Garra hormuzensis, Zamani-Faradonbe & Zhang & Keivany, 2021

Zamani-Faradonbe, Mazaher, Zhang, E. & Keivany, Yazdan, 2021, Garra hormuzensis, a new species from the upper Kol River drainage in the Persian Gulf basin (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), Zootaxa 5052 (3), pp. 380-394 : 385-391

Garra hormuzensis , new species

( Figs. 2–6 )

Holotype. IUT-IM GH1, 53.1 mm SL; Iran: Hormuzgan prov.: Shur River about 12 km west of Hajiabad , 28.1885N 55.7777E.

Paratypes. IUT-IM 13990628-01-01, 28, 33.3–53.1 mm SL; same data as holotype .

Material for molecular genetic analysis. IUT-IM GH1, GH2; same data as holotype (GenBank accession numbers: MN 255107 – MN 255108 ) .

Diagnosis. Garra hormuzensis is distinguished from other Garra species in the Persian Gulf basin by a combination of characters, none of them unique to the species. Garra hormuzensis is distinguished from G. mondica by having 3, very rarely 2, scales between the anus and the anal-fin origin (vs. usually 2), the chest covered by scales with free posterior margins (vs. scales fully embedded). It is distinguished from G. amirhosseini by having 3, very rarely 2, scales between the anus and the anal-fin origin (vs. usually 2). Garra hormuzensis is distinguished from G. elegans by having free lateral and posterior margins of the gular disc (vs. fully attached).

The new species is distinguished from G. gymnothorax and G. rufa by having usually 7½ branched dorsal-fin rays (vs. usually 8½). The posterior margins of the scales on the chest and belly are not embedded in the skin in G. hormuzensis (vs. chest scaleless in some G. gymnothorax , scales fully embedded, with free posterior margins or chest scaleless in G. rufa ). It is distinguished from G. meymehensis by having scales with free posterior margins on the chest (vs. embedded) and from G. tiam by having usually 7½ branched dorsal-fin rays (vs. 8½), 13-16 circumpeduncular scale rows (vs. 12–13), the chest covered by scales (vs. chest scaleless). Garra hormuzensis is distinguished from G. persica by having usually 9+8 caudal-fin rays (vs. 8+8).

Description. For general appearance, see Figures 2– 6 and Table 3 for morphometric data. Small-size and elongated species with a compressed caudal peduncle. Dorsal head profile rising gently from tip of snout to nape, dorsal profile of back slightly convex from nape to dorsal-fin origin. Ventral profile more or less straight between pectoral-fin insertion and anal-fin origin. Body deepest at or slightly in front of dorsal-fin base and body depth decreasing towards caudal-fin base. Greatest body width at or slightly behind of pectoral-fin insertion. Body almost equally wide from pectoral-fin base to dorsal-fin origin. Head moderately large and slightly depressed. Interorbital space slightly convex or flat, height at nape less than head length. The largest recorded specimen 53.1 mm. Head length 1.0–1.3 times in body depth. Snout rounded, its length 1.0-1.3 times in postorbital length. Transverse lobe with tubercles, without transverse groove. Small- or medium-sized tubercles sparsely set on proboscis, larger on its anterior margin, but no tubercles on proboscis in small individuals. Small- to medium-sized tubercles scattered through lateral and dorsal surface of snout reaching anterior orbital margin or posterior nostril ( Figs. 2 & 5 ). Depressed rostral surface always lacking tubercles; transverse lobe moderately separated from lateral surface in large specimens. Anterior branch of depressed rostral surface reaching to base of rostral barbel. No groove between transverse lobe and lateral surface in some individuals.

Eye relatively large, its diameter 0.3–0.5 times in head depth and 0.4–0.6 times in interorbital width. Two pairs of barbels, maxillary barbel at corner of mouth, and shorter (0.6–0.8 times) than rostral barbel, rostral barbel anterolaterally located, and shorter (0.5–0.8 times) than eye diameter. Rostral cap well-developed, fimbriate, papillate on ventral surface ( Figs. 4–5 ). Upper lip present. Upper jaw completely covered by rostral cap. Disc almost oval to roundish in shape, longer than wide, and narrower than head width through base of maxillary barbel. Papillae on anterior fold equally-sized and regularly arranged. Narrow and deep toral groove between torus and pulvinus. Scattered small-sized papillae on latero-posterior flap. Surface of pulvinus without or with sparsely arranged small papillae.

Dorsal-fin with 3 simple and 7½ (24) and 8½ (1) branched rays, last simple ray shorter than head length, distal margin slightly concave, origin closer to snout-tip than to caudal-fin base, first branched ray longest, tip of last branched ray reaching vertical to, or slightly in front of anus when folded down. Pectoral-fin with one simple and 11 (4), 12 (18) and 13 (6) branched rays. Tip of pectoral-fin approximately reaching a point 4–5 scales anterior to pelvic-fin insertion; its length shorter than head length. Pelvic-fin with one simple and 7 (23) and 8 (2) branched rays; its tip reaching to anus. Insertion of pelvic-fin closer to anal-fin origin than to pectoral-fin insertion. Anal-fin short, with 2 simple and 5½ (28) branched rays, first branched ray longest, distal margin straight or slightly concave, origin closer to caudal-fin base than to pelvic-fin insertion in most specimens. Anus 2 (2) and 3 (23) scales in front of anal-fin origin. Caudal peduncle length 0.9-1.4 times longer than its depth. Caudal-fin distinctly forked with 9+8 (22) branched rays [except 8+7 (1), 8+8 (5)]; tip of caudal lobes rounded. Total gill rakers on first branchial arch 16 (2), 17 (4), 18 (6), 19 (2) and 21 (1). Lateral line complete, totally with 33 (2), 34 (2), 35 (10), 36 (8) and 37 (4) scales, 2-3 scales on caudal-fin base. Transverse scale rows above lateral line 4 (24) and 5 (4). Scale rows between lateral line and pelvic-fin insertion 3 (6) and 4 (22) and between lateral line and anal-fin origin 3 (4) and 4 (14). Circumpeduncular scale rows 13 (2), 14 (8), 15 (8) and 16 (10). Scale rows along predorsal midline 10 (4), 11 (10), 12 (6), 13 (6) and 14 (2). Scales regularly set on flank. Chest covered by exposed scales. Scales on belly with free margins, exposed. 5 (24), 6 (2) and 7 (2) scales between posterior part of pelvic-fin base and anus.

Coloration. In ethanol: Dorsal surface of head, dorsum and flank pale brown. Single or patches of dark-brown scales on flank. Ventral surface of head, mouth, chest and abdomen whitish to yellow. A belt-like, 1-2 scales wide, black bar on last scales of caudal peduncle. A black blotch at anterior most lateral line scale. Pectoral, pelvic and anal fins whitish to yellow. Some black to dark-brown blotches on caudal-fin membranes. Dorsal-fin membranes with a black or dark-grey blotch at base, some black or brown blotches on middle dorsal-fin rays’ membranes.

In life: Background colour bright silvery to pale green. Fins hyaline, paired fins golden yellow with black dots and bars; big black blotch on base of 4-6 dorsal-fin rays. Head grey to dark green. Iris silvery. Scales on flank with black on posterior margin, whitish or pale grey on ventral part of flank and belly, rostral barbels with small black dots.

Distribution and Habitat. Garra hormuzensis was only found in the Shur River drainage, a major tributary of the upper Kol River. The river dominant substrate type were cobble and boulder and the riparian vegetation had bush and tree sparsely.

Etymology. The species is named for the Strait of Hormuz, a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. An adjective.

Remarks. Some habitat characters taken at the type locality are: average 22.8 °C, 3999 μS/m, 2000 ppm, 8.11 for water temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solid and pH, respectively; the river dominant substrate type were cobble and boulder and the riparian vegetation had bush and tree sparsely.

Garra hormuzensis is very closely related to G. mondica (K2P distance = 1.16), G. amirhosseini (K2P distance = 1.47), and G. elegans (K2P distance = 1.28). While G. elegans is morphologically very different from the other species ( Freyhof 2016), we cannot fully exclude that G. amirhosseini and G. hormuzensis might be conspecific with G. mondica . The K2P distance in the studied COI gene region between these two species was 1.16 %, a distance found also to be within intraspecific variability. Sayyadzadeh et al. (2015) diagnose G. mondica by lacking scales on the breast, belly and predorsal midline. We collect fresh materials of G. mondica and these agree in their COI sequence data with G. mondica as described by Sayyadzadeh et al. (2015). However, in all our individuals of G. mondica , the breast was covered by embedded scales, the belly cover by non-embedded scales and they had 11–15 scales along the predorsal midline. We cannot exclude, that other isolated populations of G. mondica are distributed in the region bridging the small molecular and morphological gaps between the different populations now treated as separated species. As all species descriptions, this study is a hypotheses to be tested and verified, or falsified, in the future. If treated as one species in the future, G. mondica has priority above G. amirhosseini and G. hormuzensis .

Garra hormuzensis is distinguished from subterranean Garra species from the Iranian Tigris River drainage by having the flank fully covered by scales (vs. scaleless in G. lorestanensis and G. typhlops ; few scales on anterior part of flank in G. tashanensis ), a well-developed gular disc (vs. absent in G. typhlops ), a well-developed eye (vs. reduced in G. lorestanensis , G. tashanensis , and G. typhlops ), and a pigmented body surface (vs. no pigmentation in G. lorestanensis , G. typhlops , and G. tashanensis ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Garra hormuzensis, from top, IUT-IM GH1, holotype, 51.0 mm SL; IUT-IM 13990628-01-01, paratypes, 49.5 mm SL, 41.8 mm SL, 39.9 mm SL; Shur River.

FIGURE 3. Garra hormuzensis, from top to bottom, IUT-IM GH1, holotype, 51.0 mm SL; IUT-IM 13990628-01-01, paratypes, 49.5 mm SL, 41.8 mm SL, 39.9 mm SL; Shur River.

FIGURE 4. Garra hormuzensis from top to bottom, IUT-IM GH1, holotype, 51.0 mm SL; IUT-IM 13990628-01-01, paratypes, 49.5 mm SL, 41.8 mm SL, 39.9 mm SL; Shur River.

FIGURE 5. Garra hormuzensis, all rows from left to right, IUT-IM GH1, holotype, 52.0 mm SL, IUT-IM 13990628-01-01, paratypes, 49.5 mm SL, 41.8 mm SL, 39.9 mm SL; Shur River.

FIGURE 6. Garra hormuzensis, IUT-IM 1398990628-01-01, paratype, 52.1 mm SL; Shur River.