Rediscovery of Barilius rugosus Day (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) Firstly after its Description in 1867
Mathews Plamoottil
Department of Zoology Government College, Kottayam-686001 (India) mathewsplamoottil@gmail.com Ph. 9447059690
ABSTRACT
Barilius rugosus Day is a least known cyprinid fish described from south India. This name was not used by most of the researchers after its original description in 1867. Lack of specimens from its type locality is the main reason for the failure in confirming its identity. An examination of the specimens of Barilius rugosus collected recently from a stream of Bhavani River at Palakkad shows, however, that it exhibits many distinct differences from its congeners. Barilius rugosus can be distinguished from its congeners in having a slender body, 8-9 branched rays in dorsal fin, 39-40 lateral line scales, 17-19 predorsal scales, 15- 17 vertical greyish silvery bands on laterals, white tipped dorsal fin and anal fin and prominent tubercles on tip of snout and jaws. Morphometric characters and meristic counts of Barilius rugosus were analysed well based on the topotypic materials.