Betadevario, Fang, Fang, Devi, Rema, Liao, Te-Yu, Beevi, Jameela & Kullander, Sven O., 2010

Fang, Fang, Devi, Rema, Liao, Te-Yu, Beevi, Jameela & Kullander, Sven O., 2010, Betadevario ramachandrani, a new danionine genus and species from the Western Ghats of India (Teleostei: Cyprinidae: Danioninae), Zootaxa 2519, pp. 31-47 : 35

Betadevario , new genus

Diagnosis. Similar to Devario , Microrasbora , Laubuca , and Chela in the presence of a supraorbital groove and to Devario also in the presence of an infraorbital process; similar to Devario , Microdevario , Chela , and Laubuca in the presence of the two-ligament connection between the kinethmoid and premaxillary ascending process (Fang et al. 2009: fig. 6), and the presence of a U-shaped and vertically orientated kinethmoid (Fang et al. 2009). Betadevario is distinguished from species of the genera Devario , Microdevario , Chela , and Microrasbora by having long rostral and maxillary barbels (vs. barbels absent, short, or rudimentary), a wide cleithral spot which extends to cover three scales in width horizontally (vs. absent, or small and rounded, covering one scale in width), a broad and low preorbital process along the anterior margin of the orbit (vs. preorbital process narrow and pointed, or absent, except in Devario xyrops , in which it is broad), and a dark stripe across the anal-fin rays resembling the A stripe in Danio (vs. A stripe absent). The new genus is distinguished also from Chela by having the pelvic fin posterior to the pectoral fin (vs. beneath the pectoral fin), from Chela and Laubuca by the absence of a ventral keel, from Microdevario by the straight (vs. indented) parasphenoid (Fang et al. 2009), and from Microrasbora by the presence of a two-ligament (vs. a single-ligament) connection between the kinethmoid and premaxillary ascending process. Flank colour pattern of Betadevario is unique among danionins, comprised of a broad light stripe along the middle of the side, and a wide dark band paralleling it ventrally.

Type species. Betadevario ramachandrani .

Etymology. Beta-, the second letter in Greek alphabet, also representing the numeral 2, and used in the meaning of second, and also the name of Beta Mahatvaraj who made great efforts to make the material available for this study; and – devario . With reference to its similarity to the genus Devario , in the meaning of second Devario . The gender is masculine.