A new species of Laubuka ( Cypriniformes: Danionidae ) from the Sittaung River drainage, Myanmar

Taxonomic studies of freshwater fish reveal that intraspecific morphological variation highlights cryptic species complexes. Here, we describe Laubuka sittaungensis, a new species of the family Danionidae, based on 23 specimens collected from a tributary of the Sittaung River drainage in Myanmar. The new species can be distinguished from the congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) an unbranched pelvic-fin ray reaching the anus, (2) the presence of vertical bars along the side of the body in preserved specimens, (3) predorsal scales 18-20, (4) branched anal-fin rays 17½-20½, (5) precaudal+caudal vertebrae 15-16 + 18-20, and (6) smooth lower jaw. The molecular phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cytb) gene sequences confirm that it is a distinct species, closely related to Laubuka tenella.