Mystus irulu, a new species of bagrid catfish from the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India (Teleostei: Bagridae).

Abstract

Mystus irulu, new species, is described from the Netravathi River system from the Western Ghats of Karnataka. It differs all South Asian congeners in having a uniformly black colour pattern, a long-based adipose fin reaching the base of the last dorsal-fin ray anteriorly, dorsal fin with convex dorsoposterior margin, and the following combination of characters: body depth at anus 19.922.3 % SL, dorsal-fin spine length 17.518.7 % SL, adipose-fin base 34.238.4 % SL, caudal peduncle depth 10.611.9 % SL and eye diameter 27.237.1 % HL.