A new species of rainbowfish has been described from the southeastern highlands of Madagascar.
The new tropical fish species was described by John Sparks of the American Museum of Natural History's Department of Ichthyology, and Leila Rush of the Museum's High School Research Programme in the systematics journal Zootaxa and has been named Bedotia albomarginata.
The species, which is a member of the Bedotiidae family which is endemic to Madagascar, is currently known only from a small number of streams and swamps in the middle to upper reaches of the island's Mananar and Rienana River basins.
Bedotia albomarginata, as the latin name suggests, has a distinctive white margin to the second dorsal fin and anal fin of males.
Males also have a spear-shaped or lanceolate tail fin, and both sexes have a bright yellow or orange anal.
The genus includes a large number of species still awaiting formal description. Many of these are already listed on the current IUCN Redlist for fishes as endangered.
• Bedotia geayi (VU)
• Bedotia madagascariensis (NT)
• Bedotia marojejy (VU)
• Bedotia masoala (VU)
• Bedotia sp. nov. 'Ankavia-Ankavanana' (VU)
• Bedotia sp. nov. 'Bemarivo' (VU)
• Bedotia sp. nov. 'Betampona' (VU)
• Bedotia sp. nov. 'Garassa' (DD)
• Bedotia sp. nov. 'Lazana' (VU)
• Bedotia sp. nov. 'Mahanara' (VU)
• Bedotia sp. nov. 'Makira' (DD)
• Bedotia sp. nov. 'Manombo' (CR)
• Bedotia sp. nov. 'Namorona' (VU)
• Bedotia sp. nov. 'Nosivola' (VU)
• Bedotia sp. nov. 'Sambava' (CR)
• Bedotia sp. nov. 'Vevembe' (CR)
• Bedotia tricolor (CR)
With the exception of Rheocles derhami (named in honour of Patrick de Rham), which is found in the River Sofia on the west coast, all of the Bedotia and Rheocles species in the Bedotiidae are found in the eastern side of Madagascar.
Sparks, JS and LMR Rush (2005) - A new rainbowfish (Teleostei: Melanotaenioidei: Bedotiidae) from southeastern highlands of Madagascar, with comments on the biogeography of Bedotia. Zootaxa, 1051: 39-54.