Pethia sanjaymoluri, a new species of barb (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from the northern Western Ghats, India

Abstract

Pethia sanjaymoluri, a new cyprinid, is described from the Pavana and Nira tributaries of Bhima River, Krishna drainage, Maharashtra, India. It can be distinguished from congeners by a combination of characteristics that includes an incomplete lateral line, absence of barbels, upper lip thick and fleshy, 23–25 lateral series scales, 7–12 lateral†line pored scales, 10 predorsal scales, 11–14 prepelvic scales, 17–20 pre†anal scales, 4½ scales between dorsal†fin origin and lateral line, four scales between lateral line and pelvic†fin origin, 8–15 pairs of serrae on distal half of dorsal†fin spine, 12–14 branched pectoral†fin rays, 4 + 26 total vertebrae, 4 + 5 predorsal vertebrae, 4 + 13 abdominal vertebrae, 13 caudal vertebrae and a unique colour pattern comprising a humeral spot positioned below the lateral line and encompassing the third and fourth lateral†line scales and one scale below, one caudal spot on 17th–21st lateral†line scales with a yellow hue on its anterior side and apical half of dorsal fin studded with melanophores making the fin tip appear black. Genetic analysis based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequence suggests that the species is distinct from other known species of Pethia for which data are available.