A new sympatric species of Horabagrus (Siluriformes: Horabagridae) from the Chalakkudy river basin in Kerala, India

We describe a new species of Horabagrus, found in sympatry with H. nigricollaris, from the Chalakkudy river basin in Kerala, South India. Horabagrus obscurus, new species, differs from the two other known species in the genus in its colour pattern, lesser body width at the pectoral girdle, shorter barbels and total vertebral counts. Differences in partial sequences of the mitochondrial COI and CytB genes also serve to distinguish the new species from congeners. The new discovery reasserts the importance of the Chalakkudy river basin as a hotspot of piscine diversity in the Western Ghats. Keywords: Biodiversity, Conservation, Horabagridae, New Species, Western Ghats