Indoreonectes kalsubai, Jadhav & Karuthapandi & Jaiswal & Shankar & Dinesh & Raghunathan & Banerjee, 2024

Indoreonectes kalsubai sp. nov.

( Figures 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6 , Table 1)

Type material: Holotype: 44.3 mm SL. India, Western Ghats, Maharashtra State, Ahmadnagar District, Kalsubai hills, Stream near Baari Village , 19.6090N; 73.7307E, 822 m asl, 16.i.2021, coll. Shrikant Jadhav and M. Karuthapandi (ZSI/ FBRC /F/4039) GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 9 exs.,

33.7–43.2 mm SL; same locality and label data as holotype (ZSI/FBRC/F/4040).

Type depository: The type specimens are deposited in the museum collections of the Zoological Survey of India, Freshwater Biology Regional Centre, Hyderabad, India (ZSI/ FBRC) .

Diagnosis: Indoreonectes kalsubai can be distinguished from all congeners by the absence (vs. presence) of distinct spots on the dorsal side of the head. Further, Indoreonectes kalsubai can be distinguished from I. rajeevi by the absence (vs. presence) of conspicuous black marking on the lower lip; presence (vs. absence) of dorsal hump behind the nape; caudal peduncle as long as deep (vs. slightly longer than deep); inner rostral barbel reaching upto nostril (vs. reaching further posteriorly to anterior margin of the eye); and maxillary barbel not reaching the posterior border of operculum (vs. reaching to the posterior border of operculum). Indoreonectes kalsubai can be distinguished from I. neeleshi by having the lateral bars narrower (vs. wider) than inter-bar spaces; absence (vs. presence) of a dark brown to black spot at the base of the first dorsal-fin ray and distinct spots on the dorsal side of the head.

Indoreonectes kalsubai is distinguished from I. telanganaensis by having the absence (vs. presence) of spots on the cheek below the eye; and the absence (vs. presence) of a dark brown to black spot at the base of the first dorsal-fin ray and distinct spots on dorsal side of head. Indoreonectes kalsubai can be distinguished from I. evezardi by having a caudal peduncle bar not divided into two spots (vs. divided into two spots); caudal peduncle as long as deep (vs. deeper than long); absence (vs. presence) of a dark brown to black spot at the base of first dorsal-fin ray; absence (vs. presence) of distinct spots on the dorsal side of head; and dorsal-fin origin vertical from pelvic-fin base (vs. posterior to vertical at pelvic-fin base).

Indoreonectes kalsubai can be distinguished from I. radhanagari by the absence (vs. presence) of a dark brown to black spot at the base of the first dorsal-fin ray; absence (vs. presence) of distinct spots on the dorsal side of the head; lateral bars narrower than (vs. equal to) inter-bar spaces; and inner rostral barbel reaching upto nostril (vs. reaching further posterior margin of the eye).

Indoreonectes kalsubai can be distinguished from I. amrabad by having lateral bars narrower than inter-bar spaces (vs. blotches on body); caudal peduncle as long as deep (vs. deeper than long); three to four rows of dark-brown spots on caudal-fin rays (vs. five to six rows of dark-brown spots); absence (vs. presence) of distinct spots on the dorsal side of head; and absence (vs. presence) of spots on the cheek below the eye.

Indoreonectes kalsubai can be distinguished from I. keralensis by having long nasal barbel reaching the middle of the eye (vs. short nasal barbel barely reaching anterior margin of the eye); inner rostral barbel reaching upto nostril (vs. reaching further posteriorly to anterior margin of the eye); presence (vs. absence) of dorsal hump behind nape; caudal peduncle as long as deep (vs. longer than deep); spots on the cheek below eye absent (vs. present); and dorsal-fin origin vertical from pelvic-fin base (vs. posterior to vertical at pelvic-fin base).

Description: Morphometric data of the holotype and nine paratypes are provided in Table 1. Body moderately elongate, sub-cylindrical, its length 6.7-7.3 times depth; maximum body depth between pectoral-fin base and dorsal-fin origin. Body anteriorly slightly compressed; predorsal outline convex, caudal peduncle compressed. The dorsal profile rises evenly from the tip of the snout to the head, gradually rising to dorsal-fin origin, a distinct hump behind the nape, sloping gently to the origin of the adipose crest on the caudal peduncle. The ventral profile is almost straight.

Head small, depressed. Snout rounded, eye large dorsolaterally placed, not visible from ventral view. Mouth semicircular in ventral aspect, with thick fleshy lips, lower lip interrupted medially by a deep groove; processus dentiformes well developed. Barbels well developed, four pairs; two rostral barbels almost equally long, inner one extending up to nostril, outer reaching slightly beyond anterior margin of eye; maxillary barbel longest, extending beyond perpendicular from the posterior border of the eye; nasal barbel reaching middle of the eye.

Dorsal fin origin opposite to vertical through pelvic-fin insertion, closer to the base of the caudal fin than the snout tip, its posterior margin rounded, with 3 (10) simple and 7 (10) branched rays. The pectoral fin is rounded, horizontally placed, and smaller than the head, with 1 (10) simple and 9 (10) branched rays. Ventral fin origin opposite to dorsal-fin origin, with 1 (10) simple and 7 (10) branched rays, not reaching the anus when depressed. Anal fin with 3 (10) simple and 5 (10) branched rays, not reaching caudal-fin base when depressed. Caudal fin rounded, with 18(4) or 19*(6) principal rays (with 3-5* unbranched and 14*-15 branched rays); dorsal and ventral procurrent rays subdermal. The caudal peduncle is as long as deep, its length 1.0 times its depth. The lateral line is incomplete with 11*-15 pores, short, ending above the middle of the pectoral fin. Scales minute. Cephalic lateral-line system with 5*(6), 6(3), 7(1) supraorbital, 4*(7), 5(3) + 8(2), 9*(6), 10(2) infraorbital, 3(2), 4*(4), 5(3), 6(1) supratemporal pores, 8(2), 9(7), 10*(1) preoperculomandibular canal pores.

Coloration: In life ( Figure 5 View Figure 5 ). Body yellowish-white to grey with brownish-black irregular vertical bars laterally, narrower than inter-bar spaces; bars overlaid with melanophores. Dorsal surface of the head dark grey or mottled; lips, rostral barbels and ventral surface with scattered black pigment cells. Dark brown or black spot on base of first dorsal-fin ray absent; dorsal fin interradial membrane hyaline with two rows of black spots on rays; rays of pectoral-fin with some black pigmentation, especially at point of first branching, forming an indistinct row of dots in these fins; ventral and anal fin hyaline, lacking spots; caudal fin interradial membrane hyaline, with three to four rows of dark-brown spots on rays; dark-brown vertical bar on caudal-fin base. Ventral surface without any markings. In preservatives ( Figure 6 View Figure 6 ), colouration is similar to that in life but faded.

Habitat: At the time of collection, the type locality of Indoreonectes kalsubai was a stream up to 5 m wide, comprising both calm stretches as well as riffles. Water had a maximum depth of 20cm and the substrate consisted of gravel with few smaller stones. The stream was observed to flood during monsoon, thereafter reducing inflow during summer. Co-occurring species include Rasbora daniconius , Schistura denisoni , Parapsilorhynchus sp. , Devario aequipinnatus and Garra mullya .

Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from the name ‘Kalsubai’, one of the highest mountain peaks in the northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra, which also comprises the type locality. The species epithet is a noun in apposition to the generic name.

Distribution: Indoreonectes kalsubai is currently known only from the Kalsubai hills, northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra ( Figure 1 View Figure 1 ).

Common name: Kalsubai loach