CEPF Western Ghats Special Series : Balitora laticauda, a new species of stone loach (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Balitoridae) from Krishna River, northern Western Ghats, India

Abstract

A new species of stone loach Balitora laticauda is described from the Krishna River, northern Western Ghats, India. It differs from all known species of the genus in a combination of characters including: 10 transverse bands on the dorsal surface, deeper caudal peduncle, two prominent rows of papilla encircling upper lip where the proximate row has small papillae while distal row has larger papillae, 66-68 lateral line scales, 8-9 simple rays in pectoral fin, two simple rays in the pelvic fin and pectoral fin not surpassing pelvic fin base. The new species also differs from its related species in the ratios such as caudal peduncle length to depth (2.21-2.89), standard length to body depth (7.48-8.72), head length to head depth (2.11-2.50), head length to interorbital distance (2.20-2.96), head depth to head length (0.42-0.47), eye diameter to head length (0.13-0.17) and head width to gape of mouth (3.12-4.78). As percent of standard length B. laticauda sp. nov. differs from other related species with respect to caudal peduncle depth (6.3-7.4%), caudal peduncle length (15.0-20.0%), body width at anus (8.7-11.5%), body depth at anus (9.1-11.4%), pre-dorsal fin length (43.7-47.4%), pre-pectoral fin length (12.9-16.2%), pre-anal fin length (74.3-79.3%), pre-pelvic fin length (44.4-48.3%), pelvic fin length (19.3-23.7%), pectoral fin length (24.1-28.9%) and body depth at dorsal (11.5-13.4%).