Vanmanenia marmorata, a new species of loach (Teleostei: Gastromyzontidae) from the middle Chang-Jiang Basin in Guizhou Province, south China

The gastromyzontid genus Vanmanenia was established by Hora in 1932, based on the type species Vanmanenia stenosoma. The genus is a loach group adapted to running waters of streams from southern China, northern Vietnam and Laos. Currently, 19 valid species of the genus have been recognised. The northernmost distribution of the genus is the Yangtze River (= Chang-Jiang in Chinese) Basin and five species (V. maculata, V. intermedia, V. stenosoma, V. pseudostriata and V. gymnetrus) have been reported from the Basin. Vanmanenia marmorata, a new hillstream species of loach, is here described from the middle Chang-Jiang Basin in Guizhou Province, south China. It is distinguished from its congeners by having a combination of the following characters: three triangular-shaped rostral lobules; postdorsal saddles wider than interspaces; a more backwards-placed anus (the vent to anal distance 30.5–36.9% of the pelvic to anal distance); a larger gill opening with its upper extremity reaching the level of the middle of the orbit; anal-fin base length 5.6–6.4% of SL; caudal-peduncle length 11.6–12.9% of SL; prepelvic length 51.1–53.4% of SL. Its validity is also affirmed by its distinct cyt b gene sequence divergence with all sampled congeners and its monophyly recovered in a cyt b gene-based phylogenetic analysis.

A new arrowtooth eel of genus Meadia (Synaphobranchidae: Ilyophinae) from Vietnam, South China Sea

Meadia minor sp. nov., a scaless ilyophine eel, is described on the basis of 10 specimens collected from off Quy Nhon, central coast of Vietnam. It can be distinguished from its congeners in having a relatively long trunk (21.3–25.0% TL) which is longer than head length; a short and blunt snout (21.4–23.7% HL); gill opening close to pectoral-fin base; interbranchial space broad (20.7–26.2% HL); dorsal-fin origin above posterior third of pectoral fin; body depth 24–28 times in TL; total vertebrae 118–122; mean vertebral formula 7-33-121; and a small body size, reaching 330 mm TL. The generic status of the new species is discussed. Short descriptions of two congeners are provided.

Vanmanenia intermedia Fang, 1935, a valid hill-stream species of loach (Teleostei: Gastromyzontidae) from the middle Yangtze River basin, Southwest China

Vanmanenia intermedia, which has long been synonymized with V. pingchowensis since 1980, is here revalidated using morphological characters and molecular evidences, and redescribed on the basis of topotypic specimens. This species is distinguished from all other congeneric species by the following combination of characters: triangular-shaped rostral lobules without secondary rostral barbels; distal edge of dorsal-fin slightly concave; no longitudinal black stripe on the flank; a longer snout (length 52.6–64.5 % of HL); a more backwards-placed anus (the vent to anal distance 34.7–46.1% of the pelvic to anal distance); a slender caudal peduncle (depth 9.1–11.3 % of SL); a longer anal-fin base (length 7.5–9.5 % of SL); and a smaller gill opening with its upper extremity closer to the level of the lower margin of the orbit. The validity of V. intermedia is also confirmed by its significant cyt b gene sequence divergence with all sampled congeneric species and its monophyly recovered in the cyt b gene-based phylogenetic analysis.

A new short brown unpatterned moray eel Gymnothorax andamanensis (Muraenidae: Muraeninae) from Andaman waters, India

Gymnothorax andamanensis sp. nov., a new short brown moray eel, is described here on the basis of two specimens collected from Port Mout, Port Blair, South Andaman (11.659327°N; 92.696148°E), caught using baited hand-lines in a sandy habitat at a depth of less than 2 m. The species is characterized in having the dorsal-fin origin before the gill opening, pre-anal length 2.1–2.2, jaw pores with black rim, two branchial pores, predorsal vertebrae 3, preanal vertebrae 57 and total vertebrae 135–136, teeth smooth, three large fang-like median intermaxillary teeth, biserial maxillary and uniserial vomerine teeth, and dentary teeth biserial with two teeth in each side in the second row of the dentary. The new species is compared with all 10 short brown unpatterned moray eels known from the world and two from Indian waters.

Garra simbalbaraensis, a new species of cyprinid fish (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from Himachal Pradesh, India

Garra simbalbaraensis, new species, is described from the Simbalbara River, Himachal Pradesh, India. The new species is distinguished from its congeners in having a combination of following characters: a prominent short, thick, unilobed and rounded proboscis, distinctly projecting downwards above the transverse groove; a black spot at the upper angle of the gill opening, 32−33 lateral line scales and 32 total vertebrae.

A new species of white-spotted moray eel, Gymnothorax smithi (Muraenidae: Muraeninae) from deep waters of Arabian Sea, India

A new species of white-spotted moray eel Gymnothorax smithi sp. nov. is described based on three specimens collected from the southeastern Arabian Sea, India. This is the first deep water report of a moray eel from Indian waters from 200 m depth. This new species is distinguishable from its congeners by the following combination of characters: greyish brown body overlain with white spots of irregular shape, dorsal-fin origin anterior to gill opening, anus positioned slightly behind the mid-point of the body, serrated teeth and a unique vertebral count 3–5 /57/130–132. [Zoobank URL: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9554CE07-E9E7-4B4F-95CD-54F2BB26FF28]

A new species of whiptail armored catfish, genus Pseudohemiodon (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the Orinoco River basin, Llanos region of Colombia and Venezuela

ABSTRACT A new species of whiptail armored catfish belonging to the genus Pseudohemiodon is described. The new species inhabits aquatic systems of the Orinoco River basin, mostly in the Llanos region of Colombia and Venezuela. Previously, it had identified as P. laticeps erroneously. The genus Pseudohemiodon includes seven known species inhabit Amazon and Paraná-Paraguay-Uruguay rivers basins. The new species is distinguished from congeners by the combination of the following characters: abdomen totally covered; area in front of gill opening without plates, ventrally; dorsal body color pattern without transversal dark bands, mostly in the caudal peduncle; head with straight sides; head and caudal peduncle narrower.

Eels of the genus Bathyuroconger in the northwestern Pacific, with descriptions of four new species (Anguilliformes: Congridae)

Examination of the congrid genus Bathyuroconger in the northwestern Pacific reveals six species are present. Bathyuroconger albus sp. nov. differs from congeners in having a pale coloration, a moderately reduced gill opening that is close to but not touching the pectoral-fin base, trunk length 2.0–2.9 times HL, preanal vertebrae 45–54, preanal lateral-line pores 42–48. Bathyuroconger dolichosomus sp. nov. has a moderately reduced gill opening that is close to but not touching the pectoral-fin base, trunk length 3.2 times HL, preanal vertebrae 63, and preanal lateral-line pores 61. Bathyuroconger fowleri sp. nov. has a small gill opening distant from the pectoral-fin base, trunk length 1.7–2.1 times head length, dorsal-fin origin over middle of pectoral fin, predorsal vertebrae 10–14, preanal vertebrae 48–52, total vertebrae 173–178. Bathyuroconger hawaiiensis sp. nov. has a slightly reduced gill opening, separated from the pectoral-fin base, dark color, total vertebrae 201–210. Bathyuroconger parvibranchialis (Fowler, 1934), redescribed herein, has a small gill opening distant from the pectoral-fin base, dorsal-fin origin over base of pectoral fin, trunk length 1.4–1.7 times in HL, preanal vertebrae 43–48, total vertebrae 181–189, and a uniformly dark color in adults. Bathyuroconger cf. vicinus has a full-size gill opening in contact with pectoral-fin base, dark color, and total vertebrae 196–201. A key to the species in the northwestern Pacific is provided.

Gymnothorax odishi sp. nov. (Muraenidae: Muraeninae), a short brown unpatterned moray eel from Bay of Bengal, India

Gymnothorax odishi sp. nov., a new short brown moray eel, is described here on the basis of eleven specimens collected from Gopalpur, Odisha, along the east coast of India, Bay of Bengal. The species is characterized with dorsal-fin origin before gill opening, jaw pores with dark rim, small black patch just behind the eye of about eye size or more, gill opening with dark rim, two branchial pores, predorsal vertebrae 4, preanal vertebrae 55–58 and total vertebrae 133–138, three large fang like median intermaxillary teeth, uniserial maxillary and vomerine teeth. The new species is compared with all short brown unpatterned moray eels known from the world.

Enchelycore propinqua sp. nov., a new moray eel (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae: Muraeninae) from the Indian Coast

A new moray Enchelycore propinqua sp. nov., is described from a single specimen collected from Visakhapatnam fishing harbour, Andhra Pradesh, India. The species has a reddish brown body mottled with irregular creamy white spots; dorsal-fin origin considerably behind gill opening, but well ahead of level of anus; sharply pointed recurved teeth; biserial intermaxillary and maxillary teeth, those of inner row larger and more widely spaced than outer row. It differs from congeners by higher predorsal vertebrae and lower total vertebral count (MVF 20-51-120). The colouration is distinctly different from other species of the genus.