Rita Bleeker

Heok Hee Ng, 2004, Rita macracanthus, a new riverine catfish (Teleostei: Bagridae) from South Asia., Zootaxa 568, pp. 1-12 : 9-10

[[ Rita Bleeker ]]

Key to species of Rita (modified after Ferraris, 1999)

1. Dorsal surface of head, between eyes and supraoccipital, covered with thick layer of muscle; pelvic fin black ................................................................................. Rita gogra

- Dorsal surface of head covered only with skin (bones visible); pelvic fin pale ............ 2

2. Eye small, 7-13%HL .................................................................................................... 3

- Eye large, 17-29%HL...................................................................................................5

3. Dorsal spine as long, or longer than head, spine extending to or beyond adipose-fin origin (in specimens greater than 100 mm SL); vomerine teeth in two elliptical patches, not meeting at midline (in specimens smaller than ca. 300 mm SL)..............4

- Dorsal spine no longer than head minus snout, spine not reaching adipose-fin origin; vomerine teeth in single crescentic patch extending across midline of palate................ ............................................................................................................... Rita sacerdotum

4. Dorsal spine reaching to middle of adipose-fin base (37.2-45.5% SL); pectoral spine reaching to three quarters of distance between tip of cleithral process and pelvic-fin origin (length 28.7-30.0 % SL); caudal peduncle depth 7.6-8.4% SL; premaxillary toothband short (maximum width 4.8-6.4 times maximum length)......... Rita macracanthus

- Dorsal spine reaching to origin of adipose-fin base (25.6-41.7% SL); pectoral spine reaching to less than half of distance between tip of cleithral process and pelvic-fin origin (length 22.1-25.5 % SL); caudal peduncle depth 8.2-10.7% SL; premaxillary tooth band long (maximum width 3.1-4.5 times maximum length).................. Rita rita

5. Vomerine teeth in slender patches along lateral margin of palate, no larger than teeth in upper jaw; tooth patches not meeting at midline, dorsal-fin spine smooth anteriorly, except for few serrae basally..................................................................... Rita kuturnee

- Vomerine teeth in large quadrangular patch covering most of palate, large and molariform in middle of patch and smaller laterally; dorsal-fin spine with single row of antrorse serrae anteriorly for at least basal two-thirds of spine................... Rita chrysea