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Dorsal spines (total): -0; Dorsal soft rays (total): -7; Anal spines: -0; Anal soft rays: -6. Diagnosis: predorsal lenght 35.7% SL; prepelvic lenght 45.4% SL; prepectoral length 19.0% SL; lengths of pectoral-fin 23.1% SL, dorsal-fin 16.1% SL and caudal-fin 15.0% SL; caudal-peduncle length 8.9% SL; length of adipose-fin base 25.9% SL and anal-fin base 6.6% SL; maxillary barbel length 71.2% HL; caudal-peduncle depth 8.9% SL; post adipose distance 10.1% SL; inner 19.1% HL mandibular barbel length and outer 32.1% HL ; pectoral fin not reaching pelvic-fin origin; pelvic fin not reaching at vertical through adipose-fin origin; pale patches on body except occipital region; rectal lobe tip obtusely rounded; caudalfin lobes equal; posterior margin of caudal fin slightly convex; adipose-fin separate from caudal fin; 1st principal ray of the upper and lower lobes of the caudal fin moderately extending away from the base; and caudal fin with broad bean-shaped medial band (Ref. 96853).
Description: head depressed, slightly longer than broad, dorsum with thick and smooth skin, superficialis muscle of cranium prominent and elevated; body elongate, depressed anteriorly, widest at pelvic-fin origin; dorsal profile rising abruptly from snout tip to level of nostril, then evenly to occipital base, thereafter gently convex to dorsal-fin origin, followed by almost horizontal to adipose-fin origin; further, evenly sloping to end of adipose-fin base and very slightly rising to origin of 1st procurrent ray, resulting in lowest caudal-peduncle depth at end of adipose-fin base; ventral profile almost flat to anal-fin origin, then rising gently to posterior end of anal-fin base and thereafter descending very gently to origin of first procurrent ray; body moderately compressed from operculum to posterior end of pelvic fin followed by more acute compression up to caudal-fin base; anus and urogenital openings situated nearer to anal-fin origin (26.2% Pl-A Length) than to pelvic-fin origin and equal to internarial distance; gill opening short, originating at point anterodorsal to upper end of pectoral-fin base and restricted to middle of its base; operculum margin folded ventrally giving a smooth and thick appearance; branchiostegal rays 4; 4 pairs of barbels; maxillary barbel with broad base, triangular when expanded, dorso-ventrally flattened with broad base and small pointed tip, ventral surface plicated, tip reaching base of 1st branched ray of pectoral fin, 2 types of projections on ventroposterior margin, about 1/3 proximal part consisting lobulate projections (cylindrically rounded) and distal small and rounded; lateral mandibular barbel slender with pointed tip, postero-laterally directed, extending more than halfway to pectoral-fin origin; medial mandibular barbel shorter and more posteriorly directed than lateral barbel, originating slightly anteromedial to it; nasal barbel with broad base and pointed tip, with small flap of thin skin fringing posterior margin, postero-laterally directed, reaching almost anterior to orbital margin; anterior naris rounded and posterior naris tubular; mouth inferior and transverse; jaws equal; lips thick and fleshy, densely covered by rounded, ovoid, and irregular elevated papillae, more dense in lower lip; postlabial fold well developed, extending from level of upper lip to below medial mandibular barbel base, followed by broad interruption between the barbel bases; post labial fold densely covered with elevated and rounded papillae; lower lip not connected to base of maxillary barbel by a skin flap, sulcus present between lip and base; region between posterior margin of lower lip and pectoral-fin origin more densely papillated medially; rounded papillae uniformly distributed in area between pectoral-fin bases; eye small, almost round, subcutaneous, and dorsally situated between anterior margin of naris and posterior end of operculum; dorsal fin soft and with bulbous base, devoid of spine, with i, 6 rays, origin nearer to snout tip than caudal-fin base, almost 1/3 of SL, 2nd branched ray longest, height almost equal to body depth at dorsal-fin origin, anterior margin very gently convex, tip of adpressed fin slightly exceeds vertical through posterior end of pelvic-fin base; adipose fin with long base, anterior and dorsal margin very gently arched throughout, posterior end slightly incised; caudal fin oar-shaped, posterior margin slightly convex, with i, 7, 6, i principal rays; anal fin soft, elliptic with ii, 4 rays, anterior base slightly bulbous, anterior margin straight, origin slightly posterior of vertical through middle of adipose fin; pelvic fin soft with i, 5 rays, origin at vertical through end of dorsal-fin base, anterior base slightly bulbous, anterior margin moderately convex, posterior margin evenly rounded, tip of adpressed fin not reaching anterior margin of anus but almost reaching vertical through adipose-fin origin, first element lanceolate, thick and flattened, ventral surface with numerous 41 plicae; pectoral fin, soft, devoid of spine with i, 14 rays, 1st element elongate leaf shaped, thick and dorso-ventrally flattened, ventral surface with 54 plicae, anterior margingently convex upto middle of first element and then straight upto tip; posterior margin evenly rounded; adipose-fin base shorter than predorsal length; caudalpeduncle depth greater than anal-fin base, but shorter than pectoral- and dorsal-fin bases; distance between pectoral- and pelvic-fin origins almost equal to pelvic-fin origin and posterior end of anus; distance between anal-fin origin to caudal fin base shorter than distance between anal-fin to pelvic-fin origins; distance between pelvic-fin to anal-fin origins longer than that between pectoral-fin to pelvic-fin origins (Ref. 96853).
Coloration: in preservative; head and body light brownish gray except ventral region which is light milky white from snout tip to abdominal region, then light yellow to anal-fin origin followed by light brown to caudal-fin base; dorsal surface of body with light yellow patches: 1 small patch on the base of 1st dorsal-fin ray and another (somewhat bigger) at its posterior end, 1 small elliptical patch each on anterior and posterior base of adipose fin, 1 each on upper and lower caudal-fin base; anterior margin of dorsal fin dark brown, distal dusky and others hyaline; adipose fin light brown throughout the length except light milky white distal margin; caudal fin with brown base and broad bean-shaped light-yellow medial band, followed by black band distally; anal fin with anterior and distal margin dusky and others hyaline; dorsum of pectoral and pelvic fins light brownish yellow medially and hyaline distally, ventral surface milky white more on first element and others light milky white; maxillary barbel light brownish gray; nasal barbel light milky white except anterior margin and tip region which is black; lateral and medial barbel light milky white (Ref. 96853). |