Unexpected species diversity within Sri Lanka’s snakehead fishes of the Channa marulius group (Teleostei: Channidae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4747 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-132
Author(s):  
HIRANYA SUDASINGHE ◽  
ELEANOR A. S. ADAMSON ◽  
R.H. THARINDU RANASINGHE ◽  
MADHAVA MEEGASKUMBURA ◽  
CHIHO IKEBE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Cytochrome C Oxidase ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
The Other ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Fin Rays ◽  
Dry Zone ◽  
Channa Marulius

The taxonomic status of the large snakeheads of the Channa marulius group that occur in Sri Lanka is reviewed and clarified. Two species are recognized from the island, based on both morphological and molecular (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1: cox1) differentiation: C. marulius Hamilton from the northern dry zone and C. ara Deraniyagala from the middle and lower regions of the Mahaweli basin. Channa ara is endemic to Sri Lanka and can be distinguished from its Marulius group congeners, C. marulius, C. aurolineata and C. auroflammea, by having fewer dorsal- and anal-fin rays, fewer lateral-line scales and fewer vertebrae; from C. marulioides by a different adult colour pattern; and from C. pseudomarulius by having more vertebrae. At the cox1 barcoding locus, Channa ara is at least 3.6% genetically different from C. marulius, and at least 8% different from the other described species in the group. Specimens collected from the southwestern wet zone in Sri Lanka are a puzzling third component of the Marulius group’s diversity, uncovered in this study, and identified here as C. cf. ara. Whilst genetically more similar to C. marulius, C. cf. ara possesses fewer dorsal- and anal-fin rays, fewer lateral-line scales and fewer vertebrae and is therefore morphologically more similar to C. ara. Channa ara can be distinguished from C. cf. ara, however, by differences in circumpeduncular scale count, adult colour pattern, and by an uncorrected pairwise genetic distance of 3.7% in cox1 sequences. A neotype is designated for Ophicephalus marulius ara Deraniyagala. 

Validity of Psammoperca datnioides Richardson 1848 and redescriptions of P. waigiensis Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes 1828 and Hypopterus macropterus (Günther 1859) in the family Latidae (Perciformes) from the Indo-West Pacific

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4402 (3) ◽  
pp. 467 ◽  
Author(s):  
YUKIO IWATSUKI ◽  
STEPHEN J. NEWMAN ◽  
FUMIYA TANAKA ◽  
BARRY C. RUSSELL
Keyword(s):  
Cytochrome C Oxidase ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
Valid Species ◽  
Nominal Species ◽  
Monotypic Genus ◽  
Dorsal Fin ◽  
The Family ◽  
Fin Rays ◽  
Dark Colour ◽  
Psammoperca Waigiensis

Psammoperca datnioides Richardson 1848, long considered a synonym of P. waigiensis (Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes 1828), is redescribed as a valid species of Psammoperca Richardson 1848. The species is likely to be endemic to Australia, where it was formerly considered to be P. waigiensis, but differs from P. waigiensis in having the following characters: more slender body (mean depth 28.9% of SL vs. mean depth 36.7% of SL in P.  waigiensis), pored lateral-line scales 49–54 (vs. 46–48 in P. waigiensis), scale rows above and below lateral line 6½ / 10½–11½ (vs 4½ / 9½–10½ in P. waigiensis), and vertical at hind margin of maxilla posterior/behind center of eye (vs. vertical at hind margin of maxilla anterior to/in front of hind margin of eye in P. waigiensis). Live specimens of Psammoperca datnioides have a uniformly dense black or brownish body, with this dark colour on body scales and pored lateral-line scales persisting even in preserved specimens. Live specimens of Psammoperca waigiensis have a brownish body, often golden in colour, and pored lateral-line scales that are yellow-edged. The COI sequence (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, 612 bp) of P. datnioides also is distinct from P. waigiensis, and the related and poorly known Hypopterus macropterus (Günther 1859). The latter species is redescribed and diagnosed with eight indistinct dark bands on the head and body, and dorsal-fin rays VII-I, 14–15 (vs. no dark bands and dorsal-fin rays VII-I, 12–13 in Psammoperca). Nominal species in the genus Psammoperca are discussed and Cnidon chinensis Müller & Troschel 1849 (type locality: Manila, Philippines) is included as a junior synonym of P. waigiensis. Psammoperca vaigiensis Boulenger 1895 is an unneeded emendation and thus an invalid name. Psammoperca macroptera Günther 1859 is retained in the monotypic genus Hypopterus Gill 1861 in the family Latidae, although the species has been overlooked in most studies on the Latidae and/or Centropomidae. A key to the Latidae is provided. 

scholarly journals Redescription of the perciform fish Symphysanodon disii (Symphysanodontidae) from the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea, with comments on S. pitondelafournaisei and sexual dimorphism in the genus WILLIAM D. ANDERSON, JR. (USA), AVI BARANES (Israel) & MENACHEM GOREN (Israel)

Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 3027 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
WILLIAM D. ANDERSON, JR. ◽  
AVI BARANES ◽  
MENACHEM GOREN
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
The Other ◽  
Gulf Of Aqaba ◽  
Single Specimen ◽  
Caudal Vertebra ◽  
Spine Length ◽  
Fin Rays ◽  
Southwestern Indian Ocean ◽  
Pectoral Fin Rays

Symphysanodon disii was described in 2008 from a single specimen collected in October 1999 from the Gulf of Aqaba. More recently, March 2008, four additional specimens of this species were collected in the Gulf. The following characters in combination distinguish S. disii from the other species in the genus: parapophyses on the first caudal vertebra, tubed scales in the lateral line 48 to 50, total number of first-arch gillrakers 34 to 37, sum of total number of gillrakers plus lateral-line scales (in individual specimens) 82 to 87, pectoral-fin rays 16 or 17, fleshy orbit diameter 7.2 to 8.3 % SL, and second anal-spine length 8.3 to 9.7 % SL. We redescribe S.disii, comment on S. pitondelafournaisei from the southwestern Indian Ocean off Reunion Island, and discuss sexual dimorphism in the genus.

scholarly journals Review of the perciform fish genus Symphysanodon Bleeker (Symphysanodontidae), with descriptions of three new species, S. mona, S. parini, and S. rhax

Zootaxa ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 996 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
WILLIAM D. ANDERSON ◽  
VICTOR G. SPRINGER
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
Gill Arch ◽  
The Other ◽  
Caudal Vertebra ◽  
Morphometric Characters ◽  
Single Plate ◽  
Fin Rays ◽  
Three New Species ◽  
A New Species

Symphysanodon mona, a new species of perciform fish, is described from a single specimen collected in Mona Passage off the west coast of Puerto Rico. It differs from all other species of Symphysanodon in having fewer gillrakers on the first gill arch (4 or 5 + 19–21 = 24 or 25 total vs. 8–14 + 20–29 = 28–42 total) and, additionally, from the other two Atlantic species of the genus (S. berryi and S. octoactinus) in two other features of gill-arch morphology, viz., in having a ventral branch of the obliquus dorsalis 3 muscle (vs. its absence in the other two species) and in having a posteriorly projecting extension of the cartilaginous lateral end of ceratobranchial 4 (vs. its absence in the other two species; S. berryi has a small accessory cartilage associated with the lateral end of ceratobranchial 4 which may also be present in S. octoactinus). Symphysanodon parini, new species, known from 10 specimens collected over Sala y Gómez Ridge in the eastern South Pacific, can be distinguished from all other species of Symphysanodon, except S. maunaloae from the central and western Pacific, by the following combination of characters: segmented anal-fin rays 7, tubed lateral-line scales 45–50, total gillrakers on first gill arch 31– 34 (9 or 10 + 22–24), sum of lateral-line scales and gillrakers on individual specimens 77–84, depth of body 22.5–24.7 % SL (4.0–4.4 times in SL), length of depressed anal fin 24.8–26.4 % SL, hypurals 1 & 2 autogenous, hypurals 3 & 4 represented by a single plate, and first caudal vertebra without parapophyses. It is distinguished from S. maunaloae by differences in mean numbers of tubed lateral-line scales (mean = 47.89 for S. parini vs. mean = 44.94 for S. maunaloae) and pectoral-fin rays (mean = 16.90 for S. parini vs. mean = 16.13 for S. maunaloae) and by differences in a few morphometric characters. Symphysanodon rhax, new species, known from specimens collected off the Maldive Islands, northern Indian Ocean, is separable from all other species of Symphysanodon, except S. berryi from the Atlantic, by the following combination of characters: segmented rays in the anal fin 7, tubed lateral-line scales 50, gillrakers on the first gill arch 35–38 (10 or 11 + 25–27), sum of lateral-line scales and gillrakers on individual specimens 85–88, depth of body 20.6–24.8 % SL (4.0–4.9 times in SL), length of depressed anal fin 21.8–23.9 % SL, hypurals 1 & 2 autogenous, hypurals 3 & 4 represented by a single plate, and first caudal vertebra without parapophyses. It can be distinguished from S. berryi by its shorter second anal-fin spine and a suite of other morphometric characters. A key to Symphysanodon and a review of the other species of the genus are also presented.

scholarly journals Channa pardalis, a new species of snakehead (Teleostei: Channidae) from Meghalaya, northeastern India

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 8583 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.D. Marcus Knight
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
The Body ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Northeastern India ◽  
Dorsal Fin ◽  
Black Spots ◽  
Fin Rays ◽  
Orbital Region ◽  
A New Species

Channa pardalis, a new species of snakehead, is described from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, northeastern India.  This species can be distinguished from its congeners by a unique colour pattern consisting of numerous large black spots on the post-orbital region of the head, opercle and body; a broad white and black margin to the dorsal, anal and caudal fins; 36–37 dorsal fin rays; 24–25 anal fin rays; 44–45 pored scales on the body and two scales on the caudal fin base; 4½ scales above lateral line and 6½ scales below lateral line; 45 vertebrae and the palatine with two rows of teeth: outer row with numerous minute teeth and inner row with short, stout inward curved teeth.  

Danionella priapus, a new species of miniature cyprinid fish from West Bengal, India (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2277 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
RALF BRITZ
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
The Other ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Genital Papilla ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Fin Rays ◽  
Vicariance Event ◽  
Morphological Novelties ◽  
A New Species

Danionella priapus, a new species of sexually dimorphic miniature cyprinid from the Brahmaputra drainage in India, is distinguished from the other three species in the genus by the presence in adult males of a conical projection of the genital papilla situated between funnel-shaped pelvic fins, the number of analand pectoral-fin rays, and the position of insertion of the last anal-fin pterygiophore. It differs further from D. translucida and D. mirifica in details of the colour pattern, from D. dracula and D. mirifica in number of procurrent caudal-fin rays, from D. translucida in number of vertebrae and from D. dracula in several skeletal characters. Like the other species in the genus, D. priapus shows a developmentally truncated skeleton that is associated with several evolutionary morphological novelties. The present distribution of the Danionella species may be the result of a vicariance event in the early Miocene, when the tectonic uplift of eastern Tibet and the Indo-Burman ranges lead to the interruption of the palaeo-connection between the Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) and the upper Irrawaddy Rivers.

scholarly journals Pseudochromis stellatus, a new species of dottyback from Indonesia (Teleostei: Pseudochromidae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4338 (2) ◽  
pp. 333
Author(s):  
ANTHONY C. GILL ◽  
GERALD R. ALLEN ◽  
MARK V. ERDMANN
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
The Body ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Dorsal Fin ◽  
West Papua ◽  
Fin Rays ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Pectoral Fin Rays ◽  
Pelvic Fin

The Pseudochromis reticulatus complex is diagnosed to include species of Pseudochromis with the combination of a pointed caudal fin (rounded with middle rays produced), a reticulated colour pattern on the upper part of the body, dorsal-fin rays modally III,26, anal-fin rays modally III,15, and pectoral-fin rays modally 18. Members of the complex include P. reticulatus Gill & Woodland, P. pictus Gill & Randall, P. tonozukai Gill & Allen, P. jace Allen, Gill & Erdmann and P. stellatus new species. The last-named is herein described from six specimens from Batanta and Batu Hitam in the Raja Ampat Islands, West Papua, Indonesia. It is distinguished from other members of the complex in live coloration, and in having higher mean numbers of scales in lateral series and of anterior lateral-line scales (36–38 and 29–32, respectively), and a deeper body as measured from the dorsal-fin origin to pelvic-fin origin (31.8–33.5 % SL). 

Devario anomalus, a new species of freshwater fish from Bangladesh (Ostariophysi: Cyprinidae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2136 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
KEVIN W. CONWAY ◽  
RICHARD L. MAYDEN ◽  
KEVIN L. TANG
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Freshwater Fish ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
Lower Number ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Dorsal Fin ◽  
Fin Rays ◽  
A New Species

Devario anomalus, new species, is described from a small coastal stream south of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong Division, Bangladesh. The new species can be distinguished from all other species of Devario by its unique colour pattern. It is further distinguished from all congeners reported from Bangladesh by a combination of characters, including its shorter P-stripe, the presence of maxillary barbels, an ascending process on the first infraorbital, and a lower number of lateral-line scales, branched dorsal-fin rays, branched anal-fin rays, and circumpeduncular scale rows.

scholarly journals A new species of Serrapinnus Malabarba, 1998 (Characidae: Cheirodontinae) from Rio Grande do Norte State, northeastern Brazil

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando C. Jerep ◽  
Luiz R. Malabarba
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
The Other ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Ventral Margin ◽  
Caudal Peduncle ◽  
Fin Rays ◽  
A New Species

Serrapinnus potiguar, new species, is described from the rio Ceará-Mirim, a coastal drainage in the Rio Grande do Norte State, northeastern Brazil. The new species is distinguished from the other species of the genus by the shape and arrangement of the ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays of the sexually dimorphic males; where the hypertrophied elements present the shape of a series of scimitars arranged radially, forming a semi-circle on the ventral margin of the caudal peduncle. Furthermore, the new species is diagnosed from S. heterodonand S. piaba, sympatric congeners from the northeastern Brazilian drainages, respectively by the presence of incomplete lateral line and teeth bearing at most five cusps.

A review of the genus Labeo (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) in Sri Lanka 

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4486 (3) ◽  
pp. 201 ◽  
Author(s):  
HIRANYA SUDASINGHE ◽  
R.H. THARINDU RANASINGHE ◽  
SAMPATH de ALWIS GOONATILAKE ◽  
MADHAVA MEEGASKUMBURA
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
Genetic Distances ◽  
Mitochondrial Genes ◽  
Valid Species ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Single Pair ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
Dorsal Fin ◽  
Fin Rays

The taxonomy of the three native taxa assigned to the genus Labeo (L. dussumieri, L. fisheri and L. porcellus lankae) in Sri Lanka is reviewed. The population hitherto identified as L. dussumieri in Sri Lanka is shown to be a distinct species, here named L. heladiva. Labeo heladiva, new species, has a wide distribution in the low and mid-elevations of the island and is distinguished from its Indian congeners by the combination of having two pairs of barbels; 12–13 branched dorsal-fin rays; lateral line with 44–51 scales; ½8–½9+1+6–7 scales in transverse series; and 19–22 circumpeduncular scales. It differs from its closest relative, L. dussumieri, principally by having 44–51 vs. 50–60 lateral-line scales, 19–22 vs. 22–27 circumpeduncular scales, and by uncorrected pairwise genetic distances of 1.27–2.22% and 1.88–2.91% for the two mitochondrial genes COI and cytb, respectively. Labeo fisheri, which is endemic to the upper reaches of the Mahaweli River basin in the Knuckles mountain range and the central hills in the vicinity of Kandy, is distinguished from Indian congeners by having (in combination) only a single pair of barbels; dorsal fin with 10–12 branched rays; lateral line with 37–39 scales; 7+1+4½–6 scales in transverse series; and 17–20 circumpeduncular scales. Labeo lankae is recognized as a valid species endemic to Sri Lanka. Long suspected to have become extinct, or known only from spurious records, an extant population is reported from the northern dry zone of the island. Labeo lankae is the sister species of L. porcellus of peninsular India; it can be distinguished from its congeners by having, in combination, 10–12 branched dorsal-fin rays; 36–39 lateral-line scales; ½8+1+5–6½ scales in transverse series; and 21–24 circumpeduncular scales. It differs from L. porcellus principally by having ½8 (vs. ½6–½7) scales between the origin of the dorsal fin and the lateral line, 21–24 (vs. 20–21) circumpeduncular scales and uncorrected pairwise genetic distances of 1.27% and 1.41% for the mitochondrial genes COI and cytb, respectively. The three species of Labeo in Sri Lanka do not form a monophyletic group. 

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