Sunday, September 5, 2021

[Ichthyology • 2021] Barbodes pyrpholeos • A New Species, the First Cave-dwelling Cyprinid Fish (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) in the Philippines, with Redescription of B. montanoi


 Barbodes pyrpholeos
Tan & Husana, 2021

RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 69

 Abstract
 Barbodes pyrpholeos, new species, is the first cave-dwelling cyprinid fish reported from the Philippines. It is described from karst systems in Mindanao. It is distinguished from other congeners by having a poorly pigmented body with reddish fins in combination with a smooth dorsal-fin spine without serrations, and several additional morphological characters. It differs from the Indonesian troglobitic congener Barbodes microps by the presence of eyes, and a narrower body amongst other characters. Barbodes montanoi, a putative close relative of the new species, is redescribed based on recently collected material. 

Key words. troglobite, Cyprinidae, biodiversity, new species, Southeast Asia

Fig. 1. Barbodes pyrpholeos, in situ photograph of an immature fish near lower part of second author’s leg, about 60 mm SL, Ugnop Cave system.  
Fig. 2. Barbodes pyrpholeos, freshly caught individual of about 100 mm SL, Ugnop Cave system.

(Photographs by Daniel Edison M. Husana)

Fig. 3. Barbodes pyrpholeos, freshly captured individual (likely to be the holotype), about 100 mm SL, Ugnop Cave system. (Photograph by Daniel Edison M. Husana)
Fig. 4. Barbodes pyrpholeos, PNM 15649, holotype, 104.1 mm SL; radiograph below. (Photograph and radiograph by Tan Heok Hui)

Barbodes pyrpholeos, new species 


 Diagnosis. Barbodes pyrpholeos can be differentiated from all congeners by the following unique combination of characters: body with little brown pigment, appearing white or pinkish in life; unpaired fins with posterior half bright orangey-red in life, anterior half of unpaired fins and paired fins hyaline; eyes present and pigmented, possibly still functional. All other congeners (except the cave-dwelling B. microps) having body with black blotches, bars, stripes, dots, and triangular markings; body and fins appear pigmentless in B. microps (information on colours in life not available). Barbodes pyrpholeos can be further differentiated from B. microps (some data obtained from Haryono, 2006) in having the following characters: eye present, though variable in size (based on available material only) vs. eye absent or represented by a small, possibly non-functional eye in some individuals of B. microps; more dorsal-fin rays (8–9½, vs. 8); greater mean head length (32.3% SL, vs. 30.8%); lower mean predorsal length (55.1% SL, vs. 57.5%); lower mean body depth at anus (20.6% SL, vs. 36.5%); lower mean caudal peduncle depth (12.4% SL, vs. 14.7%); larger eye diameter (14.9–22.3, mean 17.3% HL, vs. 10.2–17.9, mean 14.9, when present).

Distribution. Known only from karstic cave systems in Mindanao Island, the Philippines.

 Field notes. See Larson & Husana (2018: 98, fig. 1) and Husana (2020) for view of the habitat and syntopic species. Barbodes pyrpholeos was originally discovered by Arnel Pasilan (Prosperidad Mountaineering Club) during their earlier exploration, and brought to the attention of the second author. 

Etymology. The species name is a combination of the Greek words pyr, meaning fire, and pholeos, meaning cave, in reference to the fiery red fins of this cave-dwelling species. Used as a noun in apposition.
 

Tan Heok Hui and Daniel Edison M. Husana. 2021. Barbodes pyrpholeos, New Species, the First Cave-dwelling Cyprinid fish in the Philippines, with Redescription of B. montanoi (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 69; 309–323. DOI: 10.26107/RBZ-2021-0054