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| Oreonectes andongensis X.-M. Luo, Yang, Du & F.-G. Luo, 2024. |
Abstract
A new loach species, Oreonectes andongensis sp. nov. is described from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. The new species can be differentiated from other members of the genus by combinations of characters: a developed posterior chamber of the swim bladder, 13–14 branched caudal-fin rays, 8–16 lateral-line pores, body width 12–15% of standard length (SL), interorbital width 42–47% of head length (HL), and caudal peduncle length 11–16% of SL. Bayesian inference phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial Cyt b provided strong support for validity of O. andongensis sp. nov. (uncorrected p-distance 6.0–7.5%).
Key words: New species, morphology, phylogeny, taxonomy, Xijiang River
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| Oreonectes andongensis sp. nov. A–C lateral, dorsal and ventral views of holotype GXNU20220601 (♀), D lateral view of paratype GXNU20220610 (♂), E, F gonadal structure of female (E) and male (F). |
Oreonectes andongensis Luo, Yang, Du & Luo, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: The new species is assigned to the genus Oreonectes based on Cyt b phylogenetic analysis and morphological characters. The new species can be distinguished from other members of Oreonectes by the following combination of characters: posterior chamber of swim bladder developed (vs reduced in O. platycephalus), color pattern present (vs colorless in O. luochengensis), tip of pelvic fin not reaching anus (vs exceeding anus in O. polystigmus and O. guilinensis), dorsal-fin origin slightly posterior to pelvic-fin origin (vs opposite in O. guananensis), six branched pelvic-fin rays (vs 7 or 8 in O. damingshanensis, O. guananensis, O. luochengensis). Oreonectes andongensis sp. nov. can be further differentiated from O. damingshanensis by more numerous, better developed inner gill rakers on the first gill arch (11–12 vs 9).
Etymology: The nomenclature of this species is derived from the Chinese pinyin of Andong, the name of the village where the specimens were obtained. We suggest the Chinese common name as “安东岭鳅”.
Xue-Ming Luo, Rui-Gang Yang, Li-Na Du and Fu-Guang Luo. 2024. A New loach Species of the Genus Oreonectes (Teleostei, Cypriniformes, Nemacheilidae) from Guangxi, China. ZooKeys. 1196: 285-301. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1196.109810
