Amatolacypris, Skelton & Swartz & Vreven, 2018

Skelton, Paul H., Swartz, Ernst R. & Vreven, Emmanuel J., 2018, The identity of Barbus capensis Smith, 1841 and the generic status of southern African tetraploid cyprinids (Teleostei, Cyprinidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 410, pp. 1-29 : 20-21

Amatolacypris gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0DD940C2-952C-4770-A0FC-C61104CD7599

Barbus Daudin 1805: 58 ( Barbus trevelyani Günther, 1877 ).

‘ Pseudobarbus ’ – Yang et al. 2015: 99.

Type species

Amatolacypris trevelyani (Günther, 1877) gen. et comb. nov. ( Fig. 10C ).

Included species

Type species only.

Diagnosis

Among the southern African tetraploid cyprinine genera Amatolacypris gen. nov. is unique in colouration (silvery-grey with a thin double mid-lateral line) and in having only four infraorbitals, and broadly flanged 3rd and 4th infraorbital bones. It is further distinguished from Cheilobarbus on account of size (adults <150 mm SL vs adults> 150mm SL), from Pseudobarbus and Sedercypris gen. nov. by an absence of red pigmentation at the base of the fins (vs red at the base of the fins); from Pseudobarbus by lacking clear sexual dimorphism in nuptial tubercles and fin size (vs strong sexual dimorphism in these characters); from Sedercypris gen. nov. by the position of the mouth (subterminal vs terminal) and barbels (one pair, short <50% orbit diameter vs two pairs, long> 50% orbit diameter); from Namaquacypris gen. nov. by the number of predorsal vertebrae (10–12 vs 13–15) and position of the dorsal fin (origin above or slightly behind the origin of the pelvics vs well behind the origin of the pelvics), by the barbels (one pair, short, 50% orbit diameter vs two pairs, long> 50% orbit diameter) and by lacking a membrane between the inner pelvic rays and the body (vs presence of such a membrane in Namaquacypris gen. nov.).

Etymology

Endemic to and named for the Amatola mountains in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Masculine .

Description

Amatolacypris gen. nov. is a monotypic genus of medium sized (<120 mm SL) tetraploid smiliogastrin minnows from southern Africa, with radiately striated scales; four infraorbital bones, infraorbital three and four broadly flanged, covering space between orbit and preoperculum; mouth subterminal with one or two pairs of short oral barbels; pharyngeal bones with three rows of hooked teeth, formula 2,3,4 - 4,3,2; intestine involuted, longer than SL; dorsal fin origin over origin of pelvics, last simple dorsal-fin ray flexible, usually with small, weak serrations along posterior edge, seven branched rays; pelvic fin with reduced axillary scale; anal fin with five branched rays; mature adults of both sexes with minute erupted tubercles over head and body, single spaced rows over pectoral rays. Breeding biology not known.

Etymology

Endemic to and named for the Amatola mountains in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Masculine .

Figures

Fig. 10. Species representative of southernAfrican tetraploid cyprinine genera. A. Pseudobarbus afer (Peters, 1864). B. Cheilobarbus capensis Smith, 1841. C. Amatolacypris trevelyani (Günther, 1877) gen.et comb.nov. D. Sedercypris calidus(Barnard, 1938) gen.et comb.nov. E. Namaquacyprishospes (Barnard, 1938) gen. et comb. nov. Photograph credits:A–D by P.H. Skelton (SAIAB); E by R.I. Bills (SAIAB).