NOTES ON FISHES OF DOON VALLEY, UTTAR PRADESH 1. DISTRIBUTIONAL AND MORPHOLOG ICAL STUDIES ON SOME GLYPTOTHORACOID FISHES (SISORIDAE.)

C·onsiderable amount of interest has been s,hown in the study of fishes of Doon Valley for the last three dacades (Hora and Mukerji, 1936; Lal and Ch'atterji, 1962; Lal, 1963; and Singh, 1964) but a thorough collection from the whole of the Doon Valley was never made. Recently patties. from Zoological Survey ·of India have extensively surveyed the known waters of whole of Doon Valley and Inade a representative collection of fishes, which has recently been studied. The collection contains a large number of species not so far reported from the Doon Valley; a detailed account of this will be published separately. In this paper interesting observations on the morphology and distribution of some glyptothoracoid fishes have been recorded.

. The present study of the rich collec .. tion from this Valley shows that, in addition to G. pe~dlinopterus (McClI.),five more sisorfds of glyptothoracoid group, 'viz., Pseudecheneis sulcatus (McClelland), Glyptothorax brevipinnis Hora, Glyptothorax gracilis.(Gunther), Glyptothorax cavia (Hamilton) and Glyptothorax horai Shaw & Shebbeare, exist in that area.The material of all these five g,pecies has been studied in detail and the interesting points in their morphology and distribution are noted below.
Remarks.-The material resembles the description of this species by McClelland (1842) and Day (1877) but differs in the ratio of the least height of the caudal peduncle-with its length, which is 5.6 times in the adult and 7 times in the young examples against about 3 times as mentioned by Day (1877).
DiS'tribution.-P.sulcatus is recorded so far from Khasi hills; Kameng Division, N .E.F.A.; Sikkim; Putao plains (Burma) and Catchin Cauri near Bhamo.The present record of this species from D'oon Valley is interesting and extends the range of its.distribution west,vards along Himalaya.

Genus Glyptothorax Blyth
(2) Glyptothorax cavia (Hamilton) 1822.Pimelodus cavia Hamilton,Fish. Ganges: 188,378 Remarks;-The specimen agrees with th'e description of lhis species given by Hora and Menon (1948) .So far the maximum size •of this fish captured has been nearly 315 mm.The present specimen, measuring 335 mm.is. the largest of this species "so far captured.It could easily.be enumerated as• one •am.ong the food fishes of the area.
in the collections of Zoological Survey of India.According •to Hora (1923) the pectoral fins almost reach the bas.e of the \'entral but we find that in the specimen he examined (fronl Sikkim), they do miss the base of the ventrals by a small distance and in the s.pecimen from Tons River as well as in those from N.E.F.A., the pectorals miss the ventrals by comparatively greater distance.Apart from this, the present specimen agrees' \vith the description of the species given 'by Gunther C~864).The species is characterised by the following: ( 4) The pectoral fin is slightly longer than the head; (5) The ventrals extend beyond the anal opening and reach the origin of the anal fin.(6) The eyes are placed in the posteri~r half of the head.(7) The maxillary barbels are longer than tim head.(8) The lower lobe of the caudal fln is longer than the upper.
Distribution.-N.E.F.A.; Sikkim; Nepal; Debra Dun, U .P. The report on the presence of this species in Dehra Dun (V.P.) extends its range of distribution further westwards.along Himalaya.
Remarks.-The material agrees \vith the description of this species by Hora (1923).Hora (1923) described this species on the basis of 4 examples, bearing nO' history.Due to long preservation, the colouration of the body of these spechnens had faded away.Hora (1923) was, therefore, unable to des•cribe the colouration of the species precisely.The present material is freshly preserved and hence it should be helpful to describe the colouration of this species.
Colouration.-Thelateral and the dorsal sides of the body are dark chocolate brown.The under surface of the head and belly are light yellowish.There is a dark band at the base of the caudal.A light coloured streak runs between the bases of the rayed and the adipose dorsal fins and further between the latter and the upper lobe of the caudal fln.There is a light coloured transverse band at the base of the occipital• process.
The paired and the median fins, including the adipose fin, are dark coloured while their terminal portions are light coloured.
Sexual dimorphism.-AmongSisoridae, Gagata sexualil Tilak is the only species kno\vn to show a marked sexual dimorphism (Tilak, 1970) The present study shows tllat Glyptothorax bl'evipinnis brevipinnis Hora also shows sexually dimorphic features ,vhich are described below: (1) The least height of the caudal peduncle lies less than 2 times (1.68-.1.87 times) in its length in the female exalnples and more than 2 times (2.06-2.5 times) in the male.(2) Externally, the female~ are slightly heavier than the males and show a difference in their external genital organs.In the male, the genital papilla is elongated, wide and bulbous at the base and much narrow at the tip (Text-fig.lA).In the female, the genital papilla is narrow at the proximal end and bulbous at the distal end crext-fig.1B) Moreover, it remains partly embedded in a fleshy en velope in the female and almost free in the male.The comparative length of the genital papilla is more in the male than in the female.

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Each testis consists of biserially arranged testicular follicles which profusely overlap with each other.Posteriorly, the testes form apparently a single vas defrens which is connected with the male genital papilla.In the female, the paired ovaries have fused completely to form a triangular ovarian sheet, the two outer edges of which are rolled downwards to envelope the alimentary canal.The anterior end of the ovary contains ova at different stages of maturity.Posteriorly, a single oviduct enters the female genital papilla (Text-fig.2B).
Distribution.-Hora (1923) did not know the history of this species at the time of its description.Till recently, no material of this homeless species• was collected.For the first time this species has been recorded here from the Doon "alley with a definite locality data.
(5) Glyptothorax.horai Shaw and Shebbeare RemarksJ-The thoracic adhesive apparatus of this fish is very characteristic; it extends from the ventral side of t~e lip to opposite the middle of the pectoral base in an accuminate arro\v head shape.The shape and the structure of the adhesive thoracic apparatus of this species, based on the material from Patiala, has been described by Tilak and Tandon (1970) who studied the type as well as other material of this species in Zoological Survey. of India and rectified some of the discrepencies in the description of this structure of the species by  and Menon (1954).TiIak and Tandon (1970) ,vhiIe reporting on the presence of this species in Panjab, remarked that there is no record of the presence of this species in the intervening area between Kosi River and East Panjab and further opined that future surveys would find this species all along that area.The present report of this species from Doom ,raIley, the inter,~cning <: ...... :~ ;:; :•:•;•:•:~1' .lA. The" external genital organs of male of GLyptothorax brevipinnis brevipinnis Hora.B. The external genital organs of female of the same.