Pseudobarbus Smith, 1841

Skelton, Paul H., Swartz, Ernst R. & Vreven, Emmanuel J., 2018, The identity of Barbus capensis Smith, 1841 and the generic status of southern African tetraploid cyprinids (Teleostei, Cyprinidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 410, pp. 1-29 : 16-17

Genus Pseudobarbus Smith, 1841

Barbus Daudin, 1805: 58 (in part, non-Cuvier: Barbus (Pseudobarbus) burchelli Smith, 1841 ).

Pseudobarbus – Skelton 1988: 263 (raised the subgenus of Smith (1841) to generic status).

Type species

Pseudobarbus burchelli Smith, 1841 .

Included species

Pseudobarbus burchelli Smith, 1841 ; Pseudobarbus afer (Peters, 1864) ( Fig. 10A ); Pseudobarbus asper ( Boulenger, 1911) ; Pseudobarbus burgi ( Boulenger, 1911) ; Pseudobarbus senticeps (Smith, 1936) ; Pseudobarbus phlegethon ( Barnard, 1938) ; Pseudobarbus quathlambae ( Barnard, 1938) ; Pseudobarbus tenuis ( Barnard, 1938) ; Pseudobarbus skeltoni Chakona & Swartz, 2013 ; Pseudobarbus verloreni Chakona, Swartz & Skelton, 2014 ; Pseudobarbus swartzi Chakona & Skelton, 2017 .

Diagnosis

Pseudobarbus is distinct from all other southern African tetraploid cyprinine genera in having a flexible, non-serrated dorsal-fin unbranched ray (vs serrated), in adults sexual dimorphism expressed in nuptial tubercle development and fin size and shape ( Pseudobarbus males develop conical tubercles on the head in a distinct pattern, on the scales in a row along the free edge, and in bands on the pectoral fins vs adults of both sexes having small erupted tubercles scattered over the head and scales; males of Pseudobarbus have longer and more expansive fins than females vs similar finnage in both sexes), a reduced or absent mandibular lateral line canal (vs normally developed mandibular canal), and in having weakly ossified characteristics of the skeleton, especially the supraneural and intra-muscular bones (vs regularly ossified supraneural and intramuscular bones). In addition to these characters Pseudobarbus differs from all these genera except Sedercypris gen. nov. in having red pigmentation at the base of the fins (vs no red pigmentation); from Cheilobarbus in adult size (<150 mm SL vs> 150 mm SL); from Amatolacypris gen. nov. in having slender third and fourth infraorbital bones (vs broad third and fourth infraorbitals); and from Namaquacypris gen. nov. in the position of the dorsal fin ( Pseudobarbus dorsal fin in midbody, origin over or just behind the origin of the pelvic fins vs posteriorly, origin behind the pelvic fin), and in not having a membrane connecting the inner pelvic fin rays to the body (vs a membrane connecting the inner pelvic rays to the body). Pseudobarbus differs further from Sedercypris gen. nov. in the position of the mouth (subterminal vs terminal), and the number of anal-fin branched rays (five vs six or seven).

Etymology

Pseudobarbus is derived from ‘ pseudes ’ (Greek) meaning false, deceptive, and ‘ barba ’ (Latin) a beard; in reference to a deceptive similarity with the genus Barbus from Europe.

Description

Species of Pseudobarbus are moderate-sized (<150 mm SL) fusiform or terete, tetraploid smiliogastrin minnows, with one or two pairs of simple circum-oral barbels; lips variably developed, pharyngeal teeth in two or three rows; tooth formulae 0-2,3,3,4+5-5-4,3,0-2; pharyngeal tooth crowns variable with offset major cusp; intestine variable in length from 1: 1 in SL to 3–4:1 SL; scales radially striated, from small to moderate in size, nape and breast scales reduced or embedded; no pectoral or pelvic axil scale; lateral line interrupted or complete, in mid-body; cephalic lateral line system with pre-opercular branch disconnected and reduced or absent on the mandible. Dorsal fin with simple flexible unbranched ray and normally seven branched rays. Anal fin with five branched rays. Pectoral fins sexually dimorphic in mature adults, males with longer more expansive pectorals. Adults with bright red patches at the base of the fins. Mature males develop conical tubercles on the head, in a distinctive pattern as illustrated in Skelton (1988: fig. 31), in single rows along the free edge of scales and in bands over anterior pectoral fins. Axial skeleton without ossified supraneural or intramuscular bones.

Figures

Fig. 10. Species representative of southernAfrican tetraploid cyprinine genera. A. Pseudobarbus afer (Peters, 1864). B. Cheilobarbus capensis Smith, 1841. C. Amatolacypris trevelyani (Günther, 1877) gen.et comb.nov. D. Sedercypris calidus(Barnard, 1938) gen.et comb.nov. E. Namaquacyprishospes (Barnard, 1938) gen. et comb. nov. Photograph credits:A–D by P.H. Skelton (SAIAB); E by R.I. Bills (SAIAB).