Badis soraya, Valdesalici, Stefano & Voort, Stefan Van Der, 2015

Valdesalici, Stefano & Voort, Stefan Van Der, 2015, Four new species of the Indo-Burmese genus Badis from West Bengal, India (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Badidae), Zootaxa 3985 (3), pp. 391-408 : 402-405

Badis soraya , new species

( Fig. 10–11 )

Holotype. MSNG 57574, 31.7 mm SL, male, 11 July 2013; India: Jalpaiguri district: 12 km west of Dam Dim: Tista River drainage, Lish River, 26°51'55.530"N 88°34'3.374"E; coll. Andrew A. Rao.

Paratypes. MSNG 57575, 5, 28.7–30.4 mm SL, 11 July 2013: same location as holotype. MSNG 57576, 1 female, 28.5 mm SL C&S, 11 July 2013: same location as holotype.

Diagnosis. Badis soraya displays a colour pattern that separates it from all remaining Badis species. Badis soraya can be discriminated from every member of the B. assamensis group (included species: B. assamensis and B. blosyrus ) by absence of an opercular blotch and absence of two parallel rows of dark spots and alternating light and dark stripes along its physique, from every member of the B. ruber group (included species: B. khwae , B. ruber and B. siamensis ) by absence of a blotch on the dorsolateral aspect of the caudal peduncle, from all members of the B. corycaeus group (included species: B. corycaeus and B. pyema ) by absence of an ocellus on the caudal-fin base, from every member of the B. autumnum species group (included species: B. autumnum , B. andrewraoi and B. kyanos ) by presence of a cleithral blotch, from B. kyar by presence of a conspicuous median black blotch on the caudal peduncle, from B. singenensis by absence of a posterodorsal opercle blotch and absence of three dorsal-fin blotches and a single round blotch on the anal-fin base, from B. juergenschmidti by absence of white margins on dorsal and ventral aspects of the caudal fin in males and presence of a strongly curved caudal-fin base bar, and from B. britzi by presence of a cleithral blotch, and presence of a conspicuous median black blotch on the caudal peduncle. The new species its colour pattern most closely resembles that of members of the B. badis species group (included species: B. badis , B. chittagongis , B. dibruensis , B. ferrarisi , B. kanabos , B. soraya and B. tuivaiei ). Badis soraya can be separated from B. badis by the combination of having distinct flank bars (vs. having indistinct bars on side), a small oval dark blotch medially on caudal peduncle (vs. a large rectangular dark blotch), smaller orbital diameter (8.2–9.4 % SL vs. 9.3–13.1), and fewer scales in lateral row (25–27 vs. 27–29). Badis soraya can be differentiated from B. chittagongis by the combination of bars on side forming dark blotches at dorsal terminations (vs. bars on side not forming dark blotches at dorsal terminations), typically larger snout length (6.0– 7.8 % SL vs. 5.1–6.5), typically smaller pelvic-fin length (20.1–24.5 % SL vs. 23.3–27.7), smaller pelvic to anal distance (26.4–33.6 % SL vs. 33.6–36.1), fewer scales in lateral row (25–27 vs. 27–29), fewer dorsal-fin spines (XIV–XVI vs. XVI–XVIII), and fewer vertebrae (27 vs. 28–29). Badis soraya can be distinguished from B. kanabos by the combination of having a series of distinct dark blotches along the dorsal-fin base and a series of dark blotches along the middle of the dorsal fin (vs. having a conspicuous dark blotch anteriorly in dorsal fin, between 3rd to 5th spines, blotches along dorsal-fin base indistinct or absent), presence of elongate blotches dorsally and ventrally on caudal-fin base (vs. absence), a typically larger snout length (6.0–7.8 % SL vs. 5.2–6.8), a smaller orbital diameter (8.2–9.4 % SL vs. 9.5–12.7), typically smaller lower jaw length (9.8–12.4 % SL vs. 11.0–13.5), typically smaller pelvic-fin length (20.1–24.5 % SL vs. 22.0–26.9) and typically smaller pelvic to anal distance (26.4–33.6 % SL vs. 30.5–36.7), fewer dorsal-fin spines (XIV–XVI vs. XV–XVII), modally XV+10 dorsal-fin rays (vs. modally XVI+9), modally III+7, III+8 anal-fin rays (vs. modally III+7), more circumpeduncular scales (18–22 vs. 16–17), and 4, modally 4 lachrymal cranial pores (vs. modally 3). Badis soraya can be delimited from B. ferrarisi by the combination of the presence of complete bars on side, not connecting by a similarly pigmented horizontal band (vs. incomplete bars, restricted to centre of flank, frequently connected to form a dark horizontal band), having a larger snout length (6.0–7.8 % SL vs. 5.0–6.2), larger interorbital width (6.3–8.8 % SL vs. 5.9–6.8), smaller pelvic-fin length (20.1–24.5 % SL vs. 23.6–28.0), presence of a distal extrascapular (vs. absence), and 5 predorsal scales anterior to coronalis pore (vs. 3–4). Badis soraya can be distinguished from B. tuivaiei by the combination of lacking a conspicuous dark blotch anteriorly in the dorsal fin, between 3rd to 5th spines (vs. presence), the presence of elongate blotches dorsally and ventrally on caudal-fin base (vs. absence), larger body depth (29.6–35.5 % SL vs. 25.9–29.2), fewer scales in lateral row (25–27 vs. 26–32), fewer dorsal-fin spines (XIV–XVI vs. XVI–XVIII), and fewer vertebrae (27 vs. 30–31). Badis soraya can be separated from B. dibruensis by presence of elongate blotches dorsally and ventrally on caudal-fin base (vs. absence); a smaller interorbital width (6.3–8.8 % SL vs. 9.9–15.0), larger upper jaw length (8.8–9.4 % SL vs. 6.1–6.9), larger lower jaw length (9.8–12.4 % SL vs. 7.1–8.3), a larger body depth (29.6–35.5 % SL vs. 25.4–30.1), and fewer pectoral-fin rays (12– 13, modally 12 vs. 13–14, modally 14).

Description. General body shape as in Figure 10 . Morphometric characters are listed in Table 4 . Body moderately elongate and laterally compressed. Snout rounded. Head rounded in lateral aspect. Orbit situated in anterior half of head and upper mid-axis of body. Opercular spine triangular, with a single tip. Predorsal contour concave, in smaller specimens straighter. Dorsal-fin base slightly concave, more concave in smaller specimens. Caudal peduncle with straight dorsal and ventral edge, longer than deep. Abdominal contour typically slightly concave in males, slightly convex in females.

Dentary pores 1–3, anguloarticular pores 1, preopercular pores 1–6, nasal pores 1, frontal pores 2–4, extrascapular pores 1–2, posttemporal opening pores 1, coronalis pore 1, lachrymal pores 1–4, infraorbital pores 1– 4. Predorsal scales 5 anterior to coronalis pore, 7 posteriorly.

Scales on side strongly ctenoid, on top of head cycloid, scales on side of chest cycloid. Opercular scales ctenoid, preopercular and subopercular scales cycloid. Circumpeduncular scales 8–10 above and 8–10 below lateral lines, totalling 18–22 scales, modally 18. Scales in vertical row 1½–2 above and 7–8, below lateral line. Scales in lateral row 25–27. Tubed scales in lateral line 20–22/5–6 or 22/4. Dorsal-fin base scaled with 1 scale row anteriorly and 1½ posteriorly, anal-fin base with 2–3 scale rows. Caudal-fin base with 3–5 scale rows.

Dorsal-fin rays XIV+9–XVI+11, modally XV+10. Anal-fin rays III+ 7–III +8, modally III+7, III+8. Pectoralfin rays 12–13, modally 12. Vertebrae 27.

Colouration. In preservative, base colour light brown. Dorsally darker, ventrally lighter. Postorbital stripe dark grey and crossing eye to lower jaw. Suborbital stripe dark grey. Black cleithral blotch. Up to 11 vertical dark grey flank bars, well-defined posteriorly. Bar 1 broad in large specimens, dark grey blotch on caudal peduncle partially fused with blotches dorsally and ventrally on caudal-fin base in smaller specimens. Dorsal fin hyaline with broad dark grey band proximally, sometimes formed by blotches. Dorsal fin with white rim and red-brown submarginal spots. Anal fin hyaline, slightly dusky near base and between fin rays. Caudal fin hyaline, darker between fin rays medially. Pectoral fin pale hyaline. Pelvic fin pale hyaline, dusky medially.

In life, male ( Fig. 11 ) colouration mood-dependent. Base colour light brown. Ventrally lighter. Preorbital, postorbital and suborbital stripes black. Opercular and pre-opercular area golden. Blue blotch covering superficial part of cleithrum above pectoral-fin base. Ten or eleven distinct black bars on flanks. Distinct median black blotch on caudal peduncle, sometimes partially absorbed by bar 1. Dorsal, anal and caudal fins dark, light blue to silvergrey between rays. Pelvic fins dark. Dorsal margin white with red submarginal stripe and series of black proximal blotches. Pectoral fins hyaline. Female, similar to males but duller coloured.

When stressed, Badis soraya becomes very pale and almost completely colourless.

Distribution. At present only known from the type locality, the Lish River, 12 km west of Dam Dim, Tista River drainage, Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, India ( Fig. 3 ).

Etymology. The species term, soraya (ا-------يرث), a noun, is ancient Persian for The Pleiades, which is an open cluster of bright blue stars and part of the constellation Taurus. The name is given to the new species in reference to the cleithral blotch, part of the postorbital stripe and dorsal fin sheath scale blotches frequently being bright blue.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Type localities of Badis andrewraoi (inverted triangle), B. autumnum (square), B. kyanos (rhomboid) and B. soraya (star) in West Bengal, India.

FIGURE 10. Badis soraya, MSNG 57575, paratype, female, 28.7 mm SL; India: West Bengal, Tista River drainage, Chel River.

FIGURE 11. Live male individual of Badis soraya, ca 30 mm SL (part of type series); India: West Bengal, Tista River drainage, Chel River.

Tables

TABLE 4. Morphometric characters of holotype (MSNG 57574) and six paratypes (MSNG 57575, MSNG 57576) of Badis soraya, new species, expressed as a percentage of standard length (SL) or head length (HL).

	Holotype	Paratype range Mean ± S.D.
Standard length (SL) in mm	31.7	28.5–30.4 29.7 ± 1.0
As percentage of SL
Head length	29.6	29.3–30.8 30.2 ± 0.4
Snout length	6.6	6.0–7.8 6.8 ± 0.6
Orbital diameter	8.5	8.2–9.4 8.8 ± 0.4
Interorbital width	6.6	6.3–8.8 7.2 ± 0.8
Upper jaw length	9.4	8.8–9.4 9.1 ± 0.2
Lower jaw length	10.4	9.8–12.4 11.1 ± 0.9
Body depth	29.6	31.9–35.5 32.5 ± 1.8
Pelvic fin length	20.1	20.2–24.5 22.1 ± 1.7
Pelvic to anal distance	26.4	29.2–33.6 30.7 ± 2.4
As percentage of HL
Snout length	22.3	20.4–25.5 22.6 ± 1.8
Orbital diameter	28.7	27.1–31.0 29.3 ± 1.3