Barbatula leoparda (Actinopterygii, Nemacheilidae), a new endemic species of stone loach of French Catalonia

This study described a new stone loach species in France, Barbatula leoparda, which is endemic to French Catalonia (Têt and Tech river drainages). Seven specimens were compared to 49 specimens of B. barbatula (Linnaeus, 1758) and 71 specimens of B. quignardi (Băcescu-Meşter, 1967). This new species is characterized by the presence of blotches on the belly and the jugular area in individuals longer than 47 mm SL and by a greater interorbital distance (35.5 to 41.8% of the head length). We brought moreover the sequence of two mitochondrial markers (COI and 12S, respectively 652 and 950 bp) of the holotype, which are well distinct from all other species, for molecular identifications. This discovery is important for conservation.