Pseudecheneis Blyth

Heok Hee Ng, 2006, The identity of Pseudecheneis sulcata (M'Clelland, 1842), with descriptions of two new species of rheophilic catfish (Teleostei: Sisoridae) from Nepal and China., Zootaxa 1254, pp. 45-68 : 46

[[ Genus Pseudecheneis Blyth ]]

Introduction

Sisorid catfishes of the subfamily Glyptosterninae are widely distributed throughout the highlands of southern Asia. Among them, members of the genus Pseudecheneis Blyth, 1860 are easily diagnosed in having a thoracic adhesive apparatus consisting of a series of transverse ridges (laminae) separated by grooves (sulcae) (de Pinna, 1996; Roberts, 1998). Pseudecheneis species are found in the headwaters of major river drainages throughout the subhimalayan region eastwards to the Ailao Shan range along the upper Red River drainage and the Annam Cordillera. A previous study by Ng & Edds (2005) recognized seven valid species of Pseudecheneis , viz. P. sulcata (M’ Clelland, 1842) , P. paviei Vaillant, 1904 , P. immaculata Chu, 1982 , P. sulcatoides Zhou & Chu, 1992 , P. sympelvica Roberts, 1998 , P. crassicauda Ng & Edds, 2005 , and P. serracula Ng & Edds, 2005 .

The identity of P. sulcata has been problematic (Ng & Edds, 2005), and the current status of P. tchangi (Hora, 1937) is unclear. The study below is based on an examination of material identified as P. sulcata from throughout southwestern China, India, and Nepal (including topotypic material of P. sulcata ) and clarifies the identity of P. sulcata , which is redescribed below. Additionally, material from Nepal previously identified as P. sulcata by Ng & Edds (2005) is found to belong to an undescribed species; the description of this as P. eddsi , new species, appears below. A second new species from southwestern China, P. stenura , is also described.