The Large Barbs (Barbus Spp., Cyprinidae, Teleostei) of Lake Tana (Ethiopia), with a Description of a New Species, Barbus Osseensis
THE LARGE BARBS (BARBUS SPP., CYPRINIDAE, TELEOSTEI) OF LAKE TANA (ETHIOPIA), WITH A DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES, BARBUS OSSEENSIS by * LEO A.J. NAGELKERKE and FERDINAND A. SIBBING (Experimental Zoology Group, WageningenInstitute of Animal Sciences (WIAS), Wageningen University,Marijkeweg 40, 6709 PG Wageningen, The Netherlands) ABSTRACT Recently the complex of 'large', hexaploid barbs (genus Barbus) of Lake Tana, Ethiopia, was revised as 14 species (NAGELKERKE& SIBBING, 1997), seven of which were new. This paper describes another new species, Barbus osseensis and summarises the major features of the former new species (B. crassibarbis, B. megastoma, B. longissimus, B. tsanensis, B. brevicephalus, B. truttiformis, and B. platydorsus). Figures of all fifteen large barb species of Lake Tana are presented, and an identification key for specimens larger than 15 cm standard length is provided. The position of the large hexaploid barbs within the genus Barbus is discussed. KEY WORDS:barbins, Barbus, cyprinids, Ethiopia, hexaploid, identification key, Labeo- barbus, Lake Tana, species flock. INTRODUCTION The genus Barbus The cyprinid genus Barbus Cuvier & Cloquet, 1816, at present includes c. 800 species in Eurasia and Africa. It is generally accepted that the genus is a paraphyletic assemblage within the subfamily Cyprininae (HOWES, 1987), but a proper revision of the phylogenetic relationships among the different species of the genus Barbus has not been made until now (cf BERREBI et al., 1996). The type species of the genus, Barbus barbus (L.) 1758, the widely distributed European barb, belongs to what is called Barbus 'sensu stricto'. This is a monophyletic group of European and some north- African species (LEVEQUE & DAGET, 1984).
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