Olyra sancta, a New Species of Anguilliform Catfish (Teleostei: Bagridae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Abstract: Olyra sancta, a new anguilliform bagrid catfish is described from the Tissa River, Brahmaputra River drainage in Arunachal Pradesh, north-eastern India. The new species differs from its congeners by the following combination of characters: adipose fin separate from upper principal caudal-fin rays; interorbital distance 32.2–33.9% head length (HL); eye diameter 7.0–9.0% HL; body depth at anus 6.6–9.7% standard length (SL); and caudal peduncle depth 4.2–5.3% SL. Mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I was employed to determine variation at molecular level. Sequence analysis (655bp) was done along with closely related species. The results from interspecific genetic distance, phylogenetic tree (ML & NJ) and species delimitation (PTP) clearly separated the new species from its congeners.