Rediscovery of <i>Hypselobarbus pulchellus</i>, an endemic and threatened barb (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) of the Western Ghats, with notes on <i>H. dobsoni and H. jerdoni</i>

Abstract

Hypselobarbus pulchellus, is a poorly known species, with very few verifiable records since its description in 1870. Many authors have considered H. pulchellus to be a synonym of either H. dobsoni or H. jerdoni. This lack of information and clarity on its identity has led to H. pulchellus being categorized as a ‘Critically Endangered’ (possibly Extinct) species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Based on the collection of H. pulchellus from its type locality, we re-describe this little known species, and clear its taxonomic ambiguity vis-à-vis H. dobsoni and H. jerdoni.