Oreonectes qinae (Teleostei, Cypriniformes, Nemacheilidae), a new loach species from Guangxi, China

By

Chen, Zhuo-Ni
Mo, Cai-Huan
Du, Li-Na
Zhang, Li Na, 1971-

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-10-15

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1255

Pages

365--377

Subjects

cavefish , cryptic species , CYTB , karst , Liujiang River , Mitochondrial gene , Oreonectes , subterranean , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1255.158447

 

Abstract

A new species of loach, Oreonectes qinaesp. 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 qinaesp. 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.