REDESCRIPTION OF 2 AMBIGUOUS JAPANESE BAGRIDS, PSEUDOBAGRUS-AURANTIACUS (TEMMINCK AND SCHLEGEL) AND P-TOKIENSIS DODERLEIN

Although known to be distinct genetically and recently treated as diff erent species taxonomically, two Japanese bagrid catfishes, Pseudobagr us aurantiacus (Temminck and Schlegel) and P. tokiensis Doderlein, hav e not been previously scrutinized as to their morphological difference s. Examination of morphometric and osteological characters revealed th at the former species differs from the latter in having a higher dorsa l fin, the pectoral spine more prominently serrated on the anterior ed ge, more densely serrated on the posterior edge, and with 1-3 antrorse serrations at the base, a broader supraoccipital process, the suprane ural as long as or longer than the supraoccipital process, a broader p osterior process of the cleithrum (posterior tip angle > 20-degrees), and the hyomandibular widely separated from the metapterygoid. In addi tion, the body color pattern of young fish differs in the two species.