Four new hypogean species of the genus Triplophysa (Osteichthyes, Cypriniformes, Nemacheilidae) from Guizhou Province, Southwest China, based on molecular and morphological data

By

Luo, Tao
Mao, Ming-Le
Lan, Chang-Ting
Song, Ling-Xing
Zhao, Xingrui
Yu, Jing
Wang, Xing-Liang
XIAO, Ning
Zhou, Jia-Jun
Zhou, Jiang

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1185

Pages

43--81

Subjects

diversity , karst cave , Morphology , new species , taxonomy , Triplophysa

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1185.105499

 

Abstract

Recently described cave species of the genus Triplophysa have been discovered in southwestern China, suggesting that the diversity of the genus is severely underestimated and that there may be many undescribed species. In this work, four new species of the genus Triplophysa are described from southwestern Guizhou Province, China, namely Triplophysa cehengensis Luo, Mao, Zhao, Xiao & Zhou, sp. nov. and Triplophysa rongduensis Mao, Zhao, Yu, Xiao & Zhou, sp. nov. from Rongdu Town, Ceheng County, Guizhou, Triplophysa panzhouensis Yu, Luo, Lan, Xiao & Zhou, sp. nov. from Hongguo Town, Panzhou City, Guizhou, and Triplophysa anlongensis Song, Luo, Lan, Zhao, Xiao & Zhou, sp. nov. from Xinglong Town, Anlong County, Guizhou. These four new species can be distinguished from all recognized congeners by a combination of morphological characteristics and significant genetic divergences. The discovery of these species increases the number of known cave species within the genus Triplophysa to 39, making the genus the second most diverse group of cave fishes in China after the golden-line fish genus Sinocyclocheilus. Based on the non-monophyletic relationships of the different watershed systems in the phylogenetic tree, this study also discusses the use of cave species of the genus Triplophysa to determine the possible historical connectivity of river systems.