| Diagnosis |
Trichopodus poptae is diagnosed from all congeners by the following characters: a black blotch on caudal peduncle with no other distinct markings on the body (vs. two black blotches, one in the middle of the body and the other on the caudal peduncle in T. trichopterus; a black stripe extending from the mouth to the caudal peduncle in T. pectoralis and T. leerii; absence of distinct body marking in T. microlepis); 34-38 lateral scales (vs. 49-63 in T. pectoralis, 40-52 in T. trichopterus; 43-50 in T. leerii; and 57-65 in T. microlepis). It further differs from other species of Trichopodus by the possession of following characters: 6-7 spines on dorsal fin (vs. 3-4 in T. microlepis); 14-16 rays on dorsal fin (vs. 17-18 in T. pectoralis); 38-41 anal-fin rays (vs. 44-50 in T. pectoralis, 44-49 in T. microlepis, and 41-46 in T. trichopterus); 30-34 predorsal scales (vs. 37-44 in T. pectoralis, 36-41 in T. leerii, and 45-52 in T. microlepis); fewer transverse scales at dorsal fin origin (8-9, 1, 8-10 vs. 11-13, 1, 15-17 in T. pectoralis and 14-17, 1, 19-22 in T. microlepis); fewer longitudinal scale rows on caudal peduncle (5-6, 1, 4-5 vs. 7-9, 1, 6-9 in T. pectoralis and 8-9, 1, 6-8 in T. microlepis); greater caudal peduncle depth (16.0-17.2 vs. 13.3-15.8% SL in T. pectoralis, 14.2-15.7% SL in T. leerii, and 12.2-14.8% SL in T. microlepis); greater body depth at anus (43.4-47.4 vs. 36.3-42.1% SL in T. pectoralis and 39.5-42.8% SL in T. leerii); smaller postdorsal length (21.9-24.5 vs. 25.1-27.9% SL in T. leerii and 25.8-32.9% SL in T. microlepis); greater orbital diameter (28.8-33.8 vs. 18.7-27.1% HL in T. pectoralis and 23.2-27.0% HL in T. microlepis); and 4 pterygiophores between first and second haemal spine (vs. 5 in T. trichopterus, T. pectoralis and T. microlepis) (Ref. 97359).
Description; Pelvic fin with first ray filamentous and elongated; lateral line complete or interrupted, with 34-38 scales in a longitudinal series above the lateral line (Ref. 97359). |