Puntius khugae, I. Linthoingambi & W. Vishwanath, 2007

I. Linthoingambi & W. Vishwanath, 2007, Two new fish species of the genus Puntius Hamilton (Cyprinidae) from Manipur, India, with notes on P. ticto (Hamilton) and P. stoliczkanus (Day)., Zootaxa 1450, pp. 45-56 : 49-50

Puntius khugae , new species

(Fig. 4)

Holotype. MUMF 6112, 45.5 mm SL; India: Manipur: Khuga R. (Chindwin Basin) at Churachandpur district; K. Shanta Devi, 25 March 2002.

Paratypes. MUMF 6113, 3; 44.0-46.0 mm SL; same data as holotype. MUMF 6216, 16; 45.0-47.0 mm SL; same locality data as holotype, I. Dhanabir, 25 Oct. 2004.

Diagnosis. A species of Puntius with the following combination of characters: dorsal fin edge plain, its spine serrated posteriorly with 10-12 serrae, spine length 16.0-20.9% SL; predorsal scales 11-12; lateral line incomplete with 8-11 pored scales; 28-30 scales in lateral-line row; transverse scales ½5/1/4½; black blotch on caudal peduncle at level of one scale behind posterior end of anal origin; intestine coiled, its relative length 0.9-1.2 TL. Other differentiating characters from nearest congeners are in Table 1.

Description. Table 2 presents morphometric data, and Table 3 presents frequency distributions of meristic characters. Body small and slender. Head large. Eyes large. Barbels absent. Lips thin.

Dorsal fin origin opposite that of pelvic fin, inserted midway between tip of snout and base of caudal fin; 3 simple and 8 branched rays; third simple ray spiny and serrated posteriorly with 10-12 serrae. Pectoral fin with 1 simple, posteriorly serrated ray and 12 branched rays. Pelvic fin with 1 simple and 8 branched rays. Caudal fin with 10+9 principal rays, 9+8 branched.

Scales large. Lateral line incomplete, 28-30 scales in the row with 8-11 pored. ½5 scales between dorsal fin origin and lateral-line row, 4½ between lateral line and pelvic fin base. Predorsal scales 10-12. Preanal scales 19.

Predorsal bones 5; predorsal neural spines 5; first pterygiophore inserted between 9th and 10th vertebrae; total vertebrae 4+28-29. The infraorbital 3+4 is broad and has greatly elevated margins compared to other bones of infraorbital series. Intestine coiled (Fig. 2b), its relative length 0.9-1.2 TL.

Colouration. In formalin, specimens have a blue-black longitudinal stripe occupying the upper half of the 1st scale row and lower half of the 2nd scale row above the lateral-line scale row. A black spot is present on the 21st scale of the lateral-line row; dorsal fin with a red band, edge plain. Pectoral, pelvic and anal fins reddish.

Etymology. Named after the Khuga River, the type locality for the species.

Distribution. India: Manipur: Khuga River (Fig. 3).