Garra kalpangi, a new cyprinid fish species (Pisces: Teleostei) from upper Brahmaputra basin in Arunachal Pradesh, India

K Nebeshwar,Kenjum Bagra,D.N Das

doi:10.11609/jott.o1703.2353-62

Abstract

A new cyprinid species, Garra kalpangi is described from the Kalpangi River (Brahmaputra basin) in Arunachal Pradesh, India. The species is closely similar to G. gravelyi, G. rotundinasus and G. elongata in having a shared character i.e. a weakly developed proboscis. It is distinguishable from G. gravelyi for the absence of indistinct black spot at the bases of branched dorsal fin rays and lateral stripes on the side of the body. However, G. rotundinasus possesses lateral stripe along the lateral line. Further, the absence of transverse groove at the tip of snout and longitudinal black band in medial coudal fin differentiated it from G. elongata. The detail comparative account of the 16 available species of northeastern India confirmed its distinct diagnosis as a new species under the genus. Accordingly, after thorough investigation, the taxonomic keys for all the available species under the genus from the region have also been erected in this article.

Highlights

The cyprinid fish genus Garra Hamilton, 1822, is a bottom dwelling fish
In the first revision of the genus, adopting Garra Hamilton as the generic name, Hora (1921) described seven new species from the Himalayan foothill drainages, viz. G. annandalei from Assam and streams at the base of the Darjeeling Himalaya, G. abhoyai from neighborhood hill streams of Ukhrul District in Manipur, G. naganensis from Senapati stream in Naga Hills, Assam, G. prashadi from Malwa Tal, Uttar Pradesh, G. chaudhurii from Darjeeling District in northern Bengal, G. jenkinsonianum from Sita Nullah, Paresnath Hills in Bengal and G. kempi from Abor Hills, Assam
Comparison of a species population of the genus Garra having a weakly developed proboscis, collected from the Kalpangi River in Arunachal Pradesh with the species distributed in the Himalayan foothill drainages of northeastern India and the species from the upper Irrawaddy basin in China and the Rakhine states in Myanmar reveals that the species represents an undescribed species, described as Garra kalpangi sp. nov. (Fig. 1)

Summary

Introduction

The cyprinid fish genus Garra Hamilton, 1822, is a bottom dwelling fish. The genus consists of approximately 70 species in the region from Borneo, southern China and southern Asia through Middle East Asia, Arabian Peninsula and East Africa to West Africa (Zhang & Chen 2002). In the first revision of the genus, adopting Garra Hamilton as the generic name, Hora (1921) described seven new species from the Himalayan foothill drainages, viz. G_annandalei from Assam and streams at the base of the Darjeeling Himalaya, G. abhoyai from neighborhood hill streams of Ukhrul District in Manipur, G. naganensis from Senapati stream in Naga Hills, Assam ( in Manipur), G. prashadi from Malwa Tal, Uttar Pradesh ( in Uttarakhand), G. chaudhurii from Darjeeling District in northern Bengal, G. jenkinsonianum from Sita Nullah, Paresnath Hills in Bengal and G. kempi from Abor Hills, Assam ( in Arunachal Pradesh). Comparison of a species population of the genus Garra having a weakly developed proboscis, collected from the Kalpangi River in Arunachal Pradesh with the species distributed in the Himalayan foothill drainages of northeastern India and the species from the upper Irrawaddy basin in China and the Rakhine states in Myanmar reveals that the species represents an undescribed species, described as Garra kalpangi sp. Comparison of a species population of the genus Garra having a weakly developed proboscis, collected from the Kalpangi River in Arunachal Pradesh with the species distributed in the Himalayan foothill drainages of northeastern India and the species from the upper Irrawaddy basin in China and the Rakhine states in Myanmar reveals that the species represents an undescribed species, described as Garra kalpangi sp. nov. (Fig. 1)

Material and Methods

Discussion and Conclusions