Black Longitudinal Stripes Research Articles

First record of the genus Troglocollops (Coleoptera, Malachiidae) from China, with description of a new species

The genus Troglocollops Wittmer, 1965 is reported from China for the first time. A new species is described and illustrated under the name Troglocollops (Troglocollopsoides) sinicus Tong & Yang, sp. nov. from Xinjiang, China. This new species can be easily distinguished from other species of Troglocollops by the body coloration (pronotum yellow with a black longitudinal stripe in the middle, elytra black with blue metallic lustre and yellow margination of apices), antennomere 1 somewhat smaller than 3, and endophallus with five strong spines and two groups of small spines near apex. An identification key to all known species of Troglocollops is updated.

Integrative Taxonomy, Distribution and Ontogenetic Colouration Change in Neotropical Mountain Catfishes of the Trichomycterus nigroauratus Group (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae).

Catfishes of the genus Trichomycterus comprise the most diverse fish group in mountain river basins crossing the Atlantic Forest of south-eastern Brazil, with a great concentration of species in the Rio Paraíba do Sul basin. The present study is directed to the T. nigroauratus group, endemic to the Rio Paraíba do Sul basin, comprising species commonly found associated with bottom leaf litter. Field studies revealed two sympatric, distinct colour morphs, one comprising small specimens with a black longitudinal stripe over a pale brown ground colour on the flank and another comprising a single larger specimen with small dark browns spots scattered over a pale-yellow ground colour. These specimens were found in the upper Rio Paraitinga drainage, an area disjunct from the area inhabited by the other species of the group. We performed coalescent single-locus analyses for species delimitation using a cytochrome b fragment (1088 bp) for specimens from eight localities, including sequences taken from specimens exhibiting different colouration morphs and topotypes of all the three nominal species of the T. nigroauratus group. The analyses supported the two colouration morphs as belonging to a single species that is herein described. It is distinguished from other congeners by its unique colour pattern, dorsal and anal fins fin more posteriorly placed, and by the morphology of the opercle, metapterygoid and pelvic bone. The Maximum Likelihood analysis indicated the new species as sister to a clade containing all other congeners of the group, which is corroborated by osteological data. The occurrence of different lineages in neighbouring areas of the upper Rio Paraíba do Sul basin is interpreted as a possible vestige of a past complex paleogeographical scenario during the Cenozoic. The present record of striking ontogenetic colouration change, revealed only after checking DNA sequences of individuals exhibiting different colouration phenotypes, again highlights the importance of combining morphological and molecular data in taxonomical studies.

A novel record species of the genus <italic>Lefua </italic>from China and phylogenetic relationships of the genus <italic>Lefua</italic>

<p indent=0mm><italic>Lefua pleskei </italic>(Herzenstein, 1888), a novel record species of the genus <italic>Lefua</italic>, collected from the Tumen River, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, China, was described based on morphology and mitochondrial d-loop sequence analyses. Meanwhile, phylogenetic relationships of <italic>Lefua </italic>species were researched. <italic>Lefua pleskei</italic> is distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: slender body shape, presence of a black longitudinal stripe on both body sides in mature males; the presence of circular-dark blotches on the middle of the caudal fin base in mature females; dorsal fin located much farther posteriad (the anterior length of the dorsal fin was 64.33% of the body length); narrow interorbital (interorbital width was 32.06% of the head length); eyes located dorsolaterally on the head; thin and smooth upper lip; thin lower lip, inconspicuous mastoid in the middle of the lower lip. The phylogenetic relationship constructed based on the maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods showed that <italic>L</italic>.<italic> pleskei</italic> (Kessler, 1876) and <italic>L</italic>.<italic> nikkonis</italic> (Jordan & Fowler, 1903) formed a sister group and a relationship with<italic> L</italic>.<italic> costata</italic>, indicating that the phylogenetic relationship is partially congruent with geographical patterns.

Internal and External Morphological Characteristics of the Medicinal Leech Species Hirudo sulukii and Hirudo verbana

The aim of this study was to investigate the internal and external morphological structures of two species of medicinal leeches (Hirudo sulukii and Hirudo verbana). Leech specimens were collected from various regions of Turkey between the years of 1995-2016. The leeches were first examined alive and later were stunned with 10% ethyl alcohol and fixed in 70% ethyl alcohol or 4% formaldehyde. After fixation, the internal morphology of leeches was examined by dissecting them under a stereo microscope. Both species of leeches are dorso-ventrally flattened. H. verbana is larger and broader than H. sulukii. H. sulukii has black, segmentally-arranged united ellipsoid and elongated spots, and a pair of zigzagged black longitudinal stripes in the dorso-lateral area of its body. The ventral surface of H. sulukii is greenish to brown in colour and has a small number of irregular black spots. H. verbana has broad and diffuse, paramedian, orange stripes on the dorsal surface. Ventrally, H. verbana has a greenish to yellow colour, and it is characterized by a pair of black ventro-lateral stripes. Two of the six leech species (Hirudo sulukii and Hirudo verbana) belonging to the genus Hirudo found in the world are found in Turkey. These two leech species show significant differences from each other, morphologically.

A study of the genus Cyrtosia Perris (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae: Platypyginae) in Yazd province, Iran, with description of a new species.

The genus Cyrtosia Perris (Mythicomyiidae: Platypyginae) was studied in Yazd province in the center of Iran. Three species were collected and identified. A new species, Cyrtosia trivitta sp. nov., is described and its diagnostic characters are illustrated. This species is clearly different from all described species of Cyrtosia in Iran by presence of three black longitudinal stripes on mesonotum, leaving prescutellar area yellow opposite to the other species that have a large seamless black mark.

Two new endemic species of Epictia Gray, 1845 (Serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae) from Northern Peru.

Herein, we describe two new thread snake species of the genus Epictia from elevations higher than 2000 meters above sea level in the Andes of the Cajamarca Region in Northern Peru. Both species share 10 midtail scale rows, a broad contact between the anterior supralabial and the supraocular scales in most of the specimens, and a yellow spot on the snout and the terminal part of the tail. Epictia venegasi sp. nov. is described on the basis of nine specimens and can further be differentiated from its congeners by having 211-221 mid-dorsal scale rows and a color pattern where each body scale is black on the anterior half and yellow on the posterior half. The description of Epictia vonmayi sp. nov. is based on two specimens which can further be differentiated from their congeners by having 196-205 mid-dorsal scale rows and 14 distinct black longitudinal stripes around the body, which run through the center of each scale and are separated by bright yellow interspaces; accordingly the tail exhibits 10 black longitudinal stripes which likewise run through the center of each scale.

Parambassis serrata, a new species of glassperch (Teleostei: Ambassidae) from the Kaladan drainage, India

Parambassis serrata, a new species of glassperch from the Kolo River, Kaladan drainage, Mizoram, India is described. It is distinguished from its congeners by the combination of characters that includes: presence of a faint, vertically-elongated brown humeral blotch; posterior margin of most spines of first dorsal fin proximally blackish; 14-16 dorsal and anal-fin branched rays; a black longitudinal stripe on ventral surface of caudal peduncle; absence of predorsal scales; a serrated preopercular ridge; 51-56 scales in lateral series; and 11 pectoral-fin rays.

Rediscovery of the Sri Lankan ‘house gecko’ Hemidactylus pieresii Kelaart (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) with a redescription of Hemidactylus depressus Gray

Hemidactylus pieresii Kelaart, a species first described from Kandy, Sri Lanka, in 1852 but not recorded since, is redescribedfrom two recently-discovered populations, one at the type locality and another in the rainforests of the island’s south-westernlowlands. It is shown to be similar to H. depressus (in the synonymy of which it has been since 1935), from which it is distin-guished by the possession of 53–58 (vs. 35–41) paravertebral tubercles, 17–19 (vs. 13–16) longitudinal rows of middorsaltubercles, possessing relatively small (vs. large) and closely (vs. widely) spaced middorsal tubercles, 1–3 (vs. no) postcloacalspurs, chocolate-brown (vs. light brown) coloration in life, and nape with distinct black longitudinal stripes (vs. without blackstripes). Hemidactylus pieresii, a member of the H. brooki group, is distinguished from all species of Hemidactylus in Sri Lankaand peninsular India by the combination of the following additional characters: maximum snout-vent length 79.2 mm; ventralscales across midbody, 32–39; dorsal scales heterogeneous; ventral scales smooth, with 3 serrae; precloacal-femoral pores17–20 on each side, separated mesially by 1–3 poreless scales; subcaudals smooth, the median row enlarged; supralabials toangle of jaws, 11 or 12; subdigital lamellae on digit IV of pes, 10 or 11; general body colour chocolate-brown; nape with dis-tinct black longitudinal stripes. The identity of H. pieresii is stabilized through the designation of a neotype. Unlike most otherspecies of Hemidactylus, H. pieresii appears to be restricted to rainforests. Hemidactylus depressus is also redecribed from freshly collected material from Sri Lanka and its syntype BMNH RR1962.190 (65.6 mm SVL) is designated lectotype.

On the taxonomy and distribution of the leaf-beetle Macroplea japana Jacoby, 1885 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)

The species rank of Macroplea japana (Jacoby, 1885) is confirmed based on examination of the holotype. The main characters distinguishing this species from M. mutica are as following: the 4th antennomere is as long as the 3rd segment and somewhat longer than the 2nd segment; the pronotum is smooth, shining, with 3 black longitudinal stripes on the bottoms of 3 longitudinal impressions; the femora and tibiae black apically; the 1st metatarsomere is as long as the 2nd and the 3rd tarsomeres combined and is almost twice as long as the 2nd tarsomere; the claws bear no triangular projection near the bases; the aedeagus forms a shorter apical projection. Macroplea japana is found in Russia (Primorskii Territory) for the first time.

Lebiasina yepezi, a new Lebiasininae (Characiformes: Lebiasinidae) from the Serra Parima-Tapirapecó mountains

Lebiasina yepezi, a new Lebiasininae with a conspicuous color pattern, is described. The new species is endemic of the headwaters of the rio Negro, rio Branco, and rio Orinoco in the Serra Parima-Tapirapecó Mountains, at the border of Brazil and Venezuela. The new species is readily distinguished from all other Lebiasininae by the presence of four black longitudinal stripes on the trunk, and the triangular shaped dorsal surface of the mesethmoid, lacking lateral projections. The unusual color pattern is contrasted with those of other lebiasinin, as well as members of the pyrrhulinin genus Nannostomus. A close relationship between Lebiasina yepezi and the Gran Sabana (Venezuela) species is suggested based in color pattern features. The present contribution corresponds to a further refutation of the type locality of L. intermedia, as suggested on its description, since Lebiasinins, except L. bimaculata, L. boruca, and L. festae, do not occur in low land waters.

Acheilognathus striatus (Family: Cyprinidae), a new bitterling species from the lower Yangtze River, China

A new species of bitterling, Acheilognathus striatus sp. nov., is described on the basis of 57 specimens collected from the lower Yangtze River in Jiangxi Province, China. It can be distinguished from all congeners by the following combined characters: a pair of relatively long barbels, slightly longer than half of eye diameter; dorsal fin with three simple and 8-9 branched fin rays, anal fin with three simple and 7-8 branched fin rays; a black longitudinal stripe on body from the base of caudal peduncle, distinctly reaching anteriorly to the vertical line from the origin of dorsal fin, broader in males than in females; a scale distance between the longitudinal stripe and lateral line below the origin of dorsal fin; dorsal and anal fin margined with black band in males.

Crenicichla ypo (Teleostei: Cichlidae), a new species from the middle Paraná basin in Misiones, Argentina

A new species of Crenicichla, C. ypo, is described from the Arroyo Urugua-í, a left-hand tributary of the middle Paraná River, Misiones province, Argentina. The new species is recognized by 6 to 8 irregular blotches along the upper lateral line, absence of scattered dark spots on flanks, low number (47-55) of E1 scales, and a slightly prognathous lower jaw. Females have a distinctive coloration of the dorsal fin, with a wide black longitudinal stripe on the distal portion with an equally wide red stripe below it.

Tachysurus spilotus, a new species of catfish from central Vietnam (Teleostei: Bagridae)

Tachysurus spilotus, a new species of catfish from central Vietnam, is described. It can be distinguished from congeners except T. argentivittatus, T. longispinalis, and T. virgatus in having a color pattern consisting of black longitudinal stripes on a pale body (vs. with a uniform-colored body with pale patches or transverse bands on a dark body, or with dark rectangular patches on a pale body). It differs from both T. argentivittatus and T. virgatus in snout shape and having gently convex (vs. straight) posterior edges of the caudal-fin lobes; and from T. longispinalis in having a shorter dorsalfin spine (ca. 27% SL vs. 15.1–19.0) and maxillary barbels (shorter, vs. longer than head). Tachysurus mica is shown here to be conspecific with—and a junior synonym of—T. argentivittatus.

Two new fish species of the genus Puntius Hamilton (Cyprinidae) from Manipur, India, with notes on P. ticto (Hamilton) and P. stoliczkanus (Day)

Puntius ater and P. khugae, two new species of fishes, each having a black longitudinal stripe on the side, are described from the Chindwin basin in Manipur, India. Puntius ater, which inhabits sluggish streams is distinct in having the dorsal fin edge black, the lateral line incomplete with 5–11 pored scales, 25–29 scales in the lateral row; transverse scales ½4/1/4½; preanal scales 20; and a black blotch extending over the 19th and 20th scales of the lateral-line row at the level above the posterior end of the anal fin base. Puntius khugae, inhabiting comparatively faster, clear-water streams is distinct in having the dorsal fin edge plain, the lateral line incomplete with 8–11 pored scales, 28–30 scales in the lateral row; transverse scales ½5/1/4½; preanal scales 19; and a black blotch on the 21st scale of the lateral-line row at the level above one scale behind the origin of the last anal fin ray. Morphological traits observed in P. ticto and P. stoliczkanus are given, and the status of these species is discussed

New Astyanax from the upper rio Tapajós drainage, Central Brazil (Characiformes: Characidae)

Astyanax utiariti, new species, is described from the upper rio Tapajós drainage, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Astyanax utiariti has a horizontally oval black humeral spot, a lozenge-shaped caudal-peduncle spot, continuing to the tip of the middle caudal-fin rays, and two brown bars in the humeral region that allows its inclusion in the A. bimaculatus species group. It also possesses a black stripe extending along midlateral body. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by a reticulate scale pattern, a black longitudinal stripe, toothless maxilla, larger dentary teeth and teeth of the inner row of the premaxilla with five to seven cusps, body depth 33.3-39.9% of standard length (SL), head length (HL) 23.9-26.4% of SL, caudal-peduncle depth 12.0-13.4% of SL, orbital diameter 28.5-34.3% of HL, interorbital width 32.7-38.4% of HL, 36-38 perforated scales along the lateral line, and 22-26 branched anal-fin rays.

Scale‐eating habits of the marine teleost Terapon jarbua (Forskål)

Terapon jarbua, a marine teleost attaining a length of 25 cm, is abundant in the estuaries of the tropical and subtropical Indian Ocean. Fish scales removed from living fish are the most important food and represent the utilization of a niche previously unrecorded in the marine environment. Laboratory experiments show that T. jarbua can digest fish scales which have a relatively high energy content of 2cal mg−1 and further that the scales are removed only from living fish and not collected off the bottom or from dead fish. The scales are taken under natural conditions from fish larger than T. jarbua and slow swimming species are favoured. T. jarbua always attacks the lateral surface of the prey species and scales are removed mainly from the posterior region of the body, particularly around the caudal peduncle. A variety of species are attacked. The black longitudinal stripes of T. jarbua fade during feeding but in the presence of conspecifics darken. This colour pattern, which is unique among south east African estuarine fish, together with the small size of T. jarbua scales, may prevent autopredation. It is suggested that the scale‐eating habit of T. jarbua arose as a modified form of predation or as an extension of ‘cleaning’ ectoparasites from the scales of larger fish. Ectoparasites are relatively common in the diet of T. jarbua.