Balitoropsis Smith 1945

Randall, Zachary S. & Riggs, Patrick A., 2015, Revision of the hillstream lizard loaches, genus Balitoropsis (Cypriniformes: Balitoridae), Zootaxa 3962 (1), pp. 206-225 : 209-210

Balitoropsis Smith 1945

Lizard loaches

Balitoropsis Smith, 1945:278 . (type species: Balitoropsis bartschi Smith 1945:279 , by original designation). Gender feminine.

Systematic History. Balitoropsis was created for B. bartschi Smith (1945) based on having papillated lips and a deep preoral groove extending around the corners of the mouth. However, papillated lips (unculi) and a preoral groove are common characters in balitorid genera, and the genus was recognized as a junior synonym of Homaloptera van Hasselt 1823 by Kottelat & Chu (1988).

Balitoropsis was recognized as a subgenus of Homaloptera by Tan & Ng (2005) and Randall & Page (2012) and as a genus consisting of 10 species by Kottelat (2012) and of 9 species by Kottelat (2013). Randall & Page (2015) recognized Balitoropsis as a genus consisting of 2 species based on molecular and morphological data.

MORPHOMETRICS H. maxinae H. nigra B. zollingeri

Range Mean±%SD BMNH Range Mean±%SD 1866.5.2.53

Standard Length 34.3 45.3-57.0 57.9 27.3-67.7

Total Length 40.7 54.5-61.9 35.0-86.4

of Standard Length …Continue on next page Diagnosis. Anus closer to pelvic-fin base than to anal-fin origin; dorsal-fin origin anterior to or above pelvicfin origin; 8½ branched dorsal-fin rays; 7–9, usually 8, branched pelvic-fin rays; forked caudal fin; keeled scales; 42–55 lateral-line scales; 13–15 predorsal scales; large rostral cap; 2 thick rostral barbels in close proximity to one another; thick crescentic upper lip; fleshy pad between lateral portions of lower lip ( Randall and Page 2015).