Identity of Labeo nigrescens Day, 1870 with descriptions of two new Labeo species from the Southern Western Ghats

Rahul G. Kumar; Charan Ravi; V. S. Basheer

doi:10.21077/ijf.2025.72.1.146813-04

Identity of Labeo nigrescens Day, 1870 with descriptions of two new Labeo species from the Southern Western Ghats

1369 / 971

Authors

Rahul G. Kumar
Charan Ravi
V. S. Basheer NBFGR, Cochin Unit, Ernakulam, Kerala, India

https://doi.org/10.21077/ijf.2025.72.1.146813-04

Keywords:

Labeo, Western Ghats, Biodiversity, Conservation, New Species

Abstract

The identity of Labeo nigrescens Day, 1870 is established based on examination of syntypes and a topotype from South Canara. L. nigrescens can be distinguished from congeners by its distinct colour pattern and a unique lateral line feature. A population from the Chalakkudy River basin in Kerala, formerly considered conspecific with L. nigrescens, is described here as Labeo chekida, a new species. In addition, a species from the Chandragiri River basin in Northern Kerala and South Canara, characterised by dramatically elongated finnage, is recognised as a new species distinct from L. nigrescens and L. filiferus and is described here as Labeo uru sp. nov.

Keywords: Biodiversity, Conservation, Labeo, New species, Western Ghats

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References

1. Day, F. 1870. Notes on some fishes from the western coast of India. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1870(2): 369–374.

2. Day, F. 1878. Fishes of India. Part 4. Quaritch, London, xx + 226 pp. (pp. i–xx + 553–778), pls. 134–195.

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7. Plamoottil, M. and Primoz Zupancic, P. 2017. Labeo filiferus, a new fish species (cypriniformes, cyprinidae) from Kerala, India. Biosci. discov. 8 (3): 301-306

8. Sudasinghe, H., Ranasinghe, R. T., Goonatilake, S. D. A. and Meegaskumbura, M. 2018. A review of the genus Labeo (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) in Sri Lanka. Zootaxa, 4486 (3): 201-235. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4486.3.1

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Published

2025-05-25

Issue

Vol. 72 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Articles

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How to Cite

G. Kumar, R., Ravi, C., & Basheer, V. S. (2025). Identity of Labeo nigrescens Day, 1870 with descriptions of two new Labeo species from the Southern Western Ghats. Indian Journal of Fisheries, 72(1). https://doi.org/10.21077/ijf.2025.72.1.146813-04