Description:
Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total):
6; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 12; Vertebrae:
46. Diagnosis: Gogo brevibarbis is distinguished
from other members of Anchariidae in having bicuspid
teeth on the upper and lower jaws vs. unicuspid. It
can be further distinguished from Gogo arcuatus
in having a straight dorsoposterior margin of the
dorsal fin vs. concave; and from G.
ornatus in having a
larger eye, 15.9% of head length vs. 9.2-13.6%.
Etymology:
The specific name brevibarbus: with short
barbels. Remarks:
This distribution range of this species was thought
to include the east coast rivers between Mangoro and
Mananara du Sud, Madagascar. However, recent research
suggests that G. brevibarbis is only known
from the holotype, which was presumably collected
within the upper to middle reaches of the Mananjary
river drainage in the southeastern highlands of Madagascar
(Ng and Sparks 2005). Anchariids are difficult to
collect as they are active at night, and far more
survey work needs to be done in the region of the
type locality to determine range and population size
(J. Sparks pers. obs.). In light of this new evidence,
the assessment for this species is Data Deficient.
Prior assumptions regarding range and population size
are no longer valid (IUCN).
Common
Name:
Vaona
Synonyms:
Ancharius brevibarbis,
Arius brevibarbis
Family:
Anchariidae
Distribution:
Africa:
Mananjary River basin in the southeastern highlands
of Madagascar. Type Locality: Ambohimanga,
Fianarantsao Province, Madagascar, 20°52'S, 47°36'E.
Size:
12.0cm. (4¾ins)
Temp:
-
p.H.
-
Reference:
Froese, R. and D. Pauly.
Editors. 2019. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic
publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 08/2019 ). IUCN. 2016. The IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species. Version 2016-3. Available at:
www.iucnredlist.org. Ng, H.H. and J.S. Sparks, 2005. Revision
of the endemic Malagasy catfish family Anchariidae
(Teleostei: Siluriformes), with descriptions of a
new genus and three new species. Ichthyol. Explor.
Freshwat. 16(4):303-323. Sparks, J.S. 2016. Gogo brevibarbis.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.
If you would like to contribute to the monthly
factsheets with an article, information or photos, please e-mail
me. You will of course be credited for your work.
If you would like to donate any denomination
of monies to the site just click the above link button. All proceeds
will go to running the site and hopefully to keep it going for a few
years yet.