Garra shamal, Kirchner & Kruckenhauser & Pichler & Borkenhagen & Freyhof, 2020

Kirchner, Sandra, Kruckenhauser, Luise, Pichler, Arthur, Borkenhagen, Kai & Freyhof, Jörg, 2020, Revision of the Garra species of the Hajar Mountains in Oman and the United Arab Emirates with the description of two new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), Zootaxa 4751 (3), pp. 521-545 : 533-538

Garra shamal , new species

(Fig. 8–11)

Garra barreimiae North Clade ( Pichler et al. 2018, Kirchner et al. submitted).

Holotype. NMW-100004, 57 mm SL; Oman: Wadi Sahtan , 23.384°N, 57.306°E.

Paratypes. NMW-100005_1, 1, 53 mm SL; NMW-100005_2, 1, 53 mm SL; same data as holotype.— FSJF 3534 , 4 , 41–54 mm SL; Oman: Wadi north-east of Al Amarat, 23.540°N, 58.520°E .— FSJF 3540 , 26 , 39–72 mm SL; Oman: Upper Wadi Bani Kharus at Al Ulya, 23.180°N, 57.647°E .

Material used in molecular genetic analysis. NMW-100004, holotype, (GenBank accession number: MN 830422 ); NMW-100005_1, paratype, (GenBank accession number: MN 830423 ) ; NMW-100005_2, paratype, (GenBank accession number: MN 830421 ) ; Oman: Wadi Sahtan , 23.384°N, 57.306°E.— FSJF DNA-2581 ; Oman: Wadi north-east of Al Amarat, 23.540°N, 58.520°E (GenBank accession numbers: MN 830854 , MN 830855 , MN 830856 , MN 830857 ).— FSJF DNA-2586 ; Oman: Upper Wadi Bani Kharus at Al Ulya, 23.180°N, 57.647°E (GenBank accession numbers: MN 830858 , MN 830859 , MN 830860 , MN 830861 ) .— NMW-100041; Oman: Wadi Hammam ; 23.377°N, 57.827°E (GenBank accession number: MN 830427 ) .— NMW-100033; Oman: Wadi Hat , 23.185°N, 57.418°E (GenBank accession number: MN 830424 ) .— NMW-100048; Oman: Wadi Khawd , 23.580°N, 58.120°E (GenBank accession number: MN 830425 ) .— NMW-100035; Oman: Wadi Mansah , 23.402°N, 58.116°E (GenBank accession number: MN 830426 ) .— NMW-100004, NMW-100005_1, NMW-100005_2; Oman: Wadi Sahtan , 23.384°N, 57.306°E (GenBank accession numbers: MN830422 , MN830423 , MN830421 ) .— NHUAE-012; United Arab Emirates: Wadi Shawkah , 25.098°N, 56.109°E (GenBank accession number: MN 830408 ) .— NHUAE- 002; United Arab Emirates: Wuray , 25.398°N, 56.269°E (GenBank accession number: MN 830862 ) .

Diagnosis. Garra shamal is distinguished from the other species of Garra in the Hajar Mountain by absence of bold-black middle caudal-fin rays with white membranes (vs. present in other species). Garra shamal is further differentiated by having a strongly mottled flank pattern (vs. plain or almost plain in G. gallagheri and G. longipinnis ), a white dorsal-fin tip (vs. not different from rest of fin in G. gallagheri and G. longipinnis ), orange spot at the upper opercle absent (vs. present in G. barreimiae ), orange scales on the flank usually absent (vs. present in G. barreimiae ), and 10–14 gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch (vs. 15–18 in G. barreimiae ).

Description. Morphometric data in Table 3. Body elongated, moderately compressed laterally, more compressed in region of caudal peduncle. Dorsal head profile rising gently, slightly convex, continuous with dorsal body profile from proboscis to about halfway between nape and dorsal-fin origin, gently convex until dorsal-fin origin. Ventral profile more-or-less straight to anal-fin origin. Head moderately large and depressed, with slightly convex interorbital distance. Snout blunt, almost straight. Transverse lobe often elevated, with 5–12 small- or mediumsized tubercles on each side, lateral tubercle enlarged, directed sideward. Transverse lobe demarcated posteriorly by a well-developed transverse groove. Proboscis covered with small or medium sized tubercles, largest on anterior margin. Proboscis slightly elevated from depressed rostral surface. Lateral surface of snout covered by small- to medium-sized tubercles reaching to vertical through middle of eye. A patch of tubercles between nare and anterior eye-margin continuous with tubercles on proboscis. Depressed rostral surface without tubercles, rarely with few isolated tubercles. Anterior arm of depressed rostral surface reaching to base of rostral barbel, clearly separating transverse lobe from lateral surface. A shallow groove between transverse lobe and lateral surface. No tubercles in juvenile and many in adult individuals. Eye placed dorso-laterally in posterior half of head. Barbels in two pairs; rostral barbel located antero-laterally, shorter than eye diameter; maxillary barbel at corner of mouth, shorter than rostral barbel. Rostral cap well-developed, fimbriate, papillate on ventral surface. Upper lip present as a thin band of papillae arranged in two ridges. Upper jaw almost or completely covered by rostral cap. Disc elliptical, wider than long or as wide as long; narrower than head width through base of maxillary barbel; groove between antero-median fold and central callous-pad narrow and deep, papillae on latero-posterior flap small; anterior marginal surface of central callous pad with small papillae; posterior margin of latero-posterior flap extending vertically to middle of eye or posterior margin of eye.

Caudal fin with 9+8 branched rays; dorsal fin with 3 simple and 7½ branched rays, last simple ray shorter than head length; distal margin concave; origin closer to snout tip than to caudal-fin base; inserted anterior to vertical through pelvic-fin origin; first branched ray longest, tip of last branched ray reaching vertical to anus. Pectoral fin with 1–2 simple and 11–15 branched rays, reaching to a point 3–5 scales anterior to pelvic-fin origin, length shorter than head length. Pelvic fin with 1 simple and 7–8 branched rays, reaching to, or slightly beyond anus, not reaching anal-fin base, origin closer to anal-fin origin than to pectoral-fin origin, inserts below third or fourth branched dorsal-fin ray. Anal fin short, with 3 simple and 5½ branched rays; first branched ray longest, reaching to dark grey or black blotch on posterior caudal peduncle or slightly anterior to it; distal margin concave; origin closer to caudalfin base than to pelvic-fin origin. Anus 1–3 scales in front of anal-fin origin. Caudal fin forked; tip of lobes pointed; upper lobe longer than lower lobe.

A total of 10–14 gill rakers on lower limb of first branchial arch. Lateral line complete, usually with 33–35 scales on body and 1–3 scales on caudal fin. Transverse scale rows above lateral line 4½; between lateral line and pelvic-fin origin 3½ and between lateral line and anal-fin origin 3½. Circumpeduncular scale rows 12, rarely 13 or 14. Predorsal scales 11–14; scales often irregularly arranged, smaller flank scales. Chest and belly scaled, scales usually absent between pectoral-fin bases; scales deeply embedded. One long axillary scale at pelvic-fin base, and 5–7, usually 6, scales between posteriormost pelvic-fin base and anus. Pharyngeal teeth in three rows, 2.4.5–5.4.2 (n=2).

Colouration. In ethanol: Head, dorsum and flanks dark, pale grey or brown. Single or small groups of dark brown or grey scales on flank. No midlateral stripe. Mouth, chest and abdomen dark or pale grey, paler than back and flank. An indistinct, roundish, large, black blotch at posteriormost caudal peduncle. A black blotch at anteri- ormost lateral line. Fin membranes dusty grey or hyaline, often hyaline or grey on proximal and middle portions and black on distal portion. Tip of dorsal fin white. Base of posterior branched dorsal-fin rays without black spots. Caudal-fin membranes dusty grey or hyaline; 1–2 rays above and 2–4 rays below fork black, membranes slightly darker than other caudal-fin membranes in some individuals.

In life: Background colour dark- or pale-brown or yellowish with single or groups of dark-brown scales on flank. Individual or groups of flank scales with cream, orange or yellow centre. Many individuals with a cream or yellowish flank and groups of brown flank scales. Head yellowish brown. Mouth, chest and abdomen pale brown or cream. An indistinct, roundish, large black blotch at posteriormost caudal peduncle, absent in many individuals. A black upper and blue lower blotch at anteriormost lateral line. Fin rays yellowish or hyaline, fin membranes yellowish, hyaline, black or dusty grey, usually black in distal part of dorsal fin. Tip of dorsal fin white. Iris white and orange. Depressed rostral surface dark brown or grey, darker than proboscis and transverse lobe.

Distribution. Garra shamal is endemic to Oman where it is known from wadis draining from the Hajar Mountains to the Gulf of Oman coast east and west of Muscat, including the northern flank of the Jebel Akhdar, extending from Wadi Hoqain (near Rustaq) in the West to Wadi Mayh (Wadi Yiti) east of Muscat (see Fig. 12 for typical habitat).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Arabic word “shamal” meaning “north”, for the distribution range of the species in northern Oman. A noun in apposition, indeclinable.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Wadi northeast of Al Amarat, Oman; habitat of Garra shamal.