Monopterus ichthyophoides, a new species of scaled swamp eel from Mizoram, India

Monopterus ichthyophoides is described from specimens collected from the Sawleng River and a public well at Luangmual, both in the Barak River drainage in Mizoram, India by Dr Ralf Britz, Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, London, Mr HT Lalremsanga , Mr Lalrotluanga Department of Zoology, Mizoram University & Dr Lalramliana, Department of Zoology, Pachhunga University College.

Monopterus ichthyophoides differs from all other species of synbranchids in having only 2 branchiostegal rays (vs 5–6). It differs further from all other synbranchids, except M. cuchia, M. fossorius, M. indicus, and M. desilvai by the presence of scales. It differs from the latter four species also by the number of vertebrae (79–82 + 34–37 = 114–117 vs M. cuchia 99–112 + 55–70 = 166–188, M. fossorius 73 + 53-56 = 126 -129, M. indicus 93–99 + 42–45=137–144, M. desilvai 75 +69 =144). It differs further from M. cuchia in having the scales restricted to the posterior part of its body (vs extending anteriorly up to the head) and from M. desilvai and M. indicus in having scales extending anteriorly far beyond the vent (vs. ending posterior to vent in M. desilvai and M. indicus, but with a small separate scale patch in M. indicus)

Batasio convexirostrum, a new species of catfish (Teleostei: Bagridae) from Koladyne basin, India

Batasio convexirostrum, a new bagrid catfish, is described from the Koladyne drainage, Mizoram, India.  by A. DARSHAN, Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research (ICAR), Bhimtal-263 136, Uttarakhand, India with  N. ANGANTHOIBI and W. VISHWANATH, Department of Life Sciences, Manipur University, Canchipur-795 003, Manipur, India.

It is distinguished from congeners by a combination of the following characters: body with a dark-brown oblique predorsal bar on a uniform light-brown background; very short dorsal to adipose distance (1.7–4.1% SL); snout length 39.2–45.5% head length; eye diameter 24.6–29.8% head length; gill rakers on the first branchial arch 4–5; pectoral spine length 14.6–17.6% standard length; adipose-fin base length 31.0–34.9% standard length; post-adipose distance 10.6–13.7% standard length; branched pectoral fin rays 9–10; and 39–40 vertebrae. 

For more information:

http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2011/f/z02901p058f.pdf

Two New species of Glyptothorax from Mizoram

Two new species of Glyptothorax (Glyptothorax ater and Glyptothorax caudimaculatus) are described from the Koladyne basin of Mizoram State, India by Dr Nongmaithem Anganthoibi and Prof. Waikhom Vishwanath, Manipur University, Manipur.

Glyptothorax ater is distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: dark brown body with two horizontal light creamish stripes, one each along mid-dorsal line and lateral lines; two pale creamish ovoid spots on either side of the dorsal-fin origin connected by thin creamish oblique stripes forming spectacle like mark; greatly arched predorsal profile; shorter nasal barbel not reaching anterior margin of eye; rhomboidal thoracic adhesive apparatus with a conspicuous central depression, longitudinally elongated and with a constriction at mid-length; ventral surfaces of the pectoral spine and two to four outer rays of the pelvic fin pleated.

Glyptothorax caudimaculatus is distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: rhomboidal-shaped thoracic adhesive apparatus with its unculiferous ridges extending anteriorly onto the gular region; central depression on thoracic adhesive apparatus opening posteriorly in an inverted V-shaped form; sparsely granulated skin; papillated lips; long nasal barbel, its length being 35.2-43.3 % HL; acutely pointed snout; ventral surface of paired fin rays non-plaited; and posteriorly serrated pectoral-fin spine.

For more information see:

Two new species of Glyptothorax from the Koladyne basin, Mizoram, India (Teleostei: Sisoridae)

Nongmaithem Anganthoibi* and Waikhom Vishwanath*

Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters Volume 21 • Number 4 • December 2010