Microphysogobio nudiventris, a new species of gudgeon (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from the middle Chang-Jiang (Yangtze River) basin, Hubei Province, South China

Abstract

Microphysogobio nudiventris, new species, is described from the Du-He, a tributary flowing into the Han-Jiang of the middle Chang-Jiang (Yangtze River) basin, in Zhushan County, Hubei Province, South China. It belongs in the incompletely scaled group of this genus, but differs from all other species of this group except M. yaluensis, M. rapidus, and M. wulonghensis in the presence of a scaleless midventral region of the body extending more than two-thirds of the distance from the pectoral-fin insertion to the pelvic-fin insertion. This new species differs from M. yaluensis in the slightly concave or straight distal edge of the dorsal fin, interorbital width, and snout length; from M. rapidus in the number of perforated scales on the lateral line and number of pectoral-fin rays, and the placement of the anus; and from M. wulonghensis in having the two lateral lobes of the lower lip posteromedially disconnected, the shape of the median mental pad of the lower lip, and the number of circumpeduncular scales.

A new species ofMicrophysogobio(Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from Fujian Province, China, and a molecular phylogenetic analysis ofMicrophysogobiospecies from southeastern China and Taiwan

“…Among cyprinids, the subfamily Gobioninae consists of about 29 genera and 200 species of benthic fishes widely distributed in Eurasian freshwater bodies (Nelson 2006, Jiang et al 2012. Among these, the genus of small gudgeons Microphysogobio Mori, 1934, was described based on M. hsinglungshanensis Mori, 1934(Jiang et al 2012.…”

“…Among cyprinids, the subfamily Gobioninae consists of about 29 genera and 200 species of benthic fishes widely distributed in Eurasian freshwater bodies (Nelson 2006, Jiang et al 2012. Among these, the genus of small gudgeons Microphysogobio Mori, 1934, was described based on M. hsinglungshanensis Mori, 1934(Jiang et al 2012. Species of Microphysogobio are widely distributed in eastern Asia, including Korea, China, Mongolia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Laos, and usually occur in upper and middle reaches of rivers (Wu 1977, Xie 1986, Cheng & Zheng 1987, Pan 1991, Kottelat 2001aZhao & Zhang 2001, Kottelat 2006, Jiang et al 2012.…”

“…Among these, the genus of small gudgeons Microphysogobio Mori, 1934, was described based on M. hsinglungshanensis Mori, 1934(Jiang et al 2012. Species of Microphysogobio are widely distributed in eastern Asia, including Korea, China, Mongolia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Laos, and usually occur in upper and middle reaches of rivers (Wu 1977, Xie 1986, Cheng & Zheng 1987, Pan 1991, Kottelat 2001aZhao & Zhang 2001, Kottelat 2006, Jiang et al 2012. A total of 27 species of Microphysogobio are considered valid, 17 of which are found in China.…”

“…Six of these are considered restricted to northern China and the remaining 11 to southern China (Wu 1977, Chen 1998, Jiang et al 2012. In this region, the Yangtze River is the longest river in China and its basin encompasses the type localities of four species of Microphysogobio, including M. kiatingensis (Wu, 1930), M. nudiventris Jiang, Gao & Zhang, 2012, M. microstomus Yue, 1995, and M. tungtingensis (Nichols, 1926a. To the south of the Yangtze River, the Pearl River is the third longest river in China, flowing through Guangxi and Guangdong Provinces (Fig.…”

“…An additional nominal species, M. labeoides (Nichols & Pope, 1927) was regarded as a junior synonym of M. kachekensis (Kottelat 2001b) and M. suifuensis (Wu, 1930) was regarded as a junior synonym of M. kiatingensis (Wu, 1977). However, rigorous comprehensive studies of the genus have been lacking and the taxonomy of the group is still poorly understood (Jiang et al 2012).…”