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| Neobola kinondo
Bart, Schmidt, Nyingi & Gathua, 2019
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Abstract
Sampling of streams in the middle reaches of the Tana River Basin in Meru National Park, Kenya, from 2010 to 2012 for an NSF-funded International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) project, resulted in the capture of a number of specimens of what were first thought to be Neobola fluviatilis. On closer examination the specimens were determined to represent a distinct species, endemic to the Tana River basin, which is herein formally described. The new species is readily diagnosed from N. fluviatilis by higher counts of lateral line, pre-dorsal, and caudal peduncle circumferential scales, higher numbers of pectoral rays, lower numbers of anal fin rays, and a shorter anal-fin base length.
Keywords: Actinopterygii, Neobola fluviatilis (Whitehead 1962), Neobola kinondo sp. nov., Cyprinoidei, East Africa
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| FIGURE 5. Photograph of Neobola kinondo showing body coloration in life. Note the yellow pigment in the pelvic fine, anal fins and lower lobe of the caudal fin. |
Neobola kinondo sp. nov.
Engraulicypris fluviatilis (in part), Whitehead 1962:100 (Distribution, Tana River).
Engraulicypris fluviatilis (in part), Howes, 1984:156 (Distribution, Tana River).
Engraulicypris fluviatilis (in part), Lévêque & Daget 1984:326 (Distribution, Tana River)
Engraulicypris fluviatilis (in part), Seegers et al. 2003:34 (Distribution, Tana River)
Diagnosis Neobola kinondo is readily diagnosed from its presumed closest relative, N. fluviatilis, by higher counts of lateral line scales (mode 41, range 38–47, x̄ = 41.83 vs. mode 40, range 37–41, x̄ = 38.22 in N. fluviatilis, Table 2), predorsal scales (mode 24, range 20–27, of 23.90 vs. mode 19-20, range 17–22, x̄ = 19.38 in N. fluviatilis, Table 3), and caudal peduncle circumferential scales (mode 14, range 12–16, x̄ = 13.90 vs. mode 13, range 10–13, x̄ = 12.57 in N. fluviatilis, Table 4), and lower counts of transverse scales (mode 9, range 7–11, x̄ = 9 vs. mode 10, range 8–10, x̄ = 9.64 in N. fluviatilis, Table 5), principal dorsal-fin rays (mode 8, range 7–9, x̄ = 7.93 vs. mode 9, range 8–9, x̄ = 8.63 in N. fluviatilis, Table 6) and principal anal-fin rays (mode 18, range 18–23, x̄ = 19.23 vs. mode 22, range 20–24, x̄ = 22.17 in N. fluviatilis, Table 7). Combining lateral line scales and pre-dorsal scales completely separates N. kinondo from N. fluviatilis. Neobola kinondo has a combined count of 61 or more scales; N. fluviatilis has fewer than 61 lateral line and predorsal scales (Fig. 3).
Neobola kinondo differs from N. bottegi by its higher numbers of lateral line scales (38–45 vs. 37-40 in N. bottegi) and principal anal fin rays (18-23 in N. kinondo vs. 14–18 in N. bottegi), and a more triangular pectoral axial scale (vs. more lanceolate in N. bottegi). Neobola kinondo differs from N. moeruensis by its higher numbers of principal anal fin rays (18–23 vs. 14 in N. moeruensis) and higher caudal peduncle circumferential scales (mode 14 in N. kinondo vs. 12 in N. moeruensis. Neobola kinondo differs from N. nilotica by its lower modal numbers of lateral line scales and principal anal fin rays (41 and 18, respectively, vs. 44 and 22, respectively in N. nilotica). Neobola kinondo is readily distinguished from N. stellae by its lower count of gill rakers on the first ceratobranchial (7 vs. 10 in N. stellae).
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| FIGURE 2 A. Holotype of Neobola kinondo, a nuptial male, 44.6 mm SL. B. Paratype (allotype) of N. kinondo, a nuptial female, 64.8 mm SL. |
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| FIGURE 7. Pen and ink enhanced head of Holotype of Neobola kinondo, showing breeding tubercles on tip of snout, top of head, underside of jaws, cheek and operculum. |
Etymology: The specific epithet of the new species “kinondo” is the Ameru language word for “silver” and is in reference to the bright silver color of the sides of N. kinondo. Species of Neobola are commonly referred to as sardines because of their sardine-like appearance. Thus, we suggest the common name, Tana Sardine.
Distribution: Neobola kinondo is confined to the Tana River of Kenya (Fig. 6). It is known primarily from tributaries of the Tana in Meru National Park and likely also occurs in portions of the Tana River proper bordering the park. The only other record of the species is based on a single juvenile specimen collected from a locality on the lower Tana River near the Hola Concentration Camps, Tana River County (BMNH 1966.8.25.6), suggesting that the species also inhabits lower portions of the Tana River Basin.
Henry L. Bart Jr, Ray C. Schmidt, Wanja Dorothy Nyingi and Joseph Gathua. 2019. A New Species of Cyprinoid Fish from the Tana River, Kenya (Actinopterygii: Danionidae). Zootaxa. 4652(3); 533–543. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.3.9
