Schistura shuensis, a new species of nemacheilid loach (Cobitoidea: Nemacheilidae) from Myanmar

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ISSN 0936-9902
Ichthyological Exploration
of Freshwaters
Volume 24
Number 3
An international journal for field-orientated ichthyology

Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters
An international journal for field-orientated ichthyology
Volume 24 • Number 3 • March 2014
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Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 217-223, 4 figs., 1 tab., March 2014
© 2014 by Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, München, Germany – ISSN 0936-9902
Schistura shuensis, a new species of loach from Myanmar
(Teleostei: Nemacheilidae)
Jörg Bohlen* and Vendula Šlechtová*
Schistura shuensis, new species, is described from Shu stream on the eastern slope of the Rakhine range in Myan-
mar. It reaches up to 39.1 mm SL and is diagnosed by a combination of the following characters: males with
suborbital flap, bearing tubercles on its posterior part, females with suborbital groove; caudal fin deeply forked
(mean length of median caudal-fin rays 57 % of length of upper caudal lobe); caudal peduncle shallow (depth
11-12 % SL and 49-63 % of body depth); and presence of 6-9 indistinct dark brown bars on body.
* Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Rumburská 89,
277 21 Libechov, Czech Republic. E-mail: bohlen@iapg.cas.cz
Introduction
The genus Schistura presently consists of 196 spe-
cies (Kottelat, 2012a) and is the largest genus
among loaches, with a large variation of morpho-
logically dissimilar species. New species of Schist-
ura are still regularly described (e. g. Bohlen &
Šlech tová, 2009, 2011, 2013; Bohlen et al., 2014;
Kottelat & Leisher, 2012; Lalramliana, 2012;
Lokeshwor & Vishwanath, 2012; Ou et al., 2011;
Plongsesthee et al., 2011; Zheng et al., 2012)
whenever material from formerly unsampled
areas is examined, indicating that the diversity
of the genus is even larger. A recent collection in
Myanmar revealed a new species of Schistura
described in the present study.
Material and methods
The specimens were fixed in 10 % formalin and
later transferred to 70 % ethanol for storage. All
measurements and counts follow Kottelat (1990).
Measurements were made point-to-point with
dial callipers to the nearest 0.1 mm. Collection
abbreviations used: CMK, Collection of Maurice
Kottelat, Cornol; IAPG, Institute of Animal
Physiology and Genetics, Laboratory of Fish
Genetics, Libechov; ZRC, Zoological Reference
Collection, Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Re-
search, Department of Biological Sciences, Na-
tional University of Singapore, Singapore.
Schistura shuensis, new species
(Figs. 1-2)
Holotype. ZRC 54186, 34.4 mm SL, male; Myan-
mar: Magway devision: Shu Chaung [chaung =
stream] at bridge of Pathein-Monywa highway;
19°09.395' N 94°47.835' E; J. Bohlen, 18 Nov 2011.
Paratypes. ZRC 54187, 5, 30.8-39.1 mm SL; CMK
23959, 2, 33.7-36.8 mm SL; same data as holotype.

218
Bohlen & Šlechtová: Schistura shuensis
Diagnosis. Schistura shuensis is distinguished
from all other species of Schistura except S. hyp-
siura by adult males having a suborbital flap and
adult females a suborbital groove. Schistura shuen-
sis differs from S. hypsiura by having a more
slender caudal peduncle, less than 2
/
3 of body
depth (vs. caudal peduncle depth about same as
body depth). It further differs from all other spe-
cies of Schistura by a combination of the following
characters: caudal fin deeply forked (length of
median ray 53-58 % of length of upper lobe)
length of median rays 53-58 % of length of upper
lobe); caudal peduncle slender (depth 11-12 %
SL and 49-63 % of body depth); and presence of
6-9 indistinct dark brown bars on body.
Description. See Figures 1 and 2 for general ap-
pearance and Table 1 for morphometric data of
holotype and 7 paratypes. A small (largest known
specimen 39.1 mm SL) nemacheilid loach with
moderately elongated body (depth 4.3-5.3 times
in SL). Body slightly compressed, caudal pedun-
cle compressed. Maximum body depth at dorsal-
fin origin. Head slightly depressed. Snout round-
ed in lateral and dorsal view. Width of head
constantly increasing from level of mouth back-
wards. Depth of caudal peduncle 0.8–1.0 times in
its length. Axillary pelvic lobe present and free.
A very small adipose crest on posterior third of
dorsal and ventral midline of caudal peduncle.
Dorsal fin with 4 simple and 9
1
/
2 branched
rays. Distal margin of dorsal fin slightly concave.
Anal fin with 3 simple and 5 1
/
2 branched rays, not
reaching caudal-fin base. Caudal fin with 9 + 8
branched rays, deeply emarginated (length of
median ray 53-58 % of length of upper lobe), lobes
pointed. Pelvic fin with 8 rays; origin under first
or second branched dorsal-fin ray; reaching dis-
tinctly beyond half of distance to anal-fin origin;
usually just reaching anus, which is situated about
one eye diameter in front of anal fin. Pectoral fin
with 10 or 11 rays, exceeding half of distance
between bases of pectoral and pelvic fins.
Body (except belly) covered by very small
scales. Lateral line complete, reaching to base of
caudal fin, with 73-80 pores. Cephalic lateral line
system with 6 supraorbital, 3 + 8 infraorbital,
8 pre-operculo-mandibular and 3 supratemporal
pores. Lips and barbels covered with unculi.
Anterior nostril pierced in front side of a flap-
like tube, with a low anterior rim. Eyes moder-
ately large (4.5-4.9 times in lateral head length),
directed sidewards and slightly upwards, eye
diameter 1.2-1.3 times in interorbital width.
Mouth gape about 2 times wider than long (Fig. 3).
Processus dentiformis wide, very low, broadly
rounded. Slight notch in lower jaw. Lips thick;
upper lip with a well-marked median incision
and numerous small furrows. Lower lip with a
broad median interruption and few small folds
on both sides of median interruption. Inner rostral
barbel reaching corner of mouth, outer barbel
reaching vertical through posterior rim of pupil,
maxillary barbel reaching well behind vertical
through posterior rim of eye.
Sexual dimorphism. Males with a short, broad,
round suborbital flap; posterior third or half of
flap and posterior margin bearing about 10-30
spiny tubercles (Fig. 4a). Tubercles present in all
examined males, regardless of size [no informa-
tion about seasonality of tubercles]. Females with
suborbital slit in approximately same position as
posterior margin of suborbital flap is in males
(Fig. 4b). In males, whole head (except ventral
side) and dorsal side of first two pectoral-fin rays
Fig. 1. Schistura shuensis, ZRC 54187, paratype, 39.1 mm SL; Myanmar: Magway division: Shu Chaung, shortly
after capture.

Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters, Vol. 24, No. 3
219
Fig. 2. Schistura shuensis; Myanmar: Magway division: Shu Chaung. a-b, ZRC 54186, holotype, male, 34.4 mm
SL; c-e, ZRC 54187, paratypes; c, female, 39.1 mm; d, female, 36.5 mm SL; e, male, 33.7 mm SL.
a
b
c
d
e

220
covered with small tubercles, which are very
scarce in females. Tubercles resembling seasonal
spawning tubercles in many Cyprinidae [no in-
formation available about seasonality of tubercles
in S. shuensis].
Colouration. Ground colour in preserved speci-
mens light beige. Head with indistinct black stripe
from snout to eye and indistinct dark brown
blotches on opercle, on top of head and between
eyes. Body with 6 to 9, most frequently 7 or 8,
dark brown bars, reaching ventrally usually un-
til lateral midline, wider than interspaces, usu-
ally widening at dorsum into a saddle. Often a
dark brown stripe along lateral midline, blurring
bars. Bars and all other pigmentation elements
very faint and often hard to discern. Base of cau-
dal fin with 2 black blotches, upper one comma-
shaped, stretching from dorsal midline to base of
second branched fin ray from top; lower blotch
round or oval, stretching across base of all
branched fin rays of lower caudal-fin lobe, usu-
ally connected with posterior end of lateral stripe.
Nearly no pigmentation between and anterior of
Table 1. Morphometric data of holotype and 7 paratypes of Schistura shuensis. Range, mean and SD include
holotype.
holotype range mean SD
SL (mm) 34.4 30.8-39.1
In percentage of standard length
Total length 132.3 128.0-132.3 129.5 1.5
Dorsal head length 22.4 20.3-22.8 21.7 0.7
Lateral head length 24.7 23.0-25.3 24.3 0.8
Predorsal length 51.5 49.0-54.0 51.7 1.5
Pre-pelvic length 54.7 54.0-58.5 55.9 1.6
Pre-anus length 73.8 72.3-76.5 73.9 1.5
Preanal length 80.5 79.1-82.1 80.5 0.8
Head depth at eye 12.2 11.5-13.6 12.2 0.6
Head depth at nape 14.5 13.7-15.9 14.6 0.6
Body depth 19.8 17.5-23.0 20.2 1.6
Depth of caudal peduncle 11.6 10.6-11.9 11.2 0.4
Length of caudal peduncle 10.8 9.7-11.0 10.4 0.5
Snout length 9.9 8.9-11.4 9.7 0.7
Head width at nares 9.6 8.9-10.4 9.5 0.4
Maximum head width 14.8 14.8-17.1 15.8 0.8
Body width at dorsal-fin origin 13.7 12.0-17.9 14.8 1.9
Body width at anal-fin origin 7.0 6.5-7.6 7.0 0.4
Eye diameter 5.5 4.7-5.5 5.2 0.3
Interorbital width 6.4 6.0-6.8 6.3 0.2
Height of dorsal fin 17.2 14.9-19.6 17.2 1.2
Length of upper caudal-fin lobe 28.5 24.8-28.5 26.3 1.3
Length of median caudal-fin ray 15.1 14.0-15.4 14.7 0.6
Length of lower caudal-fin lobe 29.7 25.3-29.7 27.2 1.6
Depth of anal fin 18.6 16.9-18.6 17.4 0.5
Length of pelvic fin 18.0 16.3-18.7 17.9 0.8
Length of pectoral fin 20.3 20.3-24.7 22.3 1.5
Fig. 3. Schistura shuensis, ZRC 54186, holotype, 34.4 mm
SL, male; mouth. Scale bar 1 mm.
Bohlen & Šlechtová: Schistura shuensis

Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters, Vol. 24, No. 3
221
both blotches, making area lighter than rest of
background colour.
Each branched dorsal-fin ray with very small
dark brown spot just under first branching point;
together forming row of brown spots through fin;
interradial membranes hyaline. Caudal fin with
diffuse black pigmentation on proximal third of
uppermost and lowermost branched rays. Other
fins hyaline.
Distribution. Schistura shuensis is presently
known only from the type locality, the Shu
Chaung, a right-side tributary of Maton Chaung,
draining via Pani Chaun into the Irrawaddy
River.
Etymology. The specific name referring to the
Shu Chaung, the type locality of the species. An
adjective.
Remarks. Using the identification key to genera
in the most comprehensive study about Indochi-
nese nemacheilid loaches (viz. Kottelat, 1990),
S. shuensis is identified as a member of the genus
Schistura because of its nearly smooth lips, with
a median interruption in the lower lip, but with-
out triangular pads, strongly arched mouth with
processus dentiformis and notched lower jaw,
posterior position of anus shortly before anal-fin
origin and nares closely set.
The most conspicuous character of S. shuensis
is the presence of a suborbital slit in mature fe-
males. While sexual dimorphic feature are wide-
spread among Nemacheilidae and include sub-
orbital flaps (in the genera Acanthocobitis, Meso-
noemacheilus, Nemacheilus, Neonoemacheilus, Oxy-
noemacheilus, Physoschistura, Schistura and others),
thickened rays in pectoral fins (e. g. Acanthocobitis,
Barbatula, Physoschistura), extensions of branched
pectoral-fin rays (Pteronemacheilus), tubercles on
head (e. g. Nemacheilus, Triplophysa) and pigmen-
tation patterns (e. g. Lefua, Petruichthys, Ptero-
nemacheilus), the modified state is nearly exclu-
sively expressed in males, while female and ju-
venile specimens do not develop any specific
structures. Up to now, Acanthocobitis pictilis, Neo-
noemacheilus labeosus, N. peguensis and Schistura
hypsiura are the only members of Nemacheilidae
in which adult females exhibit a special structure
and possess a suborbital groove (Kottelat, 1990,
2012b; Bohlen et al., 2014; pers. obs.). Schistura
shuensis differs from A. pictilis by males having a
suborbital flap (vs. suborbital slit), by having lips
with moderate furrows (vs. strongly papillated)
and dorsal fin with 9 1
/
2 (vs. 12 1
/
2 or 13 1
/
2) branched
rays. Both species of Neonoemacheilus can be
separated from S. shuensis by having hypertro-
phied lips forming a preoral cavity (vs. moder-
ately thick, not forming preoral cavity). Schistura
shuensis is distinguished from S. hypsiura by hav-
ing the depth of the caudal peduncle signifi-
cantly less than the body depth at the origin of
the dorsal fin (vs. about identical), 9 1
/
2 branched
rays in dorsal fin (vs. 8
1
/
2), a faint pigmentation
pattern (vs. clear and distinct pattern) and the
suborbital flap in males bears tubercles (vs.
smooth).
Schistura shuensis is further differentiated from
all other species of Schistura by a combination of
the following characters: caudal fin deeply forked
(length of median rays 53-58 % of length of upper
lobe), caudal peduncle slender (depth 11-12 %
SL and 49-63 % of body depth) and 6-9 faint dark
brown bars on the body.
Fig. 4. Schistura shuensis, sexual dimorphism. a, ZRC 54186, holotype, 34.4 mm SL, male; showing suborbital flap
(long arrow) bearing small tubercles (small arrows); b, ZRC 54187, paratype, 39.5 mm SL, female with suborbital
slit (arrow). Scale bars 1 mm.
ab

222
A deeply forked caudal fin is also present in
Schistura bella (length of median rays 61-68 % of
length of upper lobe), S. callidora (60-68 %),
S. maepaiensis (64-68 %), S. mahnerti (66-68 %),
S. sikmaiensis (64 %) and S. yersini (64-69 %). In
all these species the caudal fin is less deeply forked
than in S. shuensis. Only three species, S. hypsiura
(41-52 %), S. thanho (55–69 %) and S. udomrit-
thiruji (53-70 %) have a caudal fin forked to the
same extant as S. shuensis (53-58 %). The differ-
ences between S. shuensis and S. hypsiura have
been listed above. Schistura shuensis differs from
S. thanho by having a shorter caudal peduncle
(10-11 % SL vs. 14-17), a greater pre-pelvic length
(54-59 % SL vs. 49-52), a very faint pigmentation
pattern (vs. conspicuously contrasting) and the
black bar at the base of the caudal fin dissociated
(vs. continuous bar). Schistura shuensis differs from
S. udomritthiruji by having all bars on body of
similar width (vs. predorsal bars much narrower
than posterior ones), lateral line reaching to base
of caudal fin (vs. ending before end of anal-fin
base), scales present on the predorsal area (vs.
absent) and a shorter caudal peduncle (10-11 %
SL vs. 12-14).
Schistura shuensis shares with S. prashadi from
Manipur the presence of tubercles on the subor-
bital flap of males (Kottelat 1990), but differs from
it in having bars on the body reaching from dor-
sal midline to at least lateral midline (vs. blotch-
es along dorsal midline not connected with those
along lateral midline), a deeply forked caudal fin
(length of median rays 53-58 % of length of upper
lobe vs. 72-73), fewer pores in the cephalic lat-
eral line system (6 supraorbital, 3 + 8 infraorbital
and 8 pre-operculo-mandibular vs, 7, 4 + 10 and
9, respectably) and the presence of the suborbital
slit in adult females (vs. not reported).
Comparative material. Neonoemacheilus labeosus: IAPG
A4853-4854, 2, 53.6-57.8 mm SL; Thailand: Tak prov-
ince: Nam Moei.
Neonoemacheilus peguensis: IAPG A 6287-6289, 3,
49.3-55.1 mm SL; Myanmar: Magway division: River
Pani.
Schistura bella: IAPG A 8342-8344, 3, 31.4-34.8 mm
SL; Thailand: Chiang Mai province: Nam Fang.
Schistura callidora: ZRC 52037, ZRC 52037, 5, 35.8-
41.5 mm SL; Myanmar: Shan state: Nam Paw.
Schistura maepaiensis: IAPG A7309-7318, 10, 40.8-
52.1 mm SL; Thailand: Mae Hong Son province: Nam
La Ka.
Schistura mahnerti: IAPG 4850-4852, 3, 42.6-54.5 mm
SL; Thailand: Tak province: Nam Moei.
Schistura thanho: IAPG A3472, 1, 70.5 mm SL; IAPG
A3310-3319, 10, 26.3-36.7 mm SL; Vietnam: Binh Dinh
province: river Vinh Thanh.
Schistura udomritthiruji: ZRC 51724, ZRC 51725, 35,
24.4-47.8 mm SL; Thailand: Ranong province: river Kra.
Schistura yersini: IAPG A3512-3515, 4, 49.9-57.2 mm
SL; Vietnam: Lam Dong province: river Dong Nai. –
IAPG A3460, 1, 64.7 mm SL; Vietnam: Lam Dong prov.:
River Dai Tan.
Data for other species taken from Bohlen et al., 2014,
Bohlen & Šlechtová, 2009, 2011, 2013a, 2013b; Freyhof
& Serov, 2001; Kottelat, 1990, 1998, 2000; Kottelat &
Leisher, 2012; Lalramliana, 2012; Lokeshwor & Vishwa-
nath, 2012; Menon, 1987; Ou et al., 2011; Plongsesthee
et al., 2011; Zheng et al. 2012; Zhu & Wang 1985.
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank R. Hoyer for his help with the field
work. The study was supported by grant 206/08/0637
of the Czech Science Foundation and by the IRP IAPG
No. AV0Z50450515.
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Accepted 12 February 2014

224
Bohlen & Šlechtová: Schistura shuensis

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INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTRIBUTORS
Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters
An international journal for field-orientated ichthyology

Articles appearing in this journal are indexed in:
AQUATIC SCIENCES and FISHERIES ABSTRACTS
BIOLIS - BIOLOGISCHE LITERATUR INFORMATION SENCKENBERG
CAMBRIDGE SCIENTIFIC ABSTRACTS
CURRENT CONTENTS/AGRICULTURE, BIOLOGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES and SCIE
FISHLIT
ZOOLOGICAL RECORD
C O N T E N T S
Britz, Ralf, Francy Kakkassery and Rajeev Raghavan: Osteology of Kryptoglanis shajii, a
stygobitic catfish (Teleostei: Siluriformes) from Peninsular India with a diagnosis of the
new family Kryptoglanidae ...................................................................................................... 193
Liao, Te-Yu and Heok Hui Tan: Brevibora exilis, a new rasborin fish from Borneo (Teleostei:
Cyprinidae) .................................................................................................................................. 209
Bohlen, Jörg and Vendula Šlechtová: Schistura shuensis, a new species of loach from Myan-
mar (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae) ................................................................................................ 217
Costa, Wilson J. E. M., Pedro F. Amorim and Giulia N. Aranha: Species limits and DNA
barcodes in Nematolebias, a genus of seasonal killifishes threatened with extinction from
the Atlantic Forest of south-eastern Brazil, with description of a new species (Teleostei:
Rivulidae) ..................................................................................................................................... 225
Shangningam, Bungdon and Waikhom Vishwanath: Redescription of Psilorhynchus homa-
loptera, a torrent minnow from Northeast India (Teleostei: Psilorhynchidae) .................. 237
Li, Jie and Xin-Hui Li: Sinocyclocheilus gracilis, a new species of hypogean fish from Guang-
xi, South China (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) ...................................................... 249
Esmaeili, Hamid Reza, Golnaz Sayyadzadeh, Müfit Özulug, Matthias Geiger and Jörg
Freyhof: Three new species of Turcinoemacheilus from Iran and Turkey (Teleostei:
Nemacheilidae) ........................................................................................................................... 257
Turan, Davut, Maurice Kottelat and Semih Engin: Two new species of trouts from the
Euphrates drainage, Turkey (Teleostei: Salmonidae) ........................................................... 275
Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters
An international journal for field-orientated ichthyology
Volume 24 • Number 3 • March 2014
Cover photograph
Sinocyclocheilus gracilis (photograph by J.-C. Shen)
Jie Li and Xin-Hui Li
(this volume pp. 249-256)