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| Pseudobarbus kubhekai Zarei, Mathebula & Chakona, 2025 |
Abstract
A recent phylogeographic analysis of the remnant populations of Pseudobarbus quathlambae from Lesotho and South Africa revealed the existence of three allopatrically distributed lineages: (i) one in eastern Lesotho, (ii) one in Mohale, central Lesotho, and (iii) a third lineage in the Umzimkhulu (= Mzimkhulu) River, KwaZulu-Natal, adjacent to the Mkhomazana River (type locality), where the species has gone extinct. The present study provides morphological and osteological evidence corroborating the distinctiveness of the Umzimkhulu River population from all other populations (extant and extinct) of P. quathlambae, supporting their recognition as distinct species. Herein, we describe the Umzimkhulu River population as a new species, Pseudobarbus kubhekai. The new species, a single barbeled redfin, differs from all currently recognized congeners by having 51–56 scales in lateral-line series (vs. 60–72 in P. quathlambae and 25–45 in the other species). Proposed steps to resolve the taxonomic status of P. quathlambae from other localities (Mkhomazana population, Eastern Lesotho Highlands, and Mohale lineages) are presented.
Key Words: Cyprinidae, endemic species, freshwater fish, systematics, Umzimkhulu redfin
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| Fresh specimens of Pseudobarbus kubhekai sp. nov. from the Umzimkhulu River system. A. SAIAB 246079 (tag number F86), paratype, 62.4 mm SL; B. SAIAB 246079 (tag number F90), paratype, 54.3 mm SL. |
Pseudobarbus kubhekai sp. nov.
Pseudobarbus quathlambae (non-Barnard)
—Kubheka et al. 2017: 303; Swartz et al. 2023: 301.
Proposed common name: Umzimkhulu Redfin (English);
Umzimkhulu Rooivlerkie (Afrikaans).
Diagnosis: Pseudobarbus kubhekai sp. nov. is easily distinguishable from P. burchelli, P. burgi, P. skeltoni, and P. verloreni by possessing a single pair of oral barbels (vs. two pairs). The new species differs from all currently recognized congeners by having 51–56 scales in lateral-line series (vs. 60–72 in P. quathlambae and 25–45 in other species). It further differs from its closest relative, P. quathlambae, by having fewer vertebrae (36–37 vs. 38–40) and lacking dark spots on its back (vs. presence of 2–4 rows of dark spots on back; Figs 5–7 for comparison).
Etymology: Pseudobarbus kubhekai sp. nov. is named after Skhumbuzo Kubheka from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, who, through extensive sampling efforts in search of Pseudobarbus quathlambae from its type locality and headwater tributaries of the Umkhomazi and adjacent river systems, discovered this new species from the Umzimkhulu River system. This discovery was significant because it helped to resolve a longstanding debate on the natural occurrence of redfin minnows in the KwaZulu Natal Province of South Africa. The discovery also highlights the conservation significance of the headwater tributaries of rivers draining the Drakensberg Mountain.
Fatah Zarei, Xiluva Mathebula and Albert Chakona. 2025. Pseudobarbus kubhekai sp. nov., A New Redfin (Teleostei, Cyprinidae) from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 101(1): 1-16. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zse.101.134080
