Garra jaldhakaensis, Kosygin & Shangningam & Singh & Das, 2021

Kosygin, Laishram, Shangningam, Bungdon, Singh, Pratima & Das, Ujjal, 2021, Garra jaldhakaensis, a new cyprinid fish (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from West Bengal, India, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 121 (3), pp. 325-331 : 326-327

Garra jaldhakaensis sp. nov.

( Figures 1 a-c, 2)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6DA08F12-AF68-44F7-894B-438ABDA3D50C

Type material: Holotype: 97.2 mm SL, India, West Bengal, Kalimpong district, Jaldhaka River near Jhalong , Brahmaputra River Drainage , 27°02’39’ N 88°52’71’E, elevation 1,220 ft. 09.iv.2018, coll. Ujjal Das (ZSI FF 8126) . Paratypes: 3 exs., 84.3-95.3 mm SL, same locality and label data as holotype (ZSI FF 8127) .

Type depository: The type specimens are deposited in the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) , Kolkata, India.

Description: Morphometric data of holotype and paratypes are presented in Table 1. Body elongate, compressed laterally, more compressed towards caudal peduncle. Dorsal profile smoothly arched to dorsal-fin origin, then sloping down towards caudal peduncle. Ventral profile flattened from head to chest, more or less rounded up to pelvic-fin origin then almost straight towards caudal-fin base.

Head large, depressed with moderately convex inter orbital region, head depth less than head length. Eyes small, dorso-laterally located, closer to posterior margin of opercle than to snout tip. Snout slightly pointed, its transverse lobe covered with 16–25 medium-to large-sized multicuspid tubercles, demarcated posteriorly by a deep transverse groove; 9–12 unicuspid tubercles on slightly elevated lateral surface, 1–2 minute unicuspid tubercles on posterior region of nostrils. Proboscis prominent, short, thick, protruding downward above the transverse groove, with 5–6 uni- to bi-cuspid tubercles on anterolateral margin, 8–10 uni to bicuspid tubercles on anteroventral marginal aspect, differentiated from depressed rostral surface by a distinct transverse groove; width smaller than internarial space. Depressed rostral surface soft, with 2–3 thin ridges. Sublachrymal groove deep, horizontally curved. Rostral lobe absent.

Barbels in two pairs; rostral barbels anterolaterally located, equal to eye diameter; maxillary barbels at the corner of mouth, much shorter than rostral barbels. Upper jaw entirely covered by well-developed rostral cap. Rostral cap well-developed, extended, highly fimbriate, papillate ventral surface moderately wide; separated from upper jaw by deep groove, laterally continuous with lower lip. Upper jaw entirely covered by rostral cap. Gular disc elliptical, wider than long, narrower than head width through roots of maxillary barbels; labellum of lower lip weakly developed, fully covered with papillae; torus well developed with papillae, not covered by rostral cap; toral groove deep, papillated; papillae on inner half of whole length of labrum coarsely arranged; posteriormost margin of labrum extending to vertical margin of eye.

Dorsal fin with ii (4) simple and 8½ branched rays, last simple rays equal to head length, origin much closer to tip of the snout than caudal-fin base. Pectoral fin with i simple rays and 14 (4) branched rays, its length less than head length. Pelvic fin with I simple and 7–8 (4) branched rays, second branched ray longest, reaching anus; not extending to base of anal fin, its origin closer to anal-fin origin than to pectoral-fin origin, inserted vertically below base of third branched dorsal-fin ray. Anal fin with ii (4) simple and 5 branched rays, anus opening much more closer to anal-fin origin than to pelvic-fin origin. Caudal fin forked, lower lobe slightly longer, 9+8 branched rays.

One long axillary scale at base of pelvic fin, its tip reaching posterior end of pelvic-fin origin. Dorsal-fin base scales 7(4) of which last 6–7 attached to base of dorsal fin. Anal fin base scales 4, of which last 2−3 connected to fin base. Scales between anus and anal-fin origin 3 (4). Lateral line complete with 33 (4) scales. Transverse scale rows between dorsal-fin origin to lateral line 4½ (4); between lateral line and pelvic-fin origin 3(4); between lateral and anal-fin origin 3(4). Predorsal scales 10(2) –11(2), scales regularly arranged. Chest and belly scaled. Circumpeduncular scales 16 (4).

Coloration: In preservative, body grey, yellowish ventrally. Dorsal-fin rays between 3−8 spotted proximally with melanophores. Fin rays spotted with thin melanophores on distal margins. Body with 5−6 longitudinal bands along with the lateral scales, becoming distinct towards the caudal peduncle. A black spot at the upper angle of the gill opening.

Diagnosis: Garra jaldhakaensis sp. nov., a member of the proboscis and transverse lobe species group, is distinguished from all congeners in the Ganga- Brahmaputra River drainage in having the following combination of characters: snout with a prominent tuberculated unilobed proboscis protruding downward above the transverse groove and transverse lobe covered with 16–25 medium-to large-sized multicuspid tubercles; 10–11 predorsal scales, 33 lateral line scales, 16 circumpeduncular scales, scaled chest and belly.

Distribution: Garra jaldhakaensis sp. nov. is presently known only from the type locality Jaldhaka River near Jhalong, Kalimpong district, West Bengal, India.

Etymology: The species is named after the type locality, Jaldhaka River.

Figures

Figure 1. Garra jaldhakaensis sp. nov., holotype, a. dorsal, b. lateral, c. ventral view.