Barilius ardens

description

Description. See Tables 1 and 2 for morphometric and meristic characters, and Figures 1 and 2 for general appearance. Body deep, its depth about one-third SL, laterally compressed, its dorsal profile slightly curved, ventral profile deeply convex. Caudal peduncle deep, its depth almost equal to its length. Head small, length about one-fourth SL, depth more than three-fourths length, dorsal profile almost straight, slightly raised at nape. Eyes large, placed forward, diameter about one-third HL. Mouth oblique, angle of gape almost reaching vertical from posterior margin of orbit. Two pairs of minute barbels (rostral and maxillary). Nostrils closer to eye than to snout tip. Lower jaw slightly longer than upper jaw. Dentary and snout covered by large tubercles in males, small, fine tubercles in females. Snout length about one-third HL. B. ardens B canarensis. B. malabaricus B. bakeri Dorsal fin with 3 simple and 10 ½ (6) branched rays, its posterior margin slightly concave, origin anterior to anal fin origin. Pelvic fin short, not reaching anal fin origin, with 1 simple and 8 (6) branched rays. Anal fin with 3 simple and 13 ½ (6) branched rays, ventral margin deeply concave, with a sh

Barilius ardens (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), a new species from the Western Ghats, India, with redescription of B. malabaricus and B. canarensis

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Barilius ardens is distinguished from B. canarensis and B. malabaricus by its colour pattern, consisting of a row of 7 – 9 large, vertically-elongate, bluish-green blotches 4 – 6 scales high and 2 – 3 scales wide along the length of the body, of which in large adults the first three blotches are fragmented into a smaller row of blotches (vs. single or double rows of spots along the length of the body, the first row with 9 – 13 round or oval bluish-green spots 1 – 2 scales high and 1 – 2 scales wide and the second row, if present, with 3 – 4 smaller spots reaching up to the anal fin origin: see Figs. 1, 4, 6). Moreover, B. ardens can be distinguished from both B. canarensis and B. malabaricus by its fifth ceratobranchial, which has 5 + 4 + 3 (vs. 5 + 4 + 2) teeth (see Fig. 3). It can further be distinguished from B. canarensis by possessing 16 – 18 (vs. 14 – 15) predorsal scales, and having the dorsal and anal fins margined with bright orange (vs. broadly margined with white). In addition, B. ardens can be distinguished from B. malabaricus by having 10 ½ (vs. 11 ½) branched dorsal-fin rays and 13 ½ (vs. 14 ½ – 15 ½) branched anal-fin rays. The new species can be distingui

Barilius ardens (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), a new species from the Western Ghats, India, with redescription of B. malabaricus and B. canarensis

distribution

Distribution. Barilius ardens is presently known from the Sita – Swarna River system in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India.

Barilius ardens (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), a new species from the Western Ghats, India, with redescription of B. malabaricus and B. canarensis

etymology

Etymology. The species name is a Latin adjective meaning burning, an allusion to the flame-like colours in mature males.

Barilius ardens (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), a new species from the Western Ghats, India, with redescription of B. malabaricus and B. canarensis