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| Vexillichthys Armbruster, new genus Vexillichthys atripinnis (Bailey 1959) in Armbruster, 2024. |
Abstract
Thoburnia atripinnis is more closely related to Hypentelium (hogsuckers) than it is to other Thoburnia, and its presence in the Barren River of Kentucky is disjunct from that of true Thoburnia. Its unique morphology is unlike that of the easily recognized hogsuckers, making placement of the species within Hypentelium untenable; thus, a new genus is described. The new genus can be separated from all other catostomids by the presence of thin, black, prominent stripes on the body, a large black mark on the anterodist al portion of the dorsal fin, presence of pads ventrally on the leading portion of the pectoral fin, lateral laminae of the dermethmoid angled anteriorly, and the base of the lateral ethmoid narrow.
Pisces, Hypentelium, Moxostoma, Thoburnini, Taxonomy
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| Live specimens of Vexillichthys n. gen. atripinnis. A. young in typical coloration (90 mm SL, Salt Lick Creek at Bugtussle Road crossing, Monroe Co., KY, ...) and B. nuptial specimen, probably female (147 mm SL, Long Hungry Creek, at KY 1333 crossing, Allen Co., KY, ...). Specimens uncataloged. Photos by M. Thomas. |
Vexillichthys Armbruster, new genus
Type species. Moxostoma (Thoburnia) atripinne Bailey 1959
Diagnosis. Vexillichthys can be separated from all other Catostomids by the presence of well-developed, thin, black stripes on the body and a large, black mark on the anterodistal portion of the dorsal fin. Members of Hypentelium and Thoburnia may have stripes, but the stripes are faint, and the dorsal saddles are darker than the stripes (vs. the stripes darker than the saddles in Vexillichthys). Hypentelium does have dark marks in the dorsal fin, but the fin has bands or blotches instead of a single, large, black area at the anterodistal portion of the fin and the remainder of the fin hyaline. Vexillichthys can be further separated from Thoburnia by lacking a rust-colored, wide lateral stripe. Minytrema also has dark stripes, but these are composed of distinct ...
Etymology. From the Latin vexillum for flag and the Greek ichthys for fish. The dorsal fin has a flaglike pattern and the approximately thirteen alternating dark and light stripes are like the flag of the United States of America. Gender masculine.
Jonathan W. ARMBRUSTER. 2024. A New Genus for the Blackfin Sucker, Thoburnia atripinnis (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae). Zootaxa. 5536(2); 325-335. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5536.2.8
