[Herpetology • 2021] Ichthyophis benjii • A New Striped Species of Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 (Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae) from Mizoram, northeast India

Ichthyophis benjii  

 Lalremsanga, Purkayastha, Biakzuala, Vabeiryureilai, Muansanga & Hmar, 2021

  amphibian-reptile-conservation.org 

Photos by H.T. Lalremsanga

Abstract

A new species of striped Ichthyophis is described from Mizoram State of northeast India. For its distinguishing features, Ichthyophis benjii sp. nov. has narrow (W/S >5) irregular faint lateral yellow stripes extending immediately from corner of the mouth to the level of the posterior vent, not contacting the disc, barely or not visible on the collars ventrally, patchy in the trunk region; known to attain lengths greater than 400 mm, 26 < L/W < 30; head V-shaped, short (L/H > 24); TAs (tentacular apertures) more than twice as far from nares as from eyes (TN/TE > 2); C2 (second collar) noticeably longer than C1 (frst collar). It differs from all other striped congeners, except for I. tricolor and I. multicolor, in having an indistinct pale yellowish lateral stripe that is bordered by a darker ventrolateral longitudinal stripe immediately above the pale venter on each side. It differs from I. tricolor and I. multicolor in having more AGs (annular grooves) 388–422 counted dorsally; and in having 118–124 vertebrae vs. < 120 (I. tricolor) or > 125 (I. multicolor). An analysis of mitochondrial 16s rRNA shows Ichthyophis benjii sp. nov. to be a sister taxon to I. multicolor with an uncorrected p-distance of 0.055. At present, due to the lack of data on the population status and range of distribution, we propose the species be considered as Data Defcient (DD) under the IUCN Red List criteria. 

Keywords. 16s rRNA, caecilian, conservation, Data Defcient, Ichthyophis benjii sp. nov., Indo-Burma 

 Holotype (MZMU 1479) of Ichthyophis benjii sp. nov. in life from Durtlang.

Photo by H.T. Lalremsanga.

Ichthyophis benjii sp. nov.

 

Diagnosis. Ichthyophis with narrow (W/S > 5) irregular faint lateral yellow stripes extending from immediately behind CMs to the level of the posterior of vent, not contacting the disc, barely or not visible on the collars ventrally, patchy in the trunk region; known to attain lengths greater than 400 mm, 26 < L/W < 30; head more V-shaped than U-shaped in dorsal view, short (L/H > 24); TAs more than twice as far from nares as from eyes (TN/TE > 2); without distinctive moustache-like stripes between snout tip and TAs; and C2 noticeably longer than C1. Ichthyophis benjii sp. nov. differs from all other striped congeners in having a markedly less prominent pale yellowish lateral stripe, bordered by a darker ventrolateral longitudinal stripe immediately above the pale venter on each side. It can be differentiated from I. tricolor and I. multicolor in having much higher AGs of 385–422 and 383–423 counted dorsally and ventrally, respectively.

Etymology. The species epithet “benjii” is dedicated in memory of Benjamin Lalremsanga (1988–2020, nephew of Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga) who used to actively assist the author(s) in their herpetofaunal surveys. 

Suggested English common name: Benji’s Caecilian

Paratypes of Ichthyophis benjii sp. nov. in life: (A) MZMU 1462 from Chhinga Veng, (B) MZMU 1481 from Tanhril, (C) MZMU 2025 from Gosen,
and (D) I. multicolor MZMU 1740 from Tuirini Bridge, Aizawl District.

Photos by H.T. Lalremsanga.

Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga, Jayaditya Purkayastha, Lal Biakzuala, Mathipi Vabeiryureilai, Lal Muansanga and Gospel Zothanmawia Hmar. 2021. A New Striped Species of Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae) from Mizoram, northeast India. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation. 15(2) [Taxonomy Section]: 198–209 (e288). 

 amphibian-reptile-conservation.org 

[Herpetology • 2014] New Ichthyophis Species from Indochina (Gymnophiona, Ichthyophiidae): 1. The Unstriped Forms with Descriptions of Three New Species [Ichthyophis cardamomensis, I. catlocensis and I. chaloensis] and the Redescriptions of I. acuminatus Taylor, 1960, I. youngorum Taylor, 1960 and I. laosensis Taylor, 1969

Ichthyophis cardamomensis sp. nov. from western Cambodia, 
Ichthyophis catlocensis sp. nov. from southern Vietnam, and
 Ichthyophis chaloensis sp. nov. from central Vietnam 

Geissler, Poyarkov, Grismer, Nguyen, An, Neang, Kupfer, Ziegler, Böhme & Müller, 2014
DOI: 10.1007/s13127-014-0190-6

Abstract

Caecilians of the genus Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 are among the most poorly known amphibian taxa within Southeast Asia. Populations of Ichthyophis from the Indochina region (comprising Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam) have been assigned to five taxa: Ichthyophis acuminatus, Ichthyophis bannanicus, Ichthyophis kohtaoensis, Ichthyophis laosensis, and Ichthyophis nguyenorum. Barcoding of recently collected specimens indicates that Indochinese congeners form a clade that includes several morphologically and genetically distinct but yet undescribed species. Although body coloration is supported by the molecular analyses as a diagnostic character at species level, unstriped forms are paraphyletic with respect to striped Ichthyophis. Based on our morphological and molecular analyses, three distinct unstriped ichthyophiid species, Ichthyophis cardamomensis sp. nov. from western Cambodia, Ichthyophis catlocensis sp. nov. from southern Vietnam, and Ichthyophis chaloensis sp. nov. from central Vietnam are described as new herein, almost doubling the number of Ichthyophis species known from the Indochinese region. All three new species differ from their unstriped congeners in a combination of morphological and molecular traits. In addition, redescriptions of three unstriped Ichthyophis species (Ichthyophis acuminatus, I. laosensis, I. youngorum) from Indochina and adjacent Thailand are provided.

Keywords: Biogeography, Caecilians, Indochina, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, mtDNA, Barcoding, COI, cyt b, Phylogeny, Integrative taxonomy

Ichthyophis cardamomensis
 Geissler, Poyarkov, Grismer, Nguyen, An, Neang, Kupfer, Ziegler, Böhme & Müller, 2014

DOI: 10.1007/s13127-014-0190-6

Ichthyophis chaloensis
Geissler, Poyarkov, Grismer, Nguyen, An, Neang, Kupfer, Ziegler, Böhme & Müller, 2014

DOI: 10.1007/s13127-014-0190-6

Ichthyophis catlocensis
Geissler, Poyarkov, Grismer, Nguyen, An, Neang, Kupfer, Ziegler, Böhme & Müller, 2014

DOI: 10.1007/s13127-014-0190-6

Peter Geissler, Nikolay A. Poyarkov Jr., Lee Grismer, Truong Q. Nguyen, Hang T. An, Thy Neang, Alexander Kupfer, Thomas Ziegler, Wolfgang Böhme and Hendrik Müller. 2014. New Ichthyophis Species from Indochina (Gymnophiona, Ichthyophiidae): 1. The Unstriped Forms with Descriptions of Three New Species and the Redescriptions of I. acuminatus Taylor, 1960, I. youngorum Taylor, 1960 and I. laosensis Taylor, 1969.
Organisms Diversity & Evolution. DOI: 10.1007/s13127-014-0190-6

researchgate.net/publication/269987105_Ichthyophis_species_from_Indochina_(Gymnophiona_Ichthyophiidae)_1._The_unstriped_forms_with_descriptions_of_three_new_species_and_the_redescriptions_of_I._acuminatus_Taylor_1960_I._youngorum_Taylor_1960_and_I._laosensis_Taylor_1969

New legless amphibian discovered in Cambodia

http://www.fauna-flora.org/news/new-legless-amphibian-discovered-in-cambodia/

Scientists discover new species of legless amphibian in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains 

http://phy.so/340439706 via @physorg_com

[Herpetology • 2014] Ichthyophis multicolor • A New Species of Striped Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 (Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae) from Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar

FIGURE 1. Preserved holotype (CAS 212264) of Ichthyophis multicolor sp. nov.

Photos by Harry Taylor (The Natural History Museum, London).
Scale gradations = 1 mm.

Abstract

A new species of striped ichthyophiid caecilian, Ichthyophis multicolor sp. nov., is described on the basis of morphological and molecular data from a sample of 14 specimens from Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar. The new species resembles superficially the Indian I. tricolor Annandale, 1909 in having both a pale lateral stripe and an adjacent dark ventrolateral stripe contrasting with a paler venter. It differs from I. tricolor in having many more annuli, and in many details of cranial osteology, and molecular data indicate that it is more closely related to other Southeast Asian Ichthyophis than to those of South Asia. The caecilian fauna of Myanmar is exceptionally poorly known but is likely to include chikilids as well as multiple species of Ichthyophis.

Key words: Burma, caecilians, conservation, ichthyophiids, out-of-India, systematics, taxonomy

Etymology. Named for its having more distinct colours than most other Ichthyophis. For nomenclatural purposes the specific epithet is considered to be a noun in apposition.
Suggested English name. Colourful Ichthyophis or Colourful Ich.

Distribution and natural history. This species is known only from the type locality. Specimens were collected on the surface after heavy rain from an area of secondary forest and agriculture. The soil was sandy and hard packed. Local people brought the field team to the locality in response to questions about where ichthyophiids could be found. Although the type series includes no larval specimens it seems very likely that the species, like all other Ichhyophis as far as is known, is oviparous with an aquatic larval stage. This life history is also suggested by the large size of the unlaid eggs (e.g. Wilkinson & Nussbaum 1998).


MARK WILKINSON, BRONWEN PRESSWELL, EMMA SHERRATT, ANNA PAPADOPOULOU & DAVID J. GOWER. 2014.  A New Species of Striped Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae) from Myanmar. Zootaxa. 3785(1);  45–58. 

http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3785.1.4

http://mapress.com/zootaxa/2014/f/zt03785p058.pdf