Description of a new species of Mustura Kottelat (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae) from the Brahmaputra drainage, India

Abstract

Mustura subhashi , new species, is described from the Dikal River, a north bank tributary of the Brahmaputra drainage in Arunachal Pradesh. It is distinguished from all its congeners by having a colour pattern of 14–23 dark‐greyish black to dark brown irregular bars on a greyish to pale beige body; pre‐dorsal bars thin, numerous, wider than interspaces, weakly contrasted, uniting dorsally at lateral one‐third or midway on flank to form thicker bars, coalescing further at lateral one‐fifth and continuous on dorsum with contralateral bars; bars below dorsal fin exhibiting similar condition but slightly wider than pre‐dorsal bars; post‐dorsal bars thicker than anterior bars, wider than interspaces, sharply contrasted, rarely coalescing on flank; and a short bar along the caudal mid‐line, rarely forming a blotch. Based on re‐examination of the type specimens and additional materials, Mustura dikrongensis is confirmed as a species belonging to Mustura , and M. harkishorei is not sufficiently diagnosed from ' Nemacheilus ' corica .

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