Pale Blotches Research Articles

Molecular phylogeny of Asian pipesnakes, genus Cylindrophis Wagler, 1828 (Squamata: Cylindrophiidae), with the description of a new species from Myanmar.

Cylindrophis is a genus of secretive, semi-fossorial, non-venomous snakes comprising 14 species, characterized by a generally cylindrical body, uniform scales (with barely enlarged ventrals), and vestiges of pelvic and limb bones, the latter terminating in a claw lateral to the vent. We reconstructed a concatenated molecular phylogeny of seven taxa of Cylindrophis taxa based on one nuclear (R35) and two mitochondrial (16S, ND2) genes. Analyses recovered the Sri Lankan endemic C. maculatus as sister to all other sampled Cylindrophis. The mainland Southeast Asian species C. burmanus and C. jodiae form successive sister lineages to a monophyletic Wallacean island group containing C. boulengeri, C. isolepis, and C. yamdena. We also describe a new species of Cylindrophis, morphologically similar to C. burmanus, from Kachin State in northern Myanmar. Cylindrophis slowinskii sp. nov. is distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: 19 dorsal scale rows at midbody, 216-220 ventrals, eight subcaudals, a dark venter with > 60 very narrow diffuse pale blotches, and a pale bar running along the posterior border of the prefrontals. In our phylogeny, the new species is strongly supported as the sister species of C. burmanus. It is the 15th currently recognised species in the genus, and the fourth from mainland Southeast Asia.

A new species of dink frog, genus Diasporus (Anura: Eleutherodactylidae), from the Caribbean foothills of the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica.

A new dink frog (Eleutherodactylidae: Diasporus) is described from the Tropical Wet Forest, in the northeastern foothills of Cordillera de Talamanca in Costa Rica at an elevation of ca. 1000 m. Analysis of DNA sequences of the 16S rRNA (16S) and cytochrome oxidase 1 (COI) mitochondrial genes revealed a distinct lineage within the genus Diasporus. Additional morphological, morphometric, and acoustic analyses support the differences of this lineage, which we recognize as a new species. This new taxon is distinguished from other members of the genus Diasporus inhabiting Isthmian Central America by its unique coloration: dorsum brown to brown-grayish and venter gray-bluish with pale blotches. The new species is distinguished from other members of the genus Diasporus by very significant genetic distances (higher than 5.6 % in 16S and 16.7 % in COI). The new taxon is most closely related to D. vocator from the south pacific of Costa Rica and to an unnamed taxon from western Panama.

Revalidation of a moray eel, Gymnothorax mucifer Snyder, 1904 (Teleostei: Anguilliformes: Muraenidae), with a revised distribution.

Gymnothorax mucifer Snyder, 1904 has been synonymized with G. kidako (Temminck Schlegel, 1846) since 2000. Examination of material from Hawaii (type locality) and Taiwan reveal that G. mucifer is a valid species based on morphological and molecular data. It can be distinguished from G. kidako by a plainly colored lower jaw (vs. mottled), white margin of the anal fin replaced by serial pale blotches posteriorly on the tail (vs. white margin continuous to tip of tail), more dentary teeth (17-27 vs. 16-20), and fewer total vertebrae (130-141 vs. 140-143). In the present study, a redescription of G. mucifer is provided, and the distribution of G. mucifer and G. kidako is reevaluated.

A new Tatia (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae) from the rio Iguaçu basin, Paraná State, Brazil

A new species of Tatia is described from the lower rio Iguaçu basin, Paraná State, Brazil. The new species is distinguishable from congeners by having large, irregular pale blotches over dark brown base coloration, absent longitudinal stripe, caudal fin with round to striate dark brown spots over light base in adults or entirely dark in juveniles, and by having a long humeral process. Sexual dimorphism of the new species is marked by differences among genital and urinary apertures, size proportions between upper and lower lobe of caudal fin, and size, width and presence of antrorse and retrorse spines on anal-fin rays.

New Species of Anomochilus from Borneo (Squamata: Anomochilidae)

A new species of Anomochilus is described from Gunung Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo). The new species is diagnosed from the only two other known species in the genus by the combination of the following character states: SVL to 509 mm; an azygous parietofrontal; paravertebrals 269; transverse body rows 17 : 19 : 17; midventrals 258–261; subcaudals 7–8; dorsum unpatterned dark brown, except for pale flecks, one scale wide, on paravertebral region; large pale blotches absent on dorsum; flanks without light line; and a pair of large pale blotches present on either side of venter. A dichotomous identification key to the three currently known species of Anomochilus is provided. With three species of Anomochilus known for Borneo, the island is the center of diversification of this genus of presumably fossorial and cryptozoic snakes.

A new species of the snake genus Fimbrios from Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Truong Son, central Vietnam (Squamata: Xenodermatidae)

A second species of the previously monotypic snake genus Fimbrios is described from the Truong Son Mountain Range, Vietnam. Fimbrios smithi sp. n. is included in this genus on the basis of the combination of the following characters: rostral, mental and first three to four labials with raised, erected edges; a horizontal ridge of tissues above the rostral; a very large loreal. It is distinguished from F. klossi by having the suture between the internasals longer than that between the prefrontals; two suboculars; 193 ventrals, and 72 unpaired subcaudal scales; total length of at least 440 mm in males (with a tail length of 94 mm, and a tail / total length ratio of 0.214); dorsum greyish brown, with a paler flank area, and pale blotches and stripes in the neck region. Fimbrios smithi sp. n. is the seventh snake species that has been described as new from the Phong Nha—Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh Province, central Vietnam, in the last decade; it is the forty-fourth colubrid snake species known from that region, which now comprises 60 snake species in general.

A new pale-spotted species of Hypostomus Lacépède (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the rio Tocantins and rio Xingu basins in central Brazil

A new species of the genus Hypostomus Lacépède (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) from rio Tocantins and rio Xingu basins in central Brazil, is described. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by a unique combination of pale blotches over a darker background on head, body and fins, and conspicuous keels on head, predorsal region and lateral plates. Comments on the pale-spotted species of Hypostomus are provided.

<i>Bagrichthys obscurus</i> a new species of bagrids catflsh from Indochina (Teleostei: Bagridae)

Bragrichthys obscuros new species, is described from drainages Indochina. It is morphologically similar to and has heen previously identified as B. macmpterus;butcan be differentiated from that speqres in having a uniformly brown body without a pale midlateral stripe and without pale blotches on the sides of the body a more slender body, a shorter adipose-fin base, and the genital pápilla, in males mepting tbe base, of the first anal-fin ray