Description of a new species from eastern Guangxi within the Oreonectes polystigmus complex (Cypriniformes, Nemacheilidae) by integrating morphological and genetic evidence

By

Liao, Mei
Yu, Jing
Luo, Tao
Lan, Chang-Ting
Zhou, Jia-Jun
XIAO, Ning
Zhou, Jiang

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-9-9

Original Publication

Zoosystematics and evolution

Volume

101

Series / Issue

Issue: 4

Pages

1763--1774

Subjects

cryptic species , Morphology , Phylogeny , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.101.160089

 

Abstract

We describe Oreonectes guidongensissp. nov., a new species collected from Hezhou City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Morphologically, it is distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: six branched pelvic-fin rays; seven branched dorsal-fin rays; tip of pelvic fin not reaching the anus; a well-developed posterior chamber of the air bladder; 14–16 branched caudal-fin rays; 10 inner gill rakers on the first gill arch; and a distance between the posterior base of the pectoral fin and the anterior base of the pelvic fin of 18.8–27.9% of standard length. Phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene supports the distinctiveness of this species, revealing genetic distances of 5.4–8.5% from its congeners. The discovery of Oreonectes guidongensis sp. nov. underscores the need to re-evaluate O. polystigmus as a potential species complex to better understand the genus’s biodiversity.