvic-fin origin to analfin origin.

Description: Maximum size 70.6 mm SL. Dorsal-fin rays ii, 8; pectoral-fin rays i, 12–13; pelvic-fin rays i, 8; anal-fin rays ii, 5. Lateral line scales 37–38; scales above lateral line 4; scales below lateral line 3; circumpeduncular scales 16. The following measurements are in percent of SL: head length 19.2 (18.0–20.3); head depth 14.7 (14.2–15.4); head width 16.2 (15.2–17.4); pectoral fin length 21.0 (20.1–22.0); predorsal length 51.0 (49.2–53.4); preanal length 75.9 (70.8–82.7).

Body relatively elongate, cylindrical anteriorly, gradually compressed behind dorsal-fin base, abdomen smooth before pelvic-fin origin. Head moderately compressed, head length longer than its width, its width greater than its height. Snout rounded without proboscis in front of nostril and a conspicuous longitudinal notch. Mouth inferior, transverse, and semicircular. The rostral cap curved ventrally and connected with the lower lip at the corners of the mouth. Upper lip absent and upper jaw entirely covered by rostral fold, with a thin horny sheath edge. Lower lip thick and fleshy, modified into an oral sucking disc. Oral sucking disc elliptical and relatively small, its width less than head width measured at the same level, and its width about 86.2– 92.7% in its length. Posterior edge of the oral sucking disc with a median fissure dividing it into two lamellae. The middle of oral sucking disc with a fleshy pad which is round and smooth. Fleshy pad anteriorly with a crescentic fold, separated from pad by a shallow and transverse groove, and posteriorly without obvious groove. Papillae on anterior margin of fleshy pad larger than margin of lateral and posterior regions. Posterior margin of oral sucking disc just reaching vertical of middle of eye. Gill opening extending to ventral surface of head. Nostrils anterior eyes, level to superior margin of eye, and closer to anterior margin of eye than to tip of snout. No barbels. Eye moderately large, positioned dorsolaterally in posterior half of head, not visible from ventral view. Postorbital length of head short or equal to snout length. Interorbital region broad, width of interorbital region slightly greater than snout length.

Last unbranched ray of dorsal fin not ossified. Origin of dorsal fin slightly anterior to vertical of pelvic-fin origin, approximately in middle of body but closer to snout tip than to caudal-fin base. Highest point of body at dorsal-fin origin. Dorsal-fin base larger than head length. Posterior profile of dorsal fin slightly curved. Pectoral and pelvic fins extending horizontally. Pectoral-fin origin close to gill opening. Five to six pectoral rays at anterior edge thickened ventrally. Pectoral-fin length larger than head length. End of pectoral fin not reaching pelvic-fin origin, separated from it by 7–8 scales. Pelvic-fin origin at vertical behind dorsal-fin origin, situated vertically at base of 2nd or 3rd branched dorsal-fin rays. End of pelvic fin extending beyond anus, separated from anal-fin origin by 2–3 scales. Distance of anus to anal-fin origin about 33.3–38.7% distance of pelvic-fin origin to anal-fin origin. Anal-fin distal margin slightly concave. Posterior end of anal fin not reaching caudal-fin base. Distance of anal-fin origin to caudal-fin base equal to or slightly larger than that of analfin origin to pelvic-fin origin, separated from pelvic-fin origin by 5–7 scales. Anus closer to anal-fin origin than to pelvic-fin origin, separated from anal-fin origin by 4–5 scales. The ratio of the shortest lobe of caudal fin to longest lobe is larger than 50%. End of caudal fin obtuse, upper lobe almost equal to lower lobe.

Lateral line complete, obvious, and almost straight. Scales moderately large, absent posterior to head region, embedded in skin in prothorax, and gradually increasing in size until pelvic-fin base. Predorsal scales are not neatly arranged in rows, so its can not count.

Coloration in living specimens: Body black and brown. Dorsum relatively dark and belly grayish. Dorsal fin grayish black. Pelvic, pectoral and anal fins grayish yellow. Caudal fin with an anomalistic dark patch, extending to 50% of length of caudal fin.

Distribution: Garra findolabium is now only known from Niuluo-He, Jiangcheng County, a branch of the Lixian-Jiang (Red River basin) in Yunnan ( Fig. 3 ).

Etymology: From the Latin findo (split) and labium (lip), in reference to posterior edge of the oral sucking disc with a median fissure and divided it into two lamellas. Used as an adjective.

Discussion

Among species of Garra presently recognized from China and Southeast Asia, Garra laichowensis and G. micropulvinus ( Fig. 2 D) are similar to G. findolabium by having the posterior edge of the oral sucking disc not entire, with a notch or fissure present. Garra laichowensis was originally described by Nguyen & Doan (1969) from the Nam Mu stream in Phong Tho district, Lai Chau Province, Vietnam. Mai (1978) treated it as a valid species due to the presence of the median notch in posterior edge of the oral sucking disc.

Among the aforementioned species, the morphology of G. findolabium is most similar to G. laichowensis according to Mai (1978) and Nguyen & Doan (1969). In addition to having the posterior edge of the oral sucking disc not entire, both species have similar dorsal fins (with counts of ii, 8) and 15–16 circumpeduncular scales. After comparing our new species with pictures of G. laichouwensis provided by Buidac Thuyet, and the descriptions by Nguyen & Doan (1969) and Mai (1978), we confirmed that G. findolabium is different from G. laichowensis by the combination of following characters: no barbels (vs. 2 pairs of barbels); caudal fin with an anomalistic dark patch, extending to 50% length of caudal fin (vs. caudal fin without dark patch), posterior edge of the oral sucking disc with a median fissure and divided it into two lamellae (vs. posterior edge of the oral sucking with a median notch and not divided it into two lamellae); the position of anus posterior, the distance of anus to anal fin origin about 33.3–38.7% of distance of pelvic fin origin to anal fin origin (vs. 40–42%); branches of pectoral-fin rays 12–14 (vs. 14–15); lateral line scales 37–38 (vs. 38–39); scales above lateral line 4 (vs. 5.5–6.5); scales below lateral line 3 (vs. 3.5–4.5).

Garra findolabium is distinguished from G. micropulvinus ( Fig. 2 D) by the combination of following characters: lack of fleshy buds between sides of fleshy pad and skin fold (vs. 2–7 small fleshy buds between the skin fold and sides of fleshy pad); 16 circumpeduncular scales (vs. 12); distance of anus to anal-fin origin about 33.3–38.7% of distance of pelvic-fin origin to anal-fin origin (vs. 14.2–23.2%).

Garra findolabium can be distinguished from other species of Garra presently recognized from the Red River basin by the combination of following characters: lack of proboscis in front of nostrils [vs. proboscis present in front of nostrils in G. bourreti and G. orientalis ( Fig. 2 E)]; posterior edge of the mental disc with a median fissure [vs. posterior edge of the mental disc entire in G. caudofasciatus ( Fig. 2 B), G.gracilis and G. robusta ( Fig. 2 F)]; caudal fin with an anomalistic dark patch, extending to 50% of length of caudal fin [(vs. caudal fins grayish black without any patch in G. apogon and G. imberba ( Fig. 2 C)]. According to Kottelat (2001a), Garra findolabium is further distinguished from G. apogon by the combination of the following characters: lateral line scales 37–38 (vs. 40–42); posterior edge of the mental disc with a median fissure (vs. posterior edge of the mental disc entire). Garra findolabium is further distinguished from G. bourreti by the combination of following characters: lateral line scales 37–38 (vs. 32–34); caudal fin with an anomalistic dark patch, extending to 50% length of caudal fin (vs. caudal fins grayish black without any patch). According to Mai (1978) and Kottelat (2001a), Garra findolabium is further distinguished from G. gracilis by the combination of following characters: no barbels (vs. 2 pairs of barbels); lateral line scales 37–38 (vs. 35); the oral sucking disc elliptical, its width about 86.2–92.7% of its length (vs. 50%).

Garra findolabium can be distinguished from other species of Garra presently recognized from China and Southeast Asia by the combination of following characters: no barbels (vs. two pairs of barbels in G. b i s p i - nosa, G. mirofrontis , G. qiaojiensis , G. rotundinasus , G. salweenica and G. tengchongensis ); 16 circumpeduncular scales (vs. 12 in G. taeniata ); 37–38 lateral line scales (vs. 45–47 in G. cryptonemus and G. pingi hainanensis , 50–52 in G. pingi yiliangensis ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Garra findolabium, holotype, SWFC 0 412045, 70.6 mm SL; China: Lixian-Jiang. Lateral view.

FIGURE 2. Oral sucking discs of (A) Garra findolabium, holotyoe, SWFC 0 412045, 70.6 mm SL; China: Lixian-Jiang. (B) G. caudofasciatus, SWFC 0 506001, 74.7 mm SL; China: Lixian-Jiang. (C) G. im b e rb a, SWFC 0 412051, 90.5 mm SL; China: Lixian-Jiang. (D) G. micropulvinus, SWFC 0 111011, 107.0 mm SL; China: Panlong-He. (E) G. orientalis, SWFC 0 0 10023, 82.0 mm SL; China: Tengtiao-He. (F) G. robustus, SWFC 9712992, 77.0 mm SL; China: Nanxi-He.

FIGURE 3. A map showing the distribution of Garra findolabium in Yunnan (indicated by solid triangle)