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Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-11; Anal soft rays: 8-8. Diagnosis: Garra mini is a small species of Garra, maximum size recorded less than 50 mm SL, diagnosed by characters in combination: smoothly
rounded snout tip; very slight transverse frontal groove; lateral lobe present; proboscis absent; scales absent from chest; scales present on abdomen, 2 pairs of barbels, lateral line scales on body 30-31, total lateral line scales 31-33, predorsal scales very small, deeply embedded, 14-16 along predorsal midline; circumpeduncular scales 16; black spots absent from base of dorsal fin; transverse dark bars absent from caudal fin; contrasting dark band from head to caudal-fin base; uniquely distinguished from all 318 sequences of the corresponding fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene, representing 74 species of Garra, which were available in GenBank on 20 June 2015, in having thymine in position 139 (vs. cytosine in all other species), adenosine in position 141 (vs. cytosine or thymine in all other species), and guanine in position 207 (vs. adenosine in all other species) (Ref. 115305).
Description: elongate, predorsal contour little ascending to slightly anterior to dorsal-fin base, posteriorly straight, slightly sloping; caudal peduncle not much shallower than rest of body; ventrally flattened on head, chest and belly; head wide, rounded in dorsal aspect, depressed, with marked decurved upper contour; shallow transverse depression in snout immediately anterior to nostrils in some specimens only; orbit in middle of head length; snout rounded, smooth, decurved, with short triangular lateral projection residing in shallow lateral depression; lateral lobe with row of 1-3 short sharp tubercles in specimens over 40 mm SL; anterior maxillary barbel emerging from anterior part of lateral depression, short, not reaching margin of rostral cap; posterior barbel at rictus, similar in length to anterior barbel or shorter; rostral cap covering upper jaw, distal margin with wide band of papillae, margin entire; upper lip absent; lower jaw laterally attached to papillose fold at rictus; lower jaw posteriorly margined by wide papillose lower lip; central pad smooth, slightly wider than long, posterior margin slightly crenate in adults; in small specimens rounded, covered with minute papillae, and posterior margin smooth; dorsal-fin rays iii.7 1/2* (18); dorsal fin inserted slightly anterior to mid-body and slightly anterior to vertical from pelvic-fin origin; pelvic fin with short subacuminate tip, 1st and 2nd branched rays longest, extending slightly beyond last ray; posterior margin slightly concave, posteriormost ray not extending to vertical from anal-fin origin; anal-fin rays iii.4 1/2* (19); anal fin short, with rounded anterior corner and straight distal margin, 1st branched ray longest, tip barely reaching caudal-fin base or shorter; caudal-fin rays 9 + 9* (6), 10 + 9 (13); caudal fin emarginate, lobes equally long, lobe tips subacuminate, 10th ray shortest; pectoral-fin rays i.12 (9), i.13* (10); pectoral fin elongate, tip broadly rounded, 6th-7th branched rays longest, not reaching to base of pelvic fin; anterior 6 rays with long thick adhesive pads in specimens over 40 mm SL, pads on fewer rays or absent in smaller specimens; pelvic-fin rays i.7* (6), i.8 (12); pelvic fin elongate, tip rounded, 3rd or 4th branched ray longest, not extending to base of anal fin; elongate adhesive pads present on 3 anterior rays in specimens over 40 mm SL, fewer or absent in smaller specimens; lateral line scales 30 + 1 (9), 30 + 2* (5), 31 + 1 (3), 31 + 2 (2); scales in transverse row 4 1/2/1/3 1/2* (19); circumpeduncular scale rows 16* (19); scales absent from chest to level of end of base of pectoral fin; scales present on abdomen, minute, thin, partly non-imbricated, covered by skin; scales imbricated and clearly visible posterior to pelvic-fin insertion, with about 5-6 small elongate scales in midline between pelvic-fin insertion and vent; on predorsal midline about 14-16 very small scales embedded in skin, without free margin; dissected specimens NRM 66226, 43.7 mm SL, and 41.6 mm SL, a female with large eggs, 0.5 mm in diameter, and a male with swollen testes, respectively; several specimens < 40 mm SL dissected with undifferentiated gonads only; no external sexual dimorphism observed (Ref. 115305).
Colouration in preservative: top of head grey; predorsal midline grey, sides of head pale brown; sides dull yellowish grey dorsally, lighter ventrally, to yellow on ventral surfaces; small black spot on cleithrum immediately posterior to dorsal end of gill opening; dark grey or black band from cleithral spot to end of caudal peduncle, anteriorly 1 1/2 scales wide, posteriorly narrower to 1 scale wide; middle membranes of caudal fin basally darker than rest of fin which sparsely pigmented; other fins with sparse dark pigment, but no markings formed (Ref. 115305). |