Niwaella qujiangensis Chen & Chen, 2017

Chen, Yongxia, He, Dekui, Chen, Hao & Chen, Yifeng, 2017, Taxonomic study of the genus Niwaella (Cypriniformes: Cobitidae) from East China, with description of four new species, Zoological Systematics 42 (4), pp. 490-507 : 497-498

Niwaella qujiangensis Chen & Chen , sp. nov. ( Figs 12–17 )

Holotype. HU 1505258, 54.0 mm SL, the Jiangshangang River (a tributary of the Qujiang River), Jiangshan (29°70′N, 118°62′E), Zhejiang, China, May 2015, collected from the Jiangshan farm product market by Yongxia Chen.

Paratypes. HU 1505256–7, 1505270–1, 1505275–80, 1505300, 11 ex., 45.1–63.8 mm SL, same data as holotype; HU 1608214, 1608172, 1608294–5, 1608300, 1608302, 1608304, 1608309, 8 ex., 50.9–68.5 mm SL, the Lingshangang River (a tributary of the Qujiang River ), Quanwang (28°92′N, 119°14′E), Zhejiang, China, April 2016, collected from the Quanwang farm product market by Yongxia Chen .

Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by possessing the following combination of characteristics: color pattern consisting of vertical stripes continuous along dorsal blotches, a row of 15–19 vertical stripes below the lateral midline ( Figs. 12 , 16 ); an inconspicuous black stripe from the occiput to the caudal fin on the dorsum, with 17–23 long, large surface blotches ( Fig. 17 ); lower lip and mandible separated, with undeveloped mental lobes ( Fig. 13 ); suborbital spine straight, with shorter processus latero-caudalis, more than one in 10 of processus medio-caudalis ( Fig. 14 ); subdorsal scales round, with a large focal area, 26–28 radial grooves, and 4–8 supplementary ones ( Fig. 21 ). It is similar to N. longibarba in color pattern, but differs from the latter by suborbital spine thick and straight, with short processus laterocaudalis, more than one in 10 of processus medio-caudalis (vs. suborbital spine slender and curved, with long processus latero-caudalis, less than one third of processus medio-caudalis); caudal peduncle long, length of caudal peduncle 6.4–8.9 (mean 7.4) in SL (vs. caudal peduncle short, length of caudal peduncle 7.1–9.0 (mean 7.9) in SL); subdorsal scales with a large focal area, 26–28 radial grooves (vs. a small focal area, 23–26 radial grooves).

Description ( Figs 12–17 , Table 2). D. III–7; A. III–5; V. I–6; P. I–6; C. IV–14–16–IV. Body elongate, compressed. Head moderately long, length of head 5.6–6.7 (mean 6.2) in SL. Snout bluntly rounded. Preorbital part of head shorter than postorbital part of head. Mouth small, inferior, with three pairs of long barbels. Length of maxillo-mandibular barbels longer than diameter of eye. Maxillary barbels not reach under anterior border of eye. Lower lip and mandible separated, with undeveloped mental lobes ( Fig. 13 ). Suborbital spine thick and straight, with shorter processus latero-caudalis, more than one in 10 of processus medio-caudalis ( Fig. 14 ). Subdorsal scales round, with a large focal area, 26–28 radial grooves, and 4–8 supplementary ones ( Fig. 15 ).

Dorsal fin long, inserted the midway between the occiput and the base of the caudal fin. Length of the dorsal fin 6.3– 7.7 (mean 6.9) in SL. Pectoral fins shot, the second branched pectoral fin ray longest. Ventral fins approximately at the same level as the second dorsal-fin ray. Anal fin short, located in far behind dorsal extremity and not reach the caudal fin. Anal orifice close to the anal fin. Caudal fin emarginated tip.

Pigmentation pattern. Head sprinkled with many black spots, a black stripe extended from the insertion of the rostral barbels through the eye to the occiput. On the dorsum, an inconspicuous black stripe from the occiput through the dorsal fin to the caudal fin, with a surface pigment containing 17–23 long blotches. On the dorsolateral surface, moderately large vertical bars continuous along dorsal blotches, and a row of 15–19 vertical stripes below the lateral midline. One conspicuous small oblique square spot present on the upper half of the caudal fin base; the upper spot smaller than the diameter of the eye. Three or four rows of brownish dots present on the dorsal and caudal fins.

Sexual dimorphism. Not obvious in external morphology.

Distribution. This new species occurs in the Qujiang River (the upper reaches of the Qiantangjiang River) in Zhejiang Province in east China ( Fig. 1 ).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Qujiang River in Zhejiang Province in China.

Figures

Figure 1. Currently known localities of the eight Niwaella species in China.

Figures 12–15. Niwaella qujiangensis Chen & Chen, sp. nov., the Jiangshangang River, Jiangshan, Zhejiang, China. 12. Holotype, HU 1505258, lateral view. 13. Mouth characters, front view. 14. Suborbital spine, left dorsal view, right interior view. 15. Subdorsal scales, dorsal view. Scale bars: 12=1cm; 13–14=1mm; 15=100μm.

Figures 16–17. Niwaella qujiangensis Chen & Chen, sp. nov., color in life. 16. Lateral view. 17. Dorsal view. Scale bars=1cm.

Figures 18–21. Niwaella brevipinna Chen & Chen, sp. nov., the Dongshaoxi River, Lin'an, Zhejiang, China. 18. Holotype, HU 1608312, lateral view. 19. Mouth characters, front view. 20. Suborbital spine, left dorsal view, right interior view. 21. Subdorsal scales, dorsal view. Scale bars: 18=1cm; 19–20=1mm; 21=100μm.