Abstract:
Tachysurus wuyueensis, new species, is described
from the Qiantang-Jiang Basin, situated in Suichang
County, Zhejiang Province and Xiuning County, Anhui
Province, southeast China. The coastal basin drains
into the East China Sea. The new species belongs to
the T. pratti-T. truncatus group
within the genus Tachysurus defined by having
a smooth anterior margin of the pectoral-fin spine,
short maxillary barbels not extending beyond the base
of the pectoral-fin spine, short dorsal spine not
exceeding two thirds of head length and an emarginated
caudal fin. This new species is distinct from all
other species of this group, Tachysurus
pratti (Gunther, 1892),
T.
truncatus (Regan 1913),
T. gracilis (Li, Chen & Chan, 2005) and
T. brachyrhabdion (Cheng, Ishihara &
Zhang, 2008), in having a shorter prepelvic body (length
40.0–46.4% of SL vs. 45.8–54.8%). It further
differs from T. pratti, T. truncatus
and T.
gracilis in having
more vertebrae (45–47 vs. 37–44) and more
anal fin rays (21–25 vs. 14–20), from
T. brachyrhabdion in having a more slender
body (depth 10.1–13.5% of HL vs. 13.1–17.6%).
Molecular phylogeny, based on the mitochondrial cytochrome
b (cyt. b) gene confirms the validity of T. wuyueensis
and the T. pratti-T. truncatus group.
Furthermore, this study addresses the diagnostic traits
distinguishing the T. pratti-T. truncatus
group from the T. tenuis-T. crassilabris
group which have historically been treated as a single
species group due to morphological similarities (Zhou
J-J et al 2024). Habitat: Currently
only known from the Qiantang-Jiang in Suichang County,
Zhejiang Province and Xiuning County, Anhui Province,
south China. T. wuyueensis is found in montane
streams of this river basin, co-existing with Acrossocheilus
fasciatus, Pseudogastromyzon fasciatus,Rhinogobius niger and Tachysurus
albomarginatus(Zhou
J-J et al 2024). Etymology: The
genus name of Tachysurus: tachys, swift;
oura, tail, referring to the presumed agility of T.
sinensis based on its “long and nimble”
tail (translation). The specific name of wuyueensis:
based on the two rival
states Wu and Yue which were bordered by the Qiantang-Jiang
in southeast China more than 2000 years ago. The onomatopoeic
Chinese sound of this species is “Wu Yue Ni
Chang”.
Common
Name:
None
Synonyms:
None
Family:
Bagridae
Distribution:
Asia:
Qiantang-Jiang in Suichang County, Zhejiang Province
and Xiuning County, Anhui Province, south China.
Size:
7.0cm (2¾ins)
Temp:
21-24°C (69-75°F)
p.H.
6.0-7.0.
Reference:
Fish
in the News2024.
Zhou J-J, Yuan L-Y, Shao W-H (2024) Tachysurus
wuyueensis (Teleostei, Bagridae), a new species of
catfish from the Qiantang-Jiang basin, southeast China.
Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(2): 583-595.
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