Glyptothorax sardashtensis, a new species of torrent catfish from the upper Lesser Zab drainage in Iran (Teleostei: Sisoridae).

Abstract

Glyptothorax sardashtensis, new species, from the upper Lesser Zab in Iran, is distinguished from its congeners in the Persian Gulf basin by: a plain flank without black or brown blotches; a wide and round anterior margin of the medial pit in the thoracic adhesive apparatus; few, short median striae in the thoracic adhesive apparatus; three yellowish blotches arranged in a crescent-shaped arch on the nuchal plate in front of the dorsal-fin origin; no tubercles on the head and flank; and a short adipose fin. The new species is also distinguished by a minimum K2P sequence divergence of 2.16% in the mtDNA-COI barcode region from G. daemon and G. galaxias, its closest relatives. Glyptothorax kurdistanicus is re-discovered close to its type locality.