Lepidocephalichthys thermalis ( Valenciennes, 1846 )

Lepidocephalichthys thermalis ( Valenciennes, 1846) View in CoL

( Fig. 7A View Figure 7 )

The sample comprises two females (22.7 mm SL and 33.9 mm SL). The specimens have no modified pectoral fins. This modification, the lamina circularis, is a hardening of the innermost pectoral fin rays, is found only in males ( Havird and Page, 2010) and is already present in juveniles (personal observation).

Coloration and body shape separate L. thermalis unambiguously from L. jonklaasi , the second species of the genus in Sri Lanka. Additionally, both species are spatially separated. Lepidocephalichthys thermalis is widely distributed in the entire lowlands of Sri Lanka, whereas L. jonklaasi is confined to small streams of the rainforests of the south- western wet zone ( Sudasinghe et al., 2024). As these authors stated, L. thermalis is a species complex and needs taxonomic revision. Hacker’s sample could be the basis in the redescription of the “true” L. thermalis . These two specimens are the second and unambiguous record of L. thermalis from the hot springs of Kanniya.