Sahyadria, a new genus of barbs (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from Western Ghats of India

Abstract

Redline Torpedo Barbs (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), comprising of two species, Puntius denisonii and P. chalakkudiensis, and six evolutionarily distinct lineages are endemic to the streams of the Western Ghats freshwater ecoregion in peninsular India. Based on molecular and osteological evidence, we demonstrate that these barbs comprise a distinct genus, for which we propose the name Sahyadria.