Botia Gray

Maurice Kottelat, 2004, Botia kubotai, a new species of loach (Teleostei: Cobitidae) from the Ataran River basin (Myanmar), with comments on botiine nomenclature and diagnosis of a new genus., Zootaxa 401, pp. 1-18 : 11-12

publication ID	z00401p001
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6270544
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/00307DF1-4568-2706-89B9-167D2E358CB8
treatment provided by	Thomas
scientific name	Botia Gray
status

Treatment

Botia Gray View in CoL View at ENA ZBK

Botia Gray, 1831 ZBK (type species: Botia almorhae Gray, 1831 ZBK , by monotypy). Gender feminine.

Hymenphysa M'Clelland, 1839 ZBK (type species: Cobitis dario Hamilton, 1822 ZBK , by subsequent designation by Jordan, 1919a). Gender feminine.

Diacantha Swainson, 1839 ZBK (type species: Diacantha zebra Swainson, 1839 ZBK , by subsequent designation by Swain, 1883; spelled Diacanthus p. 190, first reviser [Eschmeyer, 1990: 123] retained Diacantha ZBK as correct original spelling). Gender feminine. [Eschmeyer considered D. zebra ZBK as type by monotypy; in fact Swainson originally included two species, D. zebra ZBK and D. flavicauda ZBK ]

Hymenophysa Bleeker, 1859 (incorrect subsequent spelling of Hymenphysa M'Clelland, 1839 ZBK )

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other genera within the subfamily Botiinae by the following combination of characters: Mental lobe developed in a barbel. Fronto-parietal fontanelle narrow. Anterior chamber of gas bladder almost entirely covered by bony capsule; posterior chamber large or rather reduced. Anterior process of premaxilla entire, not surrounding a cavity; rostral process rather long, with a more or less distinct ridge along inner edge. Top of supraethmoid narrow or broad. Optic foramen very small. Suborbital spine not strongly curved backwards (based on Taki, 1972: 74, 76). Suborbital spine bifid. Head naked.

Remarks. The spelling Hymenophysa used by Fang (1936), Nalbant (1963, 2002), Taki (1972) and others is not correct. The correct original spelling used by M'Clelland (1839: 443) is Hymenphysa ZBK . Hymenophysa of Bleeker (1859: 303) is an incorrect subsequent spelling of Hymenphysa M'Clelland, 1839 ZBK . Authors (e.g. Nalbant, 1963: 359, 2002: 317) often list Cobitis hymenophysa Bleeker, 1852 ZBK as type species of Hymenphysa ZBK by tautonymy. As the generic name predates the specific name by 13 years, this of course cannot be the case. In the original description of Hymenphysa ZBK , only three species are listed ( C. dario ZBK , C. geto ZBK , C. grandis ) and the type species has to be selected among them. The earliest valid type species designation is by Jordan (1919a: 195) who designated C. dario ZBK . Botia dario is placed in Botia s.s. ZBK by Nalbant (1963, 2002), Taki (1972) and others, and therefore Hymenphysa ZBK is a junior subjective synonym of Botia ZBK .