A new species of the miniature sisorid catfish genus Pseudolaguvia has been described from southern (peninsular) India, marking the first time that this genus has been recorded there.
The new species, named Pseudolaguvia austrina (the specific epithet means southern in Latin, referring to its southern Indian distribution) by K. Radhakrishna, S. Sureshkumar and Heok Hee Ng, is distinguished from congeners in having a pale brown body, a diamond-shaped thoracic adhesive apparatus almost covering the entire thoracic area, a strongly projecting snout with the premaxillary teeth partially exposed when the mouth is closed, and a short (8.8–14.7% standard length), deep (10.3–14.7% standard length) caudal peduncle.
Pseudolaguvia austrina was collected from a small river with a substrate of sand and clay, with some leaf litter present. The water was clear, with a moderate current and pH 7.5–8.0.
For more information, see the paper:Radhakrishnan, KV, S Sureshkumar and HH Ng (2011) Pseudolaguvia austrina, a new species of sisorid catfish (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes) from Peninsular India. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 21, pp. 377–383.