Bull. run. Hist. Mus. bond. (Zool.) 65(1): 15-21 



Issued 24 June 1999 



Rita sacerdotum, a valid species of catfish from 

 Myanmar (Pisces, Bagridae) 



CARL J. FERRARIS, JR. 



Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA 94118, 



USA 



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Synopsis. Rita sacerdotum Anderson, 1 879, is the valid name for the only species of the south Asian bagrid catfish genus Rita 

 that resides in Myanmar. This species is distinguished from other species of Rita by a comparatively short dorsal-fin spine that 

 never extends to the adipose fin base; palatal tooth patches, composed primarily of uniformly sized molariform teeth, that are in 

 broad contact across the midline anteriorly, but diverge posteriorly and terminate in an acute point; and a small eye that is only 

 about one-eighth to one-tenth the length of the head. Rita sacerdotum resides in the Sittoung and Ayeyarwaddy rivers, at least as 

 far north as Myitkyina. Kachin State. This species is redescribed and a new key to the species of Rita is provided. 



INTRODUCTION 



The south Asian catfish genus Rita is broadly distributed in India, 

 Bangladesh, Nepal, the Indus plain of Pakistan, and theAyeyarwaddy 

 system of Myanmar. Jayaram (1966) provided a systematic account 

 of the species of the Rita, and subsequent reviews have been 

 provided by Misra (1976), Jayaram (1977, 1981), and Talwar & 

 Jhingran ( 1991 ). In each of these treatments, four species of Rita are 

 recognized, although the specific names used for some of the species 

 differ. 



The identity of the single species of Rita that inhabits the 

 Ayeyarwaddy River, the focus of this paper, also varies among these 

 studies. This uncertainty has existed since the earliest accounts of 

 the presence of Rita in Myanmar waters, its persistence due in part 

 to the dearth of material available for study and an enigmatic 

 proposal of a name for theAyeyarwaddy species. I recently obtained 

 additional specimens of this species, and this prompted me to 

 reexamine the question of their identity. The discovery of the 

 holotype of Rita sacerdotum Anderson, 1 879, a specimen that has, 

 for all intents and purposes, been lost since the species was named, 

 revealed that there is only one species of Rita in the Ayeyarwaddy 

 system, and that Rita sacerdotum is the valid name for that species. 



METHODS AND MATERIALS 



Measurements are all straight line distances. Specimen lengths are 

 all reported as standard length. Institutional abbreviations follow 

 Leviton et al. ( 1 985 ). Other abbreviations used herein are: HL - head 

 length; SL - standard length. 



When refering to previously published accounts of the region and 

 in the list of the specimens examined, I repeat the name Burma (or 

 Burmah), for the country now known as Union of Myanmar. In all 

 other places, I use Myanmar. Throughout the text, I use the officially 

 accepted spellings: Yangon for Rangoon, Ayeyarwaddy for Irrawaddy, 

 Bago for Pegu, and Sittoung for Sittang or Sitang. 



Material examined 



Rita chrysea, 54 specimens, 61-205 mm. 



INDIA: Orissa, Mahanadi River at Cuttack, K. Jayaram, CAS 

 54540 (6: 107-130 mm, 1 cleared & stained). Mahanadi River basin, 

 Sonepur fish market, T. Roberts, 19-22 Feb 1985, CAS 61855 



(43:61-205 mm). Mahanadi River at Amicut, Cuttack, K. Jayaram, 

 23 Oct 1954, SU 48799 (2: 1 10-1 18 mm). Bihar, Sheonath River at 

 Bisrampur, A. Herre, 13 Dec 1940, SU 41043 (1:106 mm). 



Rita gogra, 6 specimens, 1 12-205 mm. 



INDIA: Andhra Pradesh, Poona, Bombay Pres., A. Herre, 1940, SU 

 41044 (1:123 mm). Maharashtra, Godavari River, Nanden market, 

 K. Jayaram, 10 Feb 1955, USNM 1 1494 (1:112 mm). Karnataka, 

 Krishna River basin, Tungabahdra River or reservoir at Hospet, 

 Hampi, or Kampli, T. Roberts. 28 Jan-3 Feb 1985, CAS 62088 

 (5:138-205 mm). 



Rita kuturnee, 8 specimens, 57-97 mm. 



INDIA: Andhra Pradesh, Tungabhadra River, K. Jayaram, 10 Feb 

 1955, USNM 1 14950(3:61-88 mm);Tungabhadra River, at Kurnool, 

 K. Jayaram, 10 Feb 1955, SU 48798 (2:57-59 mm). Karnataka, 

 Krishna River basin, Tungabahdra River or reservoir at Hospet, 

 Hampi, or Kampli, T. Roberts, 28 Jan-3 Feb 1985, CAS 62077 ( 1 :59 

 mm). Maharashtra, Poona. A. Herre, 9 Apr, 1937 SU 34868 (2:83- 

 97 mm). 



Rita rita, 16 specimens, 24-258 mm. 



INDIA: Bihar, Ganges River at Patna, T. Roberts, Apr-May 1996, 

 CAS 92501 (1:61 mm). Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad, Ganga River, 8- 

 12-1974 [sic], USNM 317823 (1:214 mm). West Bengal, Hugh 

 River at Pulta, A. Herre, 23 Oct 1 954, SU 34866 ( 1 0:70-94 mm, one 

 additional specimen in lot, not examined). Calcutta, A. Herre, 9 Apr 

 1937, SU 34867 (2:187-194 mm). Calcutta, A. Herre, 6 Apr 1937, 

 SU 14132 (1:258 mm). BANGLADESH: North Central Region, 

 Tangail District, Ganges River basin, 5 Nov 1992, CAS 9241 1 (1:24 

 mm). 



Rita sacerdotum, 23 specimens, 22-690 mm. 

 MYANMAR: '3rd Defile of Irrawaddy River, Upper Burmah, Dr. 

 Anderson', BMNH 1875.8.4.7 (1:690 mm, holotype of Rita 

 sacerdotum). Sittoung River, E. Oates, BMHN 1891.11.30:242 

 (1:285 mm), BMNH 1 89 1 . 1 1 .30.343 ( 1 , disarticulated dry skeleton, 

 not measured). Ayeyarwaddy Division, Wa-ke-ma town market, 17 

 Sep 1996, Myint Pe, NRM 40631 (4: 107-135 mm). Bago Division, 

 Bago market, 25 Oct 1997, C. J. Ferraris, Myint Pe, Mya Than Tun, 

 BMNH 1998.3.1 1.1 (1:150 mm), CAS 99210 (1:126 mm). Yangon 

 Division, Hlaing River, 31 Oct 1997, C. J. Ferraris, Mya Than Tun, 

 CAS 99309 (10:22-70 mm). Insein market (northern Yangon), July 



1996, Myint Pe, AMNH 224490 (1:195 mm). Insein market, Nov 



1997, Pe, C. J. Ferraris, Mya Than Tun, USNM 34821 1 (2:191-203 



) The Natural History Museum, 1999 



