Revision of catfishes of the genus Eutropiichthys, with the description of two new species (Siluriformes : Schilbidae)

Abstract

Schilbid catfishes of the genus Eutropiichthys are reviewed. Eutropiichthys muirius occurs in Bangladesh, northern India, and southern Nepal. Eutropiichthys vacha, considered by previous authors to be distributed from Pakistan across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar to Thailand, was found to include four species, with E. vacha limited to the rivers of eastern Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. Eutrapiichthys burmannicus, originally proposed as a variety of E. vacha but not subsequently recognized as valid, was found to be a distinct species inhabiting drainages from the Irrawaddy River of Myanmar to the lower Salween River of Myanmar and Thailand. Two additional species of Eutropiichthys are named in this paper: Eutrapiichthys britzi is described from the Irrawaddy and Sittang Rivers of Myanmar; and E. salweenensis is described from the portion of the Salween River in Thailand. A lectotype is designated for Eutropiichthys burmannicus. Hypophthalmus goongwaree, which has been considered to be a member of Eutropiichthys, was found to lack the characteristics of that genus. similarly, Pseudeutropius murius batarensis was found not to pertain to Eutropiichthys. A key to the species of Eutropiichthys is provided.