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| Oreonectes qinae Chen, Mo, Du & Zhang, 2025 |
Abstract
A new species of loach, Oreonectes qinae sp. nov., was collected in December 2024 from Guangxi Gutingshan Forest Park, Liuzhou City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. The new species can be distinguished from all other congeners by a suite of morphological characters, including a dorsal-fin origin posterior to the pelvic-fin origin, a degenerated posterior chamber of the swim bladder, and an incomplete lateral line, with 11–13 lateral-line pores. Phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) gene sequences confirmed its separation, with uncorrected p-distances ranging from 1.4% to 8.7% compared to closely related species. The discovery of Oreonectes qinae sp. nov. reflects the hidden diversity within Oreonectes in the complex karst landscapes of Guangxi and emphasizes the need for further investigation and conservation of these cryptic freshwater species.
Key words: Cavefish, cryptic species, Cytb, karst, Liujiang River, mitochondrial gene, Oreonectes, subterranean, taxonomy
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| Oreonectes qinae sp. nov. A–C. Lateral, dorsal, and ventral views of holotype KIZ20240559 (♀); D. Live photo of female, photo by Zhou Jia-Jun; E–G. Lateral, dorsal, and ventral views of paratype KIZ20240564 (♂); H. Ventral view of head of holotype KIZ20240559 (♀) I. gill rakers. |
Oreonectes qinae Chen, Mo, Zhang & Du, sp. nov.
Diagnosis. This new species can be distinguished from all known species of Oreonectes by a combination of the following characteristics: color pattern present; swim bladder degenerated; black longitudinal stripe from posterior upper pectoral fin to caudal-fin base; dorsal-fin origin posterior to pelvic-fin origin; tip of pelvic fin not reaching anus; caudal fin with irregular black markings; caudal fin rounded; maxillary barbel not reaching posterior margin of opercula; without dark brown V-shaped marking on dorsal surface of head; 16 branched caudal-fin rays; and 12 inner-gill rakers on first gill arch.
Etymology. The species name, qinae, is in recognition of the contributions of Zi-Shan QIN to the collection of the present specimens and dedicated efforts in fieldwork. We suggest the Chinese vernacular name “覃氏岭鳅”.
Zhuo-Ni Chen, Cai-Huan Mo, Li-Na Du and Li-Na Zhang. 2025. Oreonectes qinae (Teleostei, Cypriniformes, Nemacheilidae), A New Loach Species from Guangxi, China. ZooKeys. 1255: 365-377. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1255.158447
