Schistura scyphovecteta

Schistura scyphovecteta can be diagnosed from all congeners by the combination ofthe following characters: lateral line with six dark brown saddles, each one continuing to the flank, forming globular-shaped bars overlaying a hazy brown stripe; a complete lateral line; dorsal-fin base with two black spots; an incomplete black basicaudal bar; absence of median notch on the lower jaw; and males with a suborbital flap. This new species is similar to its congener S. menanensis from the Mae Nam Nan drainage, Thailand by possessing a longitudinal brown stripe along the lateral line superposed by the bar pattern, but differs from that species inhaving a complete lateral line (vs. incomplete lateral line), dorsal fin with 7½ branched rays (vs. 8½), pectoral fin with 10 branched rays (vs. 9), and the absence of a median notch on the lower jaw (vs. presence) (Ref. 94459).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 11; Analsoft rays: 8

This species usually inhabits streams with swift current, among big boulders and rocks in southern Mizoram. Topotypic specimens of this species were taken from Kaoao River near New Serkawr village, among big boulders, in fast current. Two paratypes were also caught from the Kolchaw River near Kolchaw. This fish co-occurs with the following species: Olyra sp. (Bagridae); Devario sp., Pethia sp., Garra sp. (Cyprinidae); Schistura nebeshwari (Nemacheilidae); and Glyptothorax jayarami (Sisoridae) (Ref. 94459).