Hidden in the riffles: A new suckermouth catfish (Mochokidae, Chiloglanis) from the middle Zambezi River system, Zimbabwe

By

Mutizwa, Tadiwa
Kadye, Wilbert
Bragança, Pedro H. N.
Bere, Taurai
Chakona, Albert

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1197

Pages

57--91

Subjects

diversity , freshwater , integrative taxonomy , rheophilic taxa , Southern Africa

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1197.114679

 

Abstract

The recent surge in the discovery of hidden diversity within rheophilic taxa, particularly in West and East Africa, prompted a closer examination of the extent to which the current taxonomy may obscure the diversity of riffle-dwelling suckermouth catfishes in the genus Chiloglanis in southern Africa. Currently, the region comprises eight valid species within this genus. Seven of them have relatively narrow geographic distribution ranges except for C. neumanni, which is considered to be widely distributed, occurring from the Buzi River system in the south, and its northern limit being the eastward draining river systems in Tanzania. Recent surveys of the middle Zambezi River system revealed Chiloglanis specimens that were distinguishable from the known species of the genus from southern Africa. Integration of molecular and morphological data indicated that these specimens from the Mukwadzi River represent a new species to science, herein described as Chiloglanis carnatus Mutizwa, Bragança & Chakona, sp. nov. This species is readily distinguished from its southern African congeners by the possession of a distinctive extended dermal tissue covering the base of the dorsal fin and the possession of ten mandibular teeth (vs 8, 12, or 14 in the other taxa). Results from this study add to the growing evidence of a high level of undocumented diversity within riffle-dwelling taxa in southern Africa.