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| Paranemachilus luegvetensis Paranemachilus liui Mo, Yang, Li & Du, 2024 |
Abstract
This study describes two new species within the genus Paranemachilus. Paranemachilus luegvetensis sp. nov. and Paranemachilus liui sp. nov. can be distinguished from all recognized congeners by a combination of morphological characteristics and substantial genetic divergences. Paranemachilus luegvetensis sp. nov. is characterized by scaled cheeks; the whole body covered in scales, except for the head; 11–12 branched pectoral fin rays; 4–5 preoperculomandibular canal pores; body depth 13.5%–16.8% of standard length; and preanus length 68.3%–73.9% of standard length. Paranemachilus liui sp. nov. is characterized by scaled cheeks; the whole body covered in scales except for the head; 11–13 branched pectoral fin rays; 11–15 supraorbital canal pores at the base of the anterior nostrils; 7–9 preoperculomandibular canal pores; preanus length 67.4%–74.3% of standard length; snout length 21.4%–28.7% of lateral head length.
Key Words: cave loach, scaled cheeks, taxonomy, Xijiang River
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| Paranemachilus luegvetensis sp. nov. holotype [NNNU230611], 41.2 mm standard length The dorsal (A), lateral (B), and ventral (C) views. D. photo in live. Scale bar: 1 cm |
Paranemachilus luegvetensis Mo, Yang, Li & Du, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Comparative data between Paranemachilus luegvetensis sp. nov. and all five known species within the genus Paranemachilus are provided in Table 3. Paranemachilus luegvetensis sp. nov. differs from all other congeneric species of Paranemachilus by cheeks scaled (vs. scaleless in P. chongzuo, P. pingguoensis, and P. zhengbaoshani), 11–12 branched pectoral fin rays (vs. 10 in P. chongzuo), 4–5 preoperculomandibular canal pores (vs. zero in P. chongzuo, 11–12 in P. pingguoensis and P. zhengbaoshani, 10 in P. genilepis, and 10–11 in P. jinxiensis), body depth 13.5%–16.8% of standard length (vs. greater than 18% in P. jinxiensis and P. pingguoensis), and preanus length 68.3%–73.9% of standard length (vs. greater than 75.3% in P. chongzuo, P. genilepis, P. jinxiensis, P. pingguoensis, and P. zhengbaoshani).
Etymology: The name luegvetensis originates from the Zhuang language of the Luoyue Ancient Kingdom, pronounced LOKWET. This kingdom, believed to be located in what is now the Wuming District of Nanning City, Guangxi, China, where the type specimens were collected, is considered the cradle of this ancient civilization. The Luoyue Ancient Kingdom was known for its rich cultural contributions, including rice cultivation, cotton textiles, cliff paintings, witchcraft, Longmu rituals, and jade carving. These cultural elements profoundly influenced not only Chinese and Southeast Asian civilizations but also had significant global impacts. We propose the common Chinese name “骆越异条鳅” (Luo Yue Yi Tiao Qiu).
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| Paranemachilus liui sp. nov. NNNU230710006, holotype, 51.39 mm standard length A–C. dorsal, lateral, and ventral views. D photo in live taken on 11 June 2023. Scale bar: 1 cm. |
Paranemachilus liui Mo, Yang, Li & Du, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Comparative data among Paranemachilus liui sp. nov. and all five known species within the genus Paranemachilus are provided in Table 3. Paranemachilus liui sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other congeneric species of the genus Paranemachilus by cheeks scaled (vs. scaleless in P. chongzuo, P. pingguoensis, and P. zhengbaoshani), 11–13 branched pectoral fin rays (vs. 10 in P. chongzuo), 7–9 preoperculomandibular canal pores (vs. zero in P. chongzuo, 11–12 in P. pingguoensis and P. zhengbaoshani), preanus length 67.4%–74.3% of standard length (vs. greater than 75.3% in P. chongzuo, P. genilepis, P. jinxiensis, P. pingguoensis, and P. zhengbaoshani), snout length 21.4%–28.7% of lateral head length (vs. greater than 30.0% in P. chongzuo, P. genilepis, P. jinxiensis, P. pingguoensis, and P. zhengbaoshani), and 11–15 supraorbital canal pores at base of anterior nostrils (vs. 3 in P. chongzuo, 9 in P. jinxiensis, and 9–10 in P. zhengbaoshani and P. pingguoensis).
Etymology: The new species is named in honor of Zongyuan Liu, a distinguished official, literary author, and thinker. During his tenure in Liuzhou, Liu significantly promoted the economic and cultural landscape of the region, thereby elevating the quality of life for its residents and earning him deep admiration and respect from the local community. We propose the common Chinese name “柳氏异条鳅” (Liu Shi Yi Tiao Qiu).
Hao-Lin Mo, Jian Yang, Peng Li and Li-Na Du. 2024. Description of Two New Species of the Genus Paranemachilus (Cypriniformes, Nemacheilidae) from Guangxi, China. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 100(4): 1375-1385. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.129520
