A review of the genus Laubuca in Sri Lanka, with description of three new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

Abstract

The species hitherto included in the genus Chela are shown to belong to two distinct genera, Chela (type species C. cachius) and Laubuca (type species L. laubuca). The Indian and Sri Lankan species of Laubuca (L. laubuca, L. fasdata, L. dadyburjori, L. lankensis and three new species, L. insularis, L. ruhuna and L. varuna) are distinguished from C. cachius, the type species of Chela (among other characters) by having 14 pre-caudal vertebrae (vs. 17 in C. cachius); 31-37 + 1-2 lateral-line scales (vs. 56-61 + 3-4); 7-11 scales in transverse line on body (vs. 17-19); and 14-20 branched anal-fin rays (vs. 21-23). Within Sri Lanka, the dry-zone species L. lankensis and L. insularis are distinguished from their wet-zone congeners L. varuna and L. ruhuna by having the skin over the dentary densely tuberculated (vs. tubercles minute, widely spaced). Laubuca lankensis is distinguished from L. insularis by its shorter pelvic fins (not reaching anal-fin origin, vs. reaching beyond base of third branched anal-fin ray in L. insularis); while L. ruhuna is distinguished from L. varuna by its deeper body (2.9-3.1 in SL, vs. 3.2-3.6 in L. varuna). © 2008 by Verlag.