Puntius ticto (Hamilton)

I. Linthoingambi & W. Vishwanath, 2007, Two new fish species of the genus Puntius Hamilton (Cyprinidae) from Manipur, India, with notes on P. ticto (Hamilton) and P. stoliczkanus (Day)., Zootaxa 1450, pp. 45-56 : 50-52

Puntius ticto (Hamilton)

(Fig. 5)

Cyprinus ticto Hamilton, 1822 : 314, fig.87, Pl. 8.

Material examined. (All from Brahmaputra basins) MUMF 6115, 1, 38.0 mm SL; India: Manipur: Jiri R. at Jiribam Subdivision; W. Vishwanath, 8 March 2000. MUMF 6116-20, 5, 40.0-46.0 mm SL; India: Assam: Wetlands of Hajo, North Kamrup District, A. Boishya, 20 April 2004. Uncat, 9, 35.0-44.0 mm SL; India: Assam: Brahmaputra R. at Guwahati; W. Vishwanath, 3 August, 2000. Uncat., 3, 40.0-41.3 mm SL; India: Nagaland: Dikhu R. at Moalenden; Bendangkokpa Jamir, 10 September 2005. Uncat., 21, 34.5-45.8 mm SL; India: Assam: Brahmaputra R. at Guwahati, W. Vishwanath, K. Nebeshwar and I. Linthoingambi, 21 July 2005.

Diagnosis. Body deep, its depth 36.8-45.0% SL; last simple ray of dorsal fin long, spiny and serrated posteriorly with 15-17 serrae, spine length 20.6-28.0% SL, 78.3-88.6% HL; lateral line incomplete with 22- 26 scales in the row, 6-11 pored; preanal scales 16; two spots along lateral line scale row, one on the 4th scale and second on 17th -20th scales; two complete black bands on dorsal fin.

Description. Table 3 presents frequency distributions of meristic characters, and Table 4 presents morphometric data. Body short, compressed and deep. Barbels absent. Lips thick, lateral fold on snout well developed.

Dorsal fin origin a little behind that of pelvic fin, inserted midway between tip of snout and base of caudal fin; 3 simple and 8 branched rays; third simple ray long, spiny and finely serrated posteriorly with 15-17 serrae. Pectoral fin with 1 posteriorly serrated simple ray and 12 branched rays, almost reaching the pelvic fin origin. Pelvic fin with 8-9 rays, the 1st and last two undivided. Anal fin with 3 simple and 5 branched rays. Caudal fin with 10+9 principal rays, 9+8 branched.

Scales large. Lateral line incomplete, 22-26 in the row with 6-11 pored. ½5 scales between dorsal fin origin and lateral-line row, 5½ between lateral line and pelvic fin origin. Predorsal scales 9-10. Preanal scales 16.

Predorsal bones 4, predorsal neural spines 4. First pterygiophore inserted between 8th and 9th vertebrae. Total vertebrae 4+26.

Colouration. A black spot on the 4th scale and one on 17th -20th scales of lateral line row. Two black bands on dorsal fin, the first at middle length on the membranes between the branched rays and the second on the branched rays at about 3/4 length of the fin from its base.

Distribution. India: Ganges (Hamilton, 1822). India: Assam: Brahmaputra River (Sen, 1985). It is here reported from Jiri R., Manipur state (Fig. 3) and Dikhu R., Nagaland state, India.