A New Species of the Genus Garra Hamilton, 1822 from the Chindwin Basin of Manipur, India (Teleostei: Cyprinidae: Labeoninae)

Garra namyaensis sp. nov., a new cyprinid fish, is described from the Chindwin River basin in Manipur, India. It is distinguished from its congeners in having a unique combination of the following characters: smoothly rounded snout tip with a prominent rostral lobe, chest and abdominal region with scales, dorsal fin with a black band near the posterior margin, and caudal fin with a distinct W-shaped black band. 1. Introduction Fishes of the genus Garra Hamilton, 1822 are characteristic in having a more or less well-developed suctorial disc on the undersurface just behind the mouth. These fishes inhabit rapid running waters and maintain themselves against swift currents by clinging to the substratum, mainly by means of their suctorial disc but also by the horizontally placed paired fins, especially the pectorals [1]. The genus is widely distributed from Southern China, across Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East to Northern and Central Africa [2]. There are more than 170 nominal species of Garra [3]. Recent collection of freshwater fishes from the Namya River of Ukhrul district, Manipur, Chindwin basin, included an undescribed species of Garra, which is described herein as Garra namaensis sp. nov. 2. Materials and Methods The description is based on formalin-preserved specimens. Counts, measurements, and terminology follow Kullander and Fang [2], and that of head depth follows Menon [1]. Measurements were taken point to point with dial calliper to the nearest 0.1？mm. The number in round brackets of parentheses after a specific count indicates the number of specimens examined. Terminology used for description of disc is reported by Zhang et al. [4]. Fin rays and numbers of scales were counted under a stereo-zoom transmitted light microscope. Lateral line scale is counted from the anteriormost pored scale in contact with the shoulder girdle to the last posteriormost pored scale on the caudal fin. Transverse-scale rows above the lateral line are counted from the dorsal-fin origin to lateral line obliquely ventrad and caudad, and those below lateral line, from the pelvic-fin origin obliquely dorsad and rostrad to lateral line. Osteological structures were observed in a cleared and alizarin-stained specimen. Vertebral counts follow Roberts [5], and scale counts follow Kottelat [6]. Morphometric measurement data are given in percentages of standard length (SL), head length (HL), pelvic-anal distance, and head and caudal peduncle depth. Specimens examined for the study are deposited in the Manipur University Museum of Fishes (MUMF). 2.1. Taxonomy Garra