title: Redescription of Nemachilichthys rueppelli, a senior synonym of N. shimogensis (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae).
abstract: The hill-stream loach genus Nemachilichthys, an endemic of the Western Ghats of India, comprises two nominal species, N. rueppelli and N. shimogensis. The validity of the latter has been questioned by several authors. Here we show that there is only a marginal raw mitochondrial genetic distance (0.5% in cytochrome oxidase subunit I and 1.2% in cytochrome b) between topotypic specimens of the two nominal species. Further, although population-level morphometric variations appear in a multivariate morphometric analysis, the two nominal species are morphologically similar, with apparently no significant characters separating them. We therefore consider N. shimogensis to be a junior synonym of N. rueppelli and redescribe the latter, providing further details on population variation and distribution.
authors.affiliation: Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, G1 Block, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune 411008, India; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Ashwini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keskar
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411053, India; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Pradeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumkar
authors.affiliation: Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Hornbill House, Opp. Lion Gate, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001, India; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Unmesh
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Katwate
authors.affiliation: Center for Aquatic Germplasm Conservation of Inland Aquatic Organisms, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Kochi 682506, India; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Anvar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Center for Taxonomy of Aquatic Animals, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Kochi 682506, India Systematics, Ecology and Conservation Laboratory, Zoo Outreach Organization, 96 Kumudham Nagar, Vilankurichi Road, Coimbatore 641035, India; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Rajeev
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raghavan
authors.affiliation: Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, G1 Block, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune 411008, India Systematics, Ecology and Conservation Laboratory, Zoo Outreach Organization, 96 Kumudham Nagar, Vilankurichi Road, Coimbatore 641035, India; Email: n.dahanukar@iiserpune.ac.in.
authors.forename: Neelesh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dahanukar
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D003531:Cypriniformes / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size