New bariliin cyprinid fishes from West Africa, with a consideration of their biogeography

Abstract

Five new species of bariliin cyprinid fishes are described from West Africa. Three belong to the genus Leptocypris and two to Raiamas. One species of each genus is from Guinea (Konkoure river) and from Sierra Leone (Taia and Little Scarcies rivers), the other, a Leptocypris, is from Cameroon (Cross River). A taxon of indeterminate generic identity from Guinea is also described. The phylogenetic relationships of the bariliins are hypothesized and in this light their geographical distribution is compared with that of other cladistically analysed African freshwater fish groups. The significance to West African fish distribution of the Togo-Benin (Dahomey) Gap is discussed.

Keywords :

• Cyprinidae
• Raiamas
• Leptocypris
• biogeography