26/08/2026
๐ธ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ , an unusual new species of flying barb (Cyprinidae: Danioninae) with putative dual aquatic and aerial vision, is described from shallow, turbid, hypoxic swamps in the Nakai Plateau and downstream in the Nam Theun watershed, and on the Plain of Jars in the Nam Ngum watershed of Laos.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ง๐ถ๐๐น๐ฒ
๐ธ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ , a new species of flying barb from Laos with putative dual aquatic and aerial vision (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)
Open-access - https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/rbz/esomus-helioscopus-a-new-species-of-flying-barb-from-laos-with-putative-dual-aquatic-and-aerial-vision-teleostei-cyprinidae/
๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Maurice Kottelat & Ralf Britz (2026), ๐ธ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ , a new species of flying barb from Laos with putative dual aquatic and aerial vision (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 74: 637โ651. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26107/RBZ-2026-0040
๐๐ฏ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐
๐ธ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ , a new species of flying barb, is described from the Mekong drainage in Laos. It is distinguished from all other species of ๐ธ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ by the flat dorsal surface of its head, level from tip of snout to nape, with the eyes situated dorsally on the head, so that the upper part of the eye is visible in dorsal view, while other modifications of the eye itself are potentially associated with aerial vision. It co-occurs with ๐ธ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ , from which it is further distinguished by a plain grayish body without a bold mid-lateral stripe. It usually inhabits shallow, turbid, hypoxic swamps with high organic load, high temperature and without vegetation cover.
An overview of the tentatively valid species of the genus is presented. ๐ธ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐ Ahl, 1924, ๐ธ. ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ Ahl, 1924, and ๐ธ. ๐โ๐๐ Hora & Mukerji, 1928 are junior synonyms of ๐ธ. ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐ (Matte & Reichelt, 1908).
๐๐๐๐บ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐
The species name is derived from the Greek words for the sun, แผฅฮปแฟฮฟฯ (helios), and watcher or gazer, ฯฮบฮฟฯฯฯ (skopos), alluding to the dorsally situated eye with its numerous morphological modifications, potentially associated with aerial vision in its sun-exposed habitat. A noun in apposition, indeclinable.
๐ฃ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐
As figures in the image above.
ยฉ 2026 the Author(s). Published in the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology.
