| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): -0; Anal spines: -0. Diagnosis: barbels slender, reaching edge of branchiostegal membrane; 2 scutes between supraoccipital process and nuchal plate; scutes on body thin, forming a narrow ridge; interorbit narrow, width 1 orbit diameter; caudal peduncle long, 2.6 times in SL and extremely slender, length more than 18 times depth (Ref. 81646).
Description: body firm, depressed and tapered to a long, slender caudal peduncle; 2 pre-dorsal bony scutes, dorsal and ventral bilateral series of thin scutes from adjacent to dorsal fin and behind pelvic fins, respectively; caudal peduncle encased in bony scutes; head length 5.8 times in SL; head depressed, obtusely pointed, smooth-skinned; snout long, 66% HL; nostrils separated in mid-snout; eyes moderately large (orbit 20% HL), narrowly separated by one orbit diameter; mouth subterminal, small, oval-shaped; upper lip with small papillae, lower lips smooth, divided by triangular pad; barbels slender, relatively long, maxillary pair 0.75 HL, papillose, reaching edge of branchiostegal membrane; branchiostegal membrane ventrally undivided, emarginate; supraoccipital process slender, inconspicuous, separated from nuchal shield by 2 small bony scutes; humeral process slender, inconspicuous; fins large; origin of dorsal fin less than one HL behind head; dorsal fin tall, pointed, trailing edge concave; pectoral fins falcate, not reaching pelvics, leading ray curved, pectinate, padded; pelvic fins large, falcate, reaching beyond origin of anal fin, leading ray pectinate, padded; anal fin slender, pointed; caudal small, shallow forked; adipose small, behind anal base; ano-genital pores slightly nearer pelvic bases than origin of anal (Ref. 81646).
Coloration: obscure black spots and blotches, ventral from head to anal fin creamy; head plain grey above; paired fins with sooty band across mid-reaches, median fins with distal sooty patches (Ref. 81646). |