Friday, June 24, 2011

[Ichthyology • 2010] Macrognathus aureus • from Upper Ayeyarwaddy Drainage, Myanmar



Macrognathus aureus Britz, 2010

Abstract: Macrognathus aureus, new species, from the upper Ayeyarwaddy River Drainage, northern Myanmar, is distinguished from all other species of the M. aculeatus species group by the following combination of characters: rostral tooth plates8–10, dorsal-fin spines 21–22, and a unique colour pattern consisting of a series of large white-rimmed, dark-brown toblack blotches along the dorsal fin and even larger blotches along the lateral line, of which some are confluent with thedorsal series.

Key words: Taxonomy; freshwater fish; Irrawaddy; Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot



Britz, R., 2010. Macrognathus aureus, a new spiny eel of the Macrognathus aculeatus species group from the Upper Ayeyarwaddy River Drainage, Myanmar (Teleostei: Synbranchiformes: Mastacembelidae). Zootaxa, 2514: 55–60.: http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2010/f/z02514p060f.pdf

New species of spiny eel identified: http://www.mmtimes.com/2010/news/532/news017.html