Pseudocuneopsis heqing sp. nov. (Bivalvia, Unionidae) from karst rivers of Guizhou, China: integrative species delimitation and mitogenomic phylogeny

By

Wang, Xianan
Nan, Fang
Liu, Xiyan
Wu, Rui-Wen

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-11-17

Original Publication

Zoosystematics and evolution

Volume

101

Series / Issue

Issue: 4

Pages

2181--2190

Subjects

Freshwater mussels , integrative taxonomy , mitochondrial genome , mitochondrial genome , mitochondrial genome , mitochondrial genome , mitochondrial genome , new species , Unioninae

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.101.172606

 

Abstract

<br> The endemic freshwater mussel genus<br> Pseudocuneopsis<br> (Unionidae: Unioninae) in China currently includes six species, mainly distributed in the Yangtze River and Pearl River basins. In this study, a new species of this genus was discovered in the karst rivers of Guizhou Province, a transitional zone between the Yangtze River and Pearl River basins:<br> Pseudocuneopsis heqing<br> sp. nov.<br> This new species can be distinguished from its congeners by its regularly elliptical shell shape and unique hinge teeth. The mitogenomic phylogenetic analyses strongly support the following species-level relationships: ((((<br> P. sichuanensis<br> +<br> P. yemaoi<br> ) + (<br> P. wuana<br> +<br> P. yangshuoensis<br> ) +<br> P. heqing<br> sp. nov.<br> ) +<br> P. perflora<br> ) +<br> P. capitata<br> ). The discovery of this new taxon contributes to the existing knowledge on freshwater mussels in China and implies that future comprehensive surveys of unexplored regions, particularly those with unique and scarce habitats, will unveil novel diversity.<br>