Possible range extension of Rasboroides nigromaginatus(?)

Note : - Sudasinghe et al., 2018 based on a phylogenetic study, resolved the issues raised in this post at    the end. Now Rasboroides nigromarginatus is considered as a synonym of Rasboroides vaterifloris

Sudasinghe, H., Herath, J., Pethiyagoda, R. and Meegaskumbura, M. , 2018, ‘Undocumented translocations spawn taxonomic inflation in Sri Lankan fire rasboras (Actinopterygii, Cyprinidae)’. PeerJ [Online journal], (20 December 2018). Link >>

Endemic genus Rasboroides is restricted to the shaded rain forest streams of South-western wet zone from Kalu to Walawe drainages.  A single species of Rasboroides formerly known as Rasbora vaterifloris was divided into four different species recently base on morphological differences. Table 1 summarized some of their morphological features with distribution in the country base on Batuwita S. et al., 2013. 

Rasboroides nigromarginatus (Black Line Golden Rasbora/කලු-ඉරි හල්මල්දන්ඩියා[Kaluiri Halmaldandiya])

Rasboroides nigromarginatus was first described by a German scientist H. Meinken in 1957 as a new species base on a single specimen collected from the ‘Ceylon’ without knowing exact locality. He had found that specimen among some exported ornamental fishes from Sri Lanka and considered it as a synonymy of Rasboroides vaterfloris (Deraniyagala, 1958 & Pethiyagoda, 1991). It has not been collected since then until the rediscovery in 1994 from Athwelthota by R. Pethiyagoda & K. Manamendra Arachchi and independently in 2010 by members of Wildlife Conservation Society, Galle. 

With the recent review of Rasboroides group it is now considered as a valid species occurs only in Athwelthota area of Kalu river basin. Here we record a possible range extension of this species again on Kalu river basin but considerable distance away from the type locality.  We would like to keep exact locality undisclosed, considering past experiences of   extinction of some rare endemic fish species from certain localities without proper protection, due to excess collection for export and local ornamental fish industry (Ex. Extinction of bright color Rasboroides species from Puwakpitiya Dola in Indikada Mookalana and total extinction of them from Madakada Mookalana - Chamikara S., 2012).  

We were able to observe and photograph four live specimens of Rasboroides in a tributary of Kalu River in the Kiriella area of the Rathnapura district.  The stream is bordered to a rubber plantation but with well wooded  banks with several indigenous plants. One specimen we observed was bit bigger than other three and lack black color of un-branched ray of dorsal and other fins on the leading edge (However it is slightly visible on the dorsal fin ray on nearly half of its length – See picture).  But three small specimens had prominent black lines along leading edge of all their fins. Other than that large specimen was more yellowish on its dorsal and upper half of the side and fins while small specimens had more silver in dorsal as well as venter and sides.  However orange red color of dorsal fin and orange of caudal fin was not observed in any specimens. Taking accurate measurements of the specimens was impossible with living fishes due to obvious reason. But approximate size of the large specimen was visually estimated as 30mm and about 20mm of small three.  Body depth of all 4 specimens was around 30% SL.

Three out of four species of Rasboroides have been recorded from Kalu river basin and R. vaterifloris reported from Small shaded streams and rivulets in and around Gilimale is the closet Rasboroides locality recorded so far to the locality of the current specimens. However morphological features of them much resembles to the R. nigromaginatus hitherto only recorded from Athwelthota area.  
     Is this a hybridization of R. nigromaginatus and R. vaterifloris? Why only small individuals have prominent black ray on leading edges of fins? Are they juveniles and would it be faded away in adult specimens?  Or we are here dealing with two different species (We have observed that small individuals are schooling separately during our observation)? More research need to be done before come to a conclusion especially with exact measurements and scale counts with preserved specimens. But which is beyond our scope and for the time being we would like just to report this observation and highlight the need of conducting more research on our ichthyofauna and also most importantly conserving of their habitats with special consideration towards the streams and rivulets outside the protected forest reserves in Southwestern wet zone of the country.  Because those water sources are highly vulnerable to the human activities (We got to known that excessive fishing have been practicing in above area some time even with using explosives which destroy every living inhabitants of the stream from big to small). There are enough possibilities of discovering new species not only of fishes but also other animals as well in these unprotected areas and it is needed to conserve them before those ‘to be discovered’ species would be vanishing from the world before even known to the scientific community.

The Habitat of Rasboroides nigromaginatus(?)

	R. vaterifloris	R. nigromaginatus	R. pallidus	R. rohani
Male –Upper body color	Golden brown lightening on side to silvery, scattered with melanophores	Golden orange, sides and venter silver	Dorsal color varies from pinkish-grey to dark golden yellow, lighter latterly. Silver on venter	Dorsally greyish-yellow, golden yellow on sides and silvery-white on venter.
Male- belly	Silver	Silver	Silver
Dorsal Fin	Hyaline with scattered melanophores	Orange red, Longest un-branched dorsal fin ray black along its entire length.	Golden yellow	Golden yellow
Anal fin	Hyaline with scattered melanophores	Yellow with scattered melanophores. Unbranched rays of leading edge black	Golden yellow	Yellow-orange
Pectoral fin	Hyaline with scattered melanophores	Yellow with scattered melanophores. Unbranched rays of leading edge black	Golden yellow	Golden yellow
Pelvic fin	Hyaline with scattered melanophores	Yellow with scattered melanophores. Unbranched rays of leading edge black	Golden yellow	Golden yellow
Caudal fin	Greenish Yellow	Orange.	Lighter with upper lobe hyaline	Yellow-orange on lower lobe. Upper lobe hyaline.
Sclera		Upper third of sclera deep Orange	Dense melanophores on sclera above and below giving effect of black bar on eye (Bothe M and F)
Opercle			Suffused with dark red (Bothe M and F)
Female	Similar to male but lighter in color, yellowish tan dorsally whitish with scattered melanophores on sides, belly white	Similar but lighter in color. Lacking black dorsal and anal fin margins and yellowish tan dorsally. Whitish with scattered melanophores on sides, , belly white	Overall light whitish orange. Lighter ventrally and on fins, which are partly hyaline	Sexes alike
Fins	Pectoral fin reaching beyond pelvic fin base; pelvic fin reaching beyond anal fin origin. Dorsal fin origin located halfway between snout-tip and hypural notch.	Pectoral fin reaching beyond base of pelvic fin; pelvic fin reaching beyond origin of anal fin; Dorsal fin origin located halfway between snout-tip and hypural notch.	Pectoral fin reaching base of pelvic fin; pelvic fin reaching origin of anal fin. Dorasl fin origin located halfway between snout-tip and hypural notch.	Pectoral fin reaching base of pelvic fin; pelvic fin reaching origin of anal fin. Dorasl fin origin located halfway between snout-tip and hypural notch.
Dorsal fin origin	1 scale width behind the pelvic fin origin	1 scale width behind the pelvic fin origin	3 scale width behind the pelvic fin origin	3 scale width behind the pelvic fin origin
Pelvic fin origin	Midway between pectoral fin base and anal fin origin	Closer to anal fin origin than to pectoral fin base.	Falling midway between pectoral fin base and anal fin origin	Closer to anal fin origin than to pectoral fin base
Dorsal margin of the operculum	More or less straight	Deep indentation
Dorsal profile of the head	Approximately straight behind the level of the eye in the male	Slightly concave	Slightly concave behind level of eye, arched thereafter	Approximately straight posterior to level of eye
Male Interorbital width	29-33 % HL	17-22 % HL
Male Internarial width	19-21 % HL	11-17 % HL
Female anal fin depth	23.5-24.8 % SL	17.4 – 22.7 % SL
Female interorbital width	25-33 % HL	16-21 % HL	33-36%HL	25-28 % HL
Female  Caudal-peduncle depth	12.4 – 13.4 % SL	10.4 – 12.3 % SL
Female  Caudal-peduncle length	18.6-21.2% SL	21.1-25 % SL
Body depth	31-32.8 % SL ( 31.1-32.8 in males and 31 – 31.7 in females)	26.9-33% SL (28.2-33 in males and 26.9-29.1 in females)	34.3-37.5%SL of males and 33-36.7in females	35.6 -40% SL in males and 33.3-36.8 % SL in females
Size	Male – 23.9-29.8mm Female – 22.1 – 25.5mm	Males 26.2 – 30.2 Female – 26.5 – 27.3mm	Up to 24.6 mm SL (males 21.5-24.6 and females 20.2- 20.7)	Up to 35.5mm SL (Males 25.3-35.5 and Females 23-30.8)
Scales on transverse line on the body	½ 8 ½	½ 8 ½	½ 6 ½ or ½ 7 ½  ( ½ 6[3] or 7 ½ [12] )	½ 8 ½
Scales on caudal peduncle	½ 4 ½	½ 4 ½	½ 3 ½	½ 4 ½
Predorsal scales	10[2],11[6],12[2]	11[4] or 12[6]	10[7],11[5],12[3]	11[5],12[6],13[4]
Prevental scales	15[2] or 16[8]	14[2], 15[7], 16[3]	13[7],14[4],15[2]	14[3],15[9],16[3]
Abdominal vertebrae	12[1] or 13[1]	12	11[4], 12[1], 13[1]	12
Caudal vertebrae	16[1] or 17[1]	16	16[2] or 17[4]	17
Total vertebrae	29	28	28-29	29
Scales on lateral series on body	21[2],22[1],23[1],24[5],25[1]	23[1],24[1],25[7],26[2],27[1]	20[1], 21[1], 22[7],23[0],24[6]	25[3],26[8],27[1],28[3]
Perforated scales arterially	4[3],5[2],6[5]	1[1],2[5],3[7]	1[11] or 2[4]	1[6],2[3],3[5]
Lateral processes to the kinethmoid			2	1
Female eye diameter			39 – 40% HL	29-34 % HL
Pharyngeal-teeth formula	5,4,3-3,4,5	5,4,3-3,4,5	5,4,3-3,4,5	5,4,2 -2,4,5
Dorsal fin rays	3 unbranched and 7 ½  bracnched	3 unbranched and 7 ½  bracnched	3 unbranched and 7 ½  bracnched	3 unbranched and 7 ½  bracnched
Anal fin rays	3 unbranched and 5 ½ [2] or 6 ½[8] branched	3 unbranched and 6 ½ branched	3 unbranched and 6 ½ branched	3 unbranched and 6 ½ branched
Caudal fin rays	17 branched rays 9 on upper and 8 on lower lobes	17 branched rays 9 on upper and 8 on lower lobes	17 branched rays 9 on upper and 8 on lower lobes	17 branched rays 9 on upper and 8 on lower lobes
Pectoral fin rays	1 unbranched and 11 ½ [4] or 12 ½ [6] branched	1 unbranched and 11 ½  branched	1 unbranched and 11 ½  branched	1 unbranched and 11 ½  branched
Pelvic fin rays	1 unbranched and 6 ½ [3] or 7 ½ [7] branched	1 unbranched and 6 ½  branched	1 unbranched and 6 ½  branched	1 unbranched and 6 ½  branched
Lateral line	Incomplete	Incomplete	Incomplete	Incomplete
Distribution	Restricted to Kalu basin. Small shaded streams and rivulets in and around Gilimale. Type locality – Ilukwaththa ferry of Kalu river at Gilimale	Restricted to the Athwelthota of Kalu basin	Shallow slow flowing densely shaded low land rain forest streams with sandy silt substrates of Kalu (Mahakalupahana, Yagirala), Benthara(Bambaravana), Gin (Kottawa-Kombala FR)Polathu-Modara (Kottawa-Kombala FR), Nilvala (Dediyagala FR) basins.	Suriyakanda in Walawe river basin. Shallow slow flowing shady streams with a sandy-silt substrates and dense leaf litter in submontane forests.

Literature Cited

Batuwita S., de Silva M. and Edrisinghe U., 2013.        A review of the danionine genera Rasboroides and Horadandia (Pisces: Cyprinidae), with description of a new species from Sri Lanka Ichthyol. Exploe. Freshwaters, Vol. 24, No. 2, 121-140 pp.

Chamikara S., 2012. පාට වර්ණ කොහි ගියාද හල්මල් දන්ඩියනේ? - සදාහරිත වෙළුම 1 කලාපය 9

Deraniyagala, P.E.P.1958. Three new cyprinoids, a new catfish and variation among some cyprinoids and an anabantoid of Ceylon. Spolia Zeylanica, 28: 129-138.

Meinken, H. 1957. Rabora nigromarginata n. spec. die "Rote rasbora". Die Aquarien - und Terrarien Zeitschrift, 10: 65-68.

Pethiyagoda, R. 1991. Freshwater fishes of Sri Lanka. Wildlife Heritage Trust, Colombo, xiii+362pp.

පිළිල[Pilila](Dendrophthoe suborbicularis)

An endemic semi-parasitic growing on the branches of trees. It is restricted to the higher montane zone. Flowering from April to August and probably also in other months. 

Vagrant Gulls and Terns (Family: Laridae) recorded in Sri Lanka

    Birds that appear outside their normal range are known as vagrants. This post summarizes up to date published sight records of vagrants of the family Laridae (Gulls and Terns) in Sri Lanka.

 Confirmed vagrants

     1) Sooty Gull (Larus hemprichii)

First time recorded in Sri Lanka from Mutwal by Deepal Warakagoda on 9^th January 1993 (Hoffmann, T. W., 1994) Several sight records since then (Kotagama S. & Ratnavira G., 2010: 227))

     2) White-cheeked Tern(Sterna repressa)

First sight record is from Galle Buck of Colombo in 1983 and second from Negombo lagoon in 1990 ( De Silva R.I, 1990:31, De Silva, R.I. 2001 and De Silva, R.I., 2011). Single specimen was captured at Bundala salterns situated within the Bundala National Park on 13^th December 2008 during the bird ringing session carried out by FOGSL and DWC. (Kaluthota, C.D., 2009). It is the third record (Kaluthota, C.D., 2009).

     3) Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)

Rex I. De Silva, Enoka Perera, Lester Perera and Kanishka Samarasinghe reported a Black Tern among flock of around 60 Whiskered Terns in 1^st November 1992 on the tidal mudflats in the Northern part of Negombo lagoon (De Silva, R.I. et. al., 1992). It is the first sight record of it in Sri Lanka and again Rex I. De Silva, LesterPerera, Trevor Roosmale-Cocq, Carl Fernando, Kathleen Wickremaratne, Sita and Amrita Hapuarachchi reported another sight record of three adult birds in winter plumage on 9^th January 1993 at Alangkuda (near Etalai on the Palavi-Kalpitiya road ). Again they were in a mixed flock of Whiskered and White-winged terns (De Silva, R.I. et. al., 1992). Another sight report available on 1995 April, a single bird with breeding plumage near Hambanthota (Hoffmann, T. W., 1996)

Unconfirmed vagrants:

Species for which there are only one or two sight records exist categorized here as unconfirmed vagrants. Problematic records without sufficient details are also included.

     4) Black-naped Tern (Sterna sumatrana)

Single sight record available on 3^rd September 1994 by Laksiri Karunaratne off the coast of Colombo (Hoffmann, T. W., 1995 & Ilangakoon, A., 2001)          

     5) Slender-billed Gull (Larus genei)

Single sight-record made by a group of foreign ornithologist in September 1978 at Mannar is the first record of it in Sri Lanka. (Hoffmann, T. W., 1979). Arnaud B. van den Berg, Cecilia A. W. Bosman & Frank G. Rozendaal three Dutch ornithologists on 2^nd September 1978 around 9.00AM observed this single adult bird in summer plumage flying over the Mannar causeway (Van Den Berg, A. B., Bosman , C. A. W.  & Rozendaal  F.G., 1982)
Sudheera Bandara, Kiran Kumaranayagam and Udaya Sirivardena reported 43 Slender-billed gulls near the Sangupiddi Bridge, Pooneryn-Navatkuli road on the 8th and 9th February of 2015. Shalinka De Silva also reported some unusual gulls with photographs on 2nd February 2015 at the same location and  those were later on identified as of the same species. This is the seconds record of it in Sri Lanka (http://www.ceylonbirdclub.org/the_ceylon_bird_club_news.php)

References:

De Silva, R.I., 2011. Comments on Sri Lanka's Avifauna with a note on observing the seabird migration. Sethsamudra.(Downloaded from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyZXhpZGVzaWx2YXxneDoxYmMxY2EyYjM1MDQ1NzZl)

De Silva, R.I., 2001. Seabird Studies off the West Coast 1981-2001. Loris. 22(5):41-42.

De Silva, R.I. et. al. 1992. The Black Tern Chlidonias niger in Sri Lanka. Loris. 19(6):204-205.

De Silva, R.I., 1990. Sea Bird of Sri Lanka. Ceylon journal of science. 21(1):28-33

Hoffmann, T. W., 1996. Ceylon Bird Club Notes 1995. Loris, 21(1), 16-18.

Hoffmann, T. W., 1995. Ceylon Bird Club Notes 1994. Loris, 20(5), 226-227.

Hoffmann, T. W., 1994. Ceylon Bird Club Notes, 1993. Loris, 20(3), 107-109.

Hoffmann, T. W., 1979. Note from the Ceylon Bird club 1978. Loris, 15(1), 6-8.

Ilangakoon, A., 2001. Observing Seabirds off the West Coast of Sri Lanka. Loris, 22(5), 15-18.

Kaluthota, C.D., 2009 A Sand Martin and White-cheecked Tern : Two vagrant species captured at Bundala national park. Malkoha 30(1):3.(Downloaded from http://www.fogsl.net/publication/newsletters/malkoha-vol-30-1-1201.htm)

Kotagama, S., Ratnavira, G. 2010. An illustrated Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka. Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, Colombo.

Van Den Berg, A. B., Bosman , C. A. W.  & Rozendaal  F.G., 1982. First record of a Slender billed Gull Larus genei in Sri Lanka. Ardea, 70, 82. (Downloaded from http://ardea.nou.nu/)

බෝ-කෑර/ගෝ-කෑර[Bo-kera/Go-kera] (Campylospermum serratum [Syn: Gomphia serrata])

An indigenous tree or shrub common in the evergreen forests of the wet zone and sometimes in the drier regions up to about 900m elevations. Flowering from January to May.

Common Tinsel (Catapaecilma major myositina)

"When I first came to this estate in 1889, this butterfly was plentiful on one field of tea. An adjoining chena was then cleared, and it entirely disappeared, and I never saw another specimen till August, 1915, when I took a male near Haldummulla kaddies. I have since obtained two more specimens from Haldummulla. I have never come across it in my travels, and the native collectors have never brought me a specimen, so it must be very rare, or local " - (Ormiston W., 1924)

"This butterfly very occasional caught by a few of the Ceylonese catchers in Kandy, from September to March along the road to Kurunegala near Galagedara" (Woodhouse L.G.O., 1950)

"Today the one of the rarest butterflies in the country, and among the few specimens in collections, very few are in perfect conditions. I saw it every year between 1952 and 1956 in a certain spot in the Uduwattakelle, but on subsequent visits have failed to see it" (d' Abrera B., 1998)

Common Tinsel seems to be a canopy dweller with local distribution - Hence the very few specimens and sightings - probably in all climatic zones. Larva feeds on Lannea coromandelica, Albizia lebbeck (සූරිය මාර), Vitex altissima (මිල්ල/කහ මිල්ල/නියන් මිල්ල/මියන් මිල්ල/සපු මිල්ල), Dendrophthoe falcata, Psidium guajava (පේර/Guava), Trema orientale (ගැඩුඹ/Charcoal Tree) and Bridelia retusa (කැටකෑල). It has symbiotic relation with a Crematogastor ant and possibility is there that it feeds also on other plants when ants are present 

References:

d' Abrera Bernard , 1998 The Butterflies of Ceylon, WHT Publications : Colombo.

Ormiston  W., 1924 The Butterflies of Ceylon, H.W.Cave & Co., Colombo 1924, AES Reprint New Delhi, 2003

Woodhouse L.G.O. , 1950 The Butterfly Fauna of Ceylon, Ceylon Government Press, Colombo, 2nd (Abriged) Edition.  1950.

රදලිය [Radaliya] (Connarus monocarpos)

Common indigenous shrub occurs in sandy places, dunes and secondary forests in the dry zone. rare in wet lowlands. Flowering from July to September. 

Sombre Lieutenant (Brachydiplax sobrina)

Rather common dragonfly inhabiting weedy ponds, tanks, channels, lagoons and marshes mainly in the lowlands throughout the year. 

රුක්/රුක්-ගෙඩි/මලබොඩ/තලන්[Ruk/Ruk-gedhi/Malaboda/Thalan] (Horsfieldia iryaghedhi)

An endemic tree grows in lowland rain forests of wet and intermediate zone up to about 500m a.s.l. Flowers and bark are used in traditional medicine and wood use to make boats.  Flowering from August to October.

Vagrant Starlings (Family: Sturnidae) recorded in Sri lanka

    Birds that appear outside their normal range are known as vagrants. This post summarizes up to date published sight records of vagrants of the family Sturnidae (Starlings) in Sri Lanka.

Confirmed vagrants

     1) Chestnut-tailed starling [Grey-headed Starling] (Sturnia malabaricus)

A flock of Chestnut-tailed starlings were first time recorded in Sri Lanka from Anuradhapura in January 1984 (Hoffmann, T. W., 1985). However there is a reference in CBC notes of 1944 to an unconfirmed sight record of two Grey-headed Mynahs in Colombo toward the end of June 1944. "Its attractive whistling call was also heard" (Anon., 1944). Again in March 1985 five birds were observed among the thousands of Brahmny, Common and Rosy mynahs at Kalamatiya (Hoffmann, T. W., 1986). For the 3rd year in succession a flock including several immature was reported from Anuradhapura in January 1986 and even during the December of same year it was continue to be noted there (Hoffmann, T. W., 1987). It was also been noted at Kalamatiya during January same year (Hoffmann, T. W., 1987). In December 2002 several birds were observed at Udawalawe National Park (Siriwardana, U., 2003). Subsequent records are - 

• 4 birds were observed by Moditha Kodikara Arachchi on 7th February 2015 at Irukalampiddi, Mannar. (http://www.ceylonbirdclub.org/the_ceylon_bird_club_news.php)

Unconfirmed vagrants:

Species for which there are only one or two sight records exist categorized here as unconfirmed vagrants. Problematic records without sufficient details are also included.

     2) Purple-backed starling [Daurian Starling] (Sturnia sturninus)

Sight record from Udawalwe national park in December 2002 by Upali Ekanayake is the first record of it in Sri lanka.( Siriwardana, U., 2003). A flock of eight birds was again reported near the Udawalawa causeway by Dulan Ranga Vidanapathirana on 9th January 2014. They were photographed by M.D.Gehan Rajeev and Sudheera Bandara two days after. (http://www.ceylonbirdclub.org/the_ceylon_bird_club_news.php)

     3) Asian Pied Starling (Sturnus contra)

Sight record at Kotiyagala of Yala national park in early 1986 by P.B. Karunaratna and D. Bartholomuesz is the only record. (Kotagama S. & Ratnavira G., 2010: 299).

References:

Anon., 1944. Notes from the Bird Club. Loris. 3(5):191.

Hoffmann, T. W., 1987. Notes from the Ceylon Bird Club 1986. Loris, 17(5), 209-210

Hoffmann, T. W., 1986. Notes from the Ceylon Bird Club 1985. Loris, 17(3), 99-101.

Hoffmann, T. W., 1985. Notes from the Ceylon Bird Club 1984. Loris, 17(1), p10-12.

Kotagama, S., Ratnavira, G. 2010. An illustrated Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka. Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, Colombo.

Siriwardana, U., 2003. Report from the Ceylon Bird Club for 2002. Loris, 23(3&4), 36-39.

මහ - ගොටුකොල[Maha - Gotukola] (Hydrocotyle javanica)

Rather uncommon indigenous prostrate herb occurs in moist places in the hills between 650-2300m elevations. Flowering from May to September. Leaves use in traditional medicine.