Garra gallagheri Krupp, 1988

Esmaeili, Hamid Reza, Jufaili, Saud Al, Masoumi, Amir Hassan & Zarei, Fatah, 2022, Ichthyodiversity in southeastern Arabian Peninsula: Annotated checklist taxonomy, short description and distribution of Inland fishes of Oman, Zootaxa 5134 (4), pp. 451-503 : 467-469

5. Garra gallagheri Krupp, 1988 , Endemic

Fig. 18

Etymology: Garra : named based on a vernacular Indian name, a fish living in mud; gallagheri : named after Mr. M.D. Gallagher for his contribution to fauna of Oman.

Common name: Black Garra .

Taxonomy: Garra barreimiae gallagheri was originally described by Krupp (1988):402, fig. 1 [Journal of Oman Studies Special Report No. 3; from Wadi Bani Khalid north of Muqal, 22°40’N, 59°05’E, Oman.

Holotype: SMF 17262 . Paratypes: BMNH 1977.12.13.557-578 (5), 1978.9.6.5-13 (7); NHMB 6343 (6), 6350 (4); ONHM 771.1 (3); SMF 17262 (2 or 10).

Short description: Garra gallagheri is distinguished from its close relative, G. barreimiae by having a plain or almost plain, greenish or black flank pattern (vs. strongly mottled), with a faint dark-green lateral stripe present in some individuals (vs. absent), orange midlateral scales on the flank absent (vs. present), orange spot at the upper opercle absent (vs. present), dorsal-fin tip not white (vs. white), and 12–14 gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch (vs. 15–18).

Distribution: Wadi Bani Khalid and falaj irrigation systems downstream; Falaj in Bani Bu Ali; Sur Bridge, Sur, Al Sharqiya Governorate ( Fig. 19 ).

Remarks: Krupp distinguished G. b. gallagheri from G. b. barreimiae by presence of 8 dorsal-fin rays (vs. 7). It is likely that Krupp counted the posterior pair of fin rays based on one pterygophore as two rays, thus 8 rays as counted by Krupp (1988) can be treated as 7½ rays. Individuals of G. gallagheri from its type locality had 7½ branched dorsal-fin rays (see Kirchner et al. 2020).

Examined material: ZM-CBSU: O013. Gg 101, 20, Oman: Sur Bridge, 22°27ʹ51ʹʹN, 59°23ʹ19ʹʹE, H. R. Esmaeili, S.M. Al-Jufaili, A.H. Masoumi, Sep. 2021 .

Figures

FIGURE 18. Garra gallagheri, Oman: Sur Bridge

FIGURE 19. Distribution map of Garra gallagheri, Oman. Pink: Southwestern Arabian Coast, green: Oman Mountains, and yellow: Arabian Interior.