Sri Lankan scientists have described a new species of barb from southwestern Sri Lanka, which may already be in the aquarium trade.
This description of Puntius reval by Madhava Meegaskumbura, Anjana Silva, Kalana Maduwage and Rohan Pethiyagoda is published in the latest issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters.
Puntius reval is distinguished from all other Sri Lankan and south Indian Puntius in having the last unbranched dorsal ray serrated; lateral line incomplete, perforating 4-9 scales; scale rows above lateral line arranged in a distinctive pattern; dorsal, anal and pelvic fins red; body colour pattern consisting of two black bars, one behind gill opening and one above posterior extremity of anal-fin base; and by lacking barbels.
Puntius cumingii was previously confused with P. reval.
The new species was previously confused with Puntius cumingii, another barb endemic to Sri Lanka exported for the aquarium trade.
Puntius reval is named after its red fins (the name is a conjunction of the Sinhalese re, meaning red and val, meaning fins) and is known from the Kalu River northwards to the Maha Oya River in southwestern Sri Lanka.
For more information, see the paper: Meegaskumbura, M., A Silva, K Maduwage and R Pethiyagoda (2008) Puntius reval, a new barb from Sri Lanka (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). IChthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 19, pp. 141"152.