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Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-12; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 7-8; Vertebrae: 34-37. Diagnosis: Garra vinciguerra is distinguished from other African Garra species by: its well-developed sucking disc of type C vs. A or B in G. aethiopica, G. allostoma, G. dembecha, G. dembeensis, G. duobarbis, G. lancrenonensis, G. regressus, G. tana, G. napata and G. sannarensis; by its partly scaled predorsal area vs. fully scaled in G. aethiopica, G. blanfordii, G. chebera, G. congoensis, G. hindi, G. ignestii, G. makiensis and G. quadrimaculata, or predorsal scales absent in G. duobarbis, G. ethelwynnae, G. napata, G. sannarensis and G. jamila (Ref. 122047). It is distinguished from G. geba by its scaled postpelvic area vs. asquamate, from G. ornata by its asquamate belly vs. scaled, from G. trewavasae by only 3-3.5 scales between lateral line and pelvic fin vs. 4.5, and from G. waterloti from the upper Niger and upper Senegal rivers by the absence of a marked dark lateral band along the flank vs. present (Ref. 122047). Inside the entire Nile basin, overall similar to G. dembeensis and G. blanfordii, but distinguished from G. dembeensis by the scaled postpelvic area vs. asquamate and by an increased number of predorsal scales, 5-9 vs. 0-4; from G. blanfordii by having a large scaleless predorsal area vs. fully scaled, corresponding to 15 predorsal scales, and in the densely scaled postpelvic area vs. asquamate (Ref. 122047). Garra vinciguerrae differs from all other Garra species in the Main Nile basin in the presence of at least few irregular predorsal scales vs. predorsal scales always absent, a scaled postpelvic area vs. asquamate, and moreover from G. jamila and G. napata by absence of a dark median band in the dorsal fin vs. presence, and 4.4-5 scale rows between the origin of dorsal fin and the pored lateral line vs. 2-2.5; from G. sannarensis by the divergent disc morphology including a very large and prominently fringed upper lip vs. moderately sized and usually densely papillated, an equally shaped and posteriorly rounded lateroposterior flap vs. medial enlarged posteriorly pointing flap; pad round vs. quadrangular; and from Garra sp. 'White Nile' by the presence of only minute posterior barbels not reaching pad of disc when folded medially vs. almost reaching each other when flexed inwards (Ref. 122047).
Description: A large Garra species that shares the typical body profile of most Garra with only slightly flattened head and moderately elongated body (Ref. 122047). Head and anterior body cylindrical, dorsoventrally only moderately flattened; posterior body towards tail laterally flattened; cheeks not or merely visible when viewed from above (Ref. 122047). Disc well developed, type C, with central callus as wide as long, lateroposterior flap of disc papillated; rostral cap prominent, upper lip fringed; two pairs of maxillary barbels (Ref. 122047). Dorsal fin origin midway of body, in juveniles distal margin slightly convex and gradually shifting to clearly concave in specimens of about 60 mm standard length and more; first large unbranched ray flanked by one or two anterior smaller simple rays and often by an additional very small ray embedded in soft tissue anterior of dorsal-fin insertion and visible only in X-ray images; unbranched rays followed by 7 branched rays; pectoral fins inserting ventrally low on body with 2 unbranched and 12-14 branched rays; pelvic fins with 9 branched rays, surpassing vent, but terminating in front of anal fin base; contour of anal fin usually straight with 5 branched rays, supported by one large and one smaller simple ray and an additional minute ray in the tissue anterior of the anal fin insertion which is visible only in X-ray images; caudal fin clearly emarginated with rounded upper and lower lobe (Ref. 122047). Body covered with large scales; chest and belly without, postpelvic area with scales; predorsal area partly but not entirely covered with scales (Ref. 122047).
Colouration: In life: head, back and body flanks olive-greenish, towards dorsum slightly darker; lower thirds of flanks and belly whitish; flank scales with dark posterior margin; dark vertically elongated blotch at end of caudal peduncle; iris bright orange; posterior dorsal corner of the opercle with one prominent red spot, merging with a dark-green blotch on adjacent first scale of lateral-line series; anal fin hyaline with orange hue, and orange colouration being more prominent in paired fins; caudal fin membrane hyaline, becoming slight orange in upper and lower margin of fin lobes; membrane near caudal fin base along rays densely covered with melanophores; dorsal fin hyaline with four dark blotches at the bases of branched rays 3-6; anterior distal part with orange hue; caudal margin with few irregular melanophores (Ref. 122047). Preserved specimens usually dark brown on flanks and towards dorsal, rarely faint dark band along lateral line visible; lower third of flanks and ventral side pale whitish; first scale of lateral line darker, but not as dark as in Garra napata; dark bar at end of caudal peduncle poorly visible; all fins pale whitish; dark markings at dorsal fin bases visible (Ref. 12247). |