Cyclocheilichthys schoppeae, Cervancia & Kottelat, 2007

Cervancia, Miguelito & Kottelat, Maurice, 2007, Cyclocheilichthys Schoppeae, A New Species Of Freshwater Fish (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) From Northern Palawan, Philippines, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 55 (1), pp. 141-145 : 141-145

Cyclocheilichthys schoppeae , new species

( Fig. 1 )

Cyclocheilichthys armatus (non Valenciennes): Roberts, 1989: 35 (in part; Iwahig River); Kottelat et al., 1993: 34 (in part; Palawan).

Material examined. – Holotype: PNM, 100.3 mm SL, Philippines: Palawan, Iraan River, a tributary of Barbacan River , between Iraan and Dumarao villages, 10 ° 25'49.6"N 119 ° 22'25.5"E, J. Matillano, G. Aludja, B. Galindez & M. Echaure coll., 18 Nov.2004.

Paratypes: All from Philippines: Palawan: WPU-PPC, 2 ex., 79.1– 82.5 mm SL, Abongan River, southeast of Abongan village , 10 ° 39'53.7"N 119 ° 26'43.2"E, J. Matillano et al., coll. 16 Nov.2004 ; WPU-PPC, 2 ex., 61.1-64.2 mm SL; Barbacan River, west of Dumarao village , 10 ° 26'N 119 ° 22'E; J. Matillano, G. Aludja, B. Galindez, M. Echaure, 18 Nov.2004 ; WPU-PPC, 9 ex., 39.2–94.8 mm SL, CMK 18533, 3 ex., 96.1–103.7 mm SL, Barbacan River, west of Dumarao village , 10 ° 26'N 119 ° 22'E, M. Cervancia & G. Factor coll., 27–29 Jan.2005 .

Diagnosis. – Cyclocheilichthys schoppeae is distinguished from all other members of the genus in having fewer scales rows around the caudal peduncle (12 vs. 16–22 in other species), and 6–8 rows of black spots on flank. Additional characters useful to identify the species but not unique to it are: 26 scale rows around the body in front of the pelvic-fin origin, two pairs of barbels, barbels not fimbriated (vs. fimbriated in C. heteronema ), lateral line tubes not branched (vs. branched in C. enoplos and C. furcatus ), no dark midlateral stripe (vs. obvious black midlateral stripe in C. janthochir , sometimes a faint greyish stripe in C. repasson ), no dark blotch at end of caudal peduncle.

Description. – See Fig. 1 for general appearance and Table 1 for morphometric data. Body laterally compressed. Dorsal profile of body convex; ventral profile nearly straight or slightly convex. Depth of caudal peduncle 1.0–1.3 times in its length.

Head elevated from occiput to snout, sometimes with a small hump at nape. Snout with blunt tip. Depth of head at nape 1.6–1.8 times in head length. Mouth subterminal and small; mouth gape not reaching vertical through front margin of anterior nostril. Lips separated from skin of snout by a deep groove. Maxillary barbel slender, short, originating with a fleshy and wide base and gradually tapering, usually not reaching vertical through anterior margin of eye. Rostral barbel much shorter than maxillary barbel.

Dorsal fin with 4 simple and 81 / 2 branched rays. Origin above lateral line scale 11 or 12, posterior margin concave. Last simple ray pointed at tip, with 19–38 fine serrae along posterior edge; number of serrae increasing with size. A scale

sheath along base. Length of base 1.6–1.8 times in length of last simple ray.

Pelvic fin with 1 simple and 9 branched rays. Origin under lateral line scale 10 or 11. Length 1.3–1.5 times in head length, tip reaching to or beyond anus but failing to reach anal-fin origin. Posterior margin convex.

Pectoral fin with 1 simple and 15 or 16 branched rays, pointed, almost reaching pelvic-fin origin.

Anal fin with 3 simple and 51 / 2 branched rays. Origin below lateral line scale 21 or 22. Base 1.5–1.8 times in length last simple ray, 2.5–2.8 times in head length. Posterior margin concave.

Caudal fin forked, lobes pointed, length of median rays 2.4– 2.9 times in length of longest rays.

Lateral line scales 32–34+2–3 (modally 33+2); transverse line from origin of dorsal fin to the origin of anal fin 1 / 25 /1/ 41 / 2; scale rows around caudal peduncle 12; predorsal scales 12–13 (rarely 11); scale rows around body in front of dorsal fin 26; 4 scales between lateral line and pelvic-fin origin; scales in front of pelvic fin 3.

Coloration. – Live specimens silvery white below lateral line, dusky above with a yellowish shade all over body. Six or seven rows of black spot along body, located on scale pocket. Head silvery white on side with shiny reflections, top brownish. Dorsal fin orange distally, becoming yellowish orange near base. Upper caudal-fin lobe orange merging to yellow on lower lobe. Anal, pectoral and pelvic fins yellowish.

Freshly fixed specimens ( Fig. 1 ) grayish silvery above lateral line, silvery white below, with yellowish shade all over body. Six to eight rows of black spot along body, located on scale pocket (most juveniles have six rows, only three of the largest ones have eight). Top of head brownish, side silver with shiny reflections. Upper lobe of caudal fin orange, lower one yellow. Dorsal and anal fins yellowish to orange. Pelvic and pectoral fins yellowish.

Barbacan River Barbacan River Iraan River Abongan River Standard length (mm) 94.8 72.1 71.5 65.3 64.7 60.1 56.6 55.3 39.2 64.2 61.1 120.1 100.3 82.5 79.1

holotype

% of standard length

Total length 134.4 136.6 137.3 133 135 138.7 139 136.2 139.9 139.6 134.6 - 138.3 - - Head length 28.2 32.1 30.6 28 30.5 29.1 31.5 29.4 32.4 28.2 28.7 30.1 29.5 30 29.8 Predorsal length 55.8 54.4 54.1 52.3 53.3 53.1 53.1 52.8 54.7 52.5 51.7 57.1 56.5 54.9 54.7 Prepelvic length 49.5 51.9 51.9 50.3 51.4 51.3 52.9 51.9 51.5 50.4 51.8 52.8 50.3 51.2 51 Preanal length 74.1 74 74.5 74 72.2 74.9 76.7 74.2 74.2 73.9 71.6 75.9 73.5 72.2 73.6 Head depth at nape 17.7 20 19.3 17.7 18.3 17.3 19.5 16.3 18.4 17.4 17.9 17.4 17.2 17.7 17.4 Caudal peduncle depth 13.1 13.2 12.6 13.1 12.5 13.2 13.6 12.7 11.7 12.9 13 14.2 13.5 13.2 13.5 Caudal peduncle length 15.5 15.3 14.8 15.2 15.2 15.2 15.9 16.1 14.3 15.5 15.5 14.8 15.6 14.4 13.9 Snout length 10.2 11.4 11 10.3 11.3 9.8 10.8 10 11 9.5 10.1 10.8 11.2 10.3 9.3 Body depth 31.4 32.5 31.3 30.3 29.9 31.1 31 31 27.8 30.4 30.4 34.4 34.3 33.2 33.5 Eye diameter 8.6 9 9.1 9.4 9.4 9.3 9.5 9.5 10.6 9.5 9.7 8.2 8.7 9.1 9.4 Interorbital distance 8.3 8.7 8.5 8 9.1 8.6 8.6 8.8 8.7 8.3 8.4 9 8.8 8.1 7.7 Dorsal fin base length 16.4 17.8 17.1 16.5 17.1 16.2 17.2 17.3 16.5 16.1 16.5 17.3 17 17.8 17.5 Anal fin base length 10.6 11.4 11.4 10.5 12.1 11.5 10.9 11.1 11.6 10.4 10.6 11.6 10.3 11.3 10.9 Pelvic fin length 19.2 22.2 22 20.3 21.1 21.5 21 21.5 21.9 22.1 21.1 22.6 20.8 22.2 21.6 Length of upper caudal lobe 35.5 39.7 37.3 39.7 37.5 39.1 * 38.2 37.6 38.8 34 * * * 34.4 Length of median caudal rays 12.4 14.8 14.4 14.4 13.2 14.3 14.1 14.1 15.9 14.4 14 * 12.3 * 13.3 Length of lower caudal lobe 35.5 37.6 36.1 39.3 35 38.6 37.6 39.9 40.2 39.4 33.8 * 34.4 * * Length of last simple dorsal ray * 27.9 27.3 26.7 28.6 28.9 28.5 28.1 27.4 * 27.7 28.2 30.3 29.7 27.5 Length of last simple anal ray 17.5 17.7 17.6 18.6 18.3 17.7 18.7 17.7 19.9 * 18 19.1 18.4 20.1 * Pectoral fin length 20.8 20.2 20.1 21.2 20.7 21.2 22.5 21.5 21.1 23.5 20.6 21.7 21.2 22.2 20.9 % of head length

Eye diameter 30 28 30 34 31 32 30 32 33 33 33 28 29 30 32 Interorbital distance 30 27 28 29 30 30 27 30 27 29 28 31 29 27 26 Snout length 36 35 36 37 37 34 34 34 34 33 34 37 37 34 32 Cheek depth 23 23 23 25 24 22 19 19 18 23 23 22 21 22 19 Ethanol-stored specimens: body grayish to brownish with silvery reflection above lateral line merging to silvery white to yellowish below lateral line. Six or seven rows of black spots along scale rows. Free edge of scales margined by a silvery reflection or whitish line. Underside of head just behind mouth usually with small orange dots. Dorsal-fin membranes and posterior margin blackish. Caudal fin hyaline with blackish edge at the posterior margin..

Biology. – The stomachs of three specimens (PNM uncat., non types) from Barbacan River (64.4, 59.2, 62.6 mm SL) examined contained shrimps, worms, insect larvae, detritus and sand.

Distribution and habitat. – Cyclochelichthys schoppeae is presently known only from the Barbacan (Municipality of Roxas), Abongan (Municipality of Taytay) and Babuyan (Puerto Princesa City) drainages. If the specimen reported by Roberts (1989: 35) from the Iwahig River in Puerto Princesa City belongs to C. schoppeae , this extends the range of the species by about 60 km southward.

Cyclocheilichthys schoppeae has been collected from streams, medium and large rivers with clear, slowly moving to relatively fast flowing water, with gravel and muddy substrate. River banks are deforested and planted with crops. Few trees and bamboo clumps are present along the banks. During summer, some parts of the rivers are dry, especially the tributaries.

Etymology. – Named for Sabine Schoppe, in appreciation for her lasting help and support to the studies and research of the first author.

Remarks. – The genus Cyclocheilichthys has a distribution typical of numerous Southeast Asian genera, in the whole Indochinese and Sundaic areas (as defined by Kottelat, 1989). The genus consists of 10 species known from the Mekong and Chaophraya drainages, peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java and Borneo ( Sontirat, 1976). The genus had earlier been recorded from Palawan (“west coast Iwahig River”) on the basis of a single specimen collected in 1963 and which Roberts (1989: 35) had identified as C. armatus . Although we have not examined this specimen, we hypothesize that it is possibly the present species.

As mentioned in the diagnosis, C. schoppeae is distinguished from all other species of Cyclocheilichthys in having 12 circumpeduncular scale rows (vs. 16–22 in other species). It shares with C. armatus the longitudinal rows of black spots, two pairs of barbels (occasionally a single pair in C. armatus ), and the small number of scale rows on the caudal peduncle (12–16, vs. 16–22), but C. schoppeae is easily distinguished in having fewer circumpeduncular scale rows (12, vs. 16 in C. armatus ), and 6-7 rows of black spots on flank (vs. 7–8) (see Sontirat, 1976, for additional data on C. armatus ).

Only two species of C yclocheilichthys are known from northern Borneo (Inger & Chin, 1962, 2002), viz. C. apogon and C. repasson . Cyclocheilichthys schoppeae is distinguished from C. apogon by the presence of two pairs of barbels (vs. no barbels), a shallower body (depth 27.8– 34.4% SL, vs. 30–42), and fewer scale rows around caudal peduncle (12, vs. 16). It is distinguished from C. repasson in having fewer scale rows around caudal peduncle (12, vs. 18– 22), fewer scale rows around body (26, vs. 28–30, usually 30). Data on other Cyclocheilichthys species from Sontirat (1976) and personal observations.

Although inhabited by some fishes of primary division freshwater families (as defined by Myers, 1938), Palawan is considered to have a depauperate freshwater fish fauna. While the number of species is effectively low, the very limited effort invested to date on freshwater faunistic investigations suggests that this low number may more reflect the absence of surveys rather than an actual low taxonomic diversity. The presence of an overlooked species endemic to Palawan (which before was known from a single specimen that we hypothesize to be conspecific) strengthens this hypothesis. The case is not unique, e.g. Dermogenys palawanensis was first identified as the widely distributed D. pusilla until re-examination of museum material revealed that it is a distinct species endemic to Palawan (see Meisner, 2001). Several nominal fish species described from Palawan have subsequently been treated as synonyms of species more widely distributed, especially in northern and eastern Borneo, but are now considered as distinct species ( Rasbora everetti , R. taytayensis , Puntius palavanensis , P. manguaoensis [of which P. bantolanensis might be a synonym], Oxyeleotris expatria ; pers. obs., Kottelat, 1984; Kottelat & Vidthayanon, 1993). It is certain that a number of freshwater fish species still await discovery on Palawan. Noteworthy is the absence of the family Balitoridae , which is rich and diverse in Sabah and which one would expect to be present in hill streams of at least southern Palawan.

Comparative material. – Cyclocheilichthys armatus: CMK 4897, 1 ex., 88.9 mm SL; Thailand: Ayuttaya Province: Chao Phraya River; CMK 4948 , 3 ex., 114.0– 125.4 mm SL; Thailand: Nan Province: Chao Phraya drainage; CMK 12282, 5 ex., 71.5–74.6 mm SL; Laos: Khammouan Province: Xe Bangfai drainage; CMK 10161, 1 ex., 53.3 mm SL; CMK 10202, 5 ex., 31.7–62.5 mm SL; Indonesia: Borneo : Kapuas drainage.

C. repasson: CMK 7641, 3 ex., 95.9–107.5 mm SL; CMK 7673 , 4 ex., 75.2–80.4 mm SL ; CMK 7748 , 2 ex., 74.8–83.2 mm SL; Indonesia: Borneo: Mahakam drainage ; CMK 11786, 1 ex., 94.5 mm SL; Indonesia: Borneo: Barito drainage ; CMK 12370, 4 ex., 95.3–118.9 mm SL; Laos: Khammouan Province: Xe Bangfai drainage .

Figures

Fig. 1. Cyclocheilichthys schoppeae, holotype, PNM uncat., 100.3 mm SL; Philippines: Palawan: Iraan river (Photo: Joie Matillano).