Liobagrus huaiheensis, Chen & Wu & Wen, 2021

Chen, Zhongguang, Wu, Jiayun & Wen, Anxiang, 2021, Liobagrus huaiheensis, a new species of torrent catfish (Teleostei: Siluriformes Amblycipitidae) from the Huaihe River basin in Central China, Zootaxa 4952 (2), pp. 391-400 : 392-395

Liobagrus huaiheensis sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 ; Table 1 )

Liobagrus styani : Department of biology, Xinxiang Normal University, 1984: 164–166 (Xinyang and Linru, Henan, China).

Holotype. SAULS 2012001, 122.1 mm SL; Shihe River (32°13’27”N, 114°24’10”E), Luoshan County, Xinyang City, Henan Province, China; collected by Z.G Chen in 2020.

Paratypes. SAULS 1904001–1904003 , 115.5 – 122.6 mm SL ; SAULS 2012002–2012006 , 89.8–116.5 mm SL; collected by Z.G Chen in 2019–2020, other information same as holotype ;

Non-type specimens. SAULS 1904005–1904010 , 85.3–109.8 mm SL, same locality as holotype, collected by Z.G Chen in 2019, other information same as holotype .

Diagnosis. A member of the group defined by the presence of a serrated posterior edge of the pectoral-fin spine. It can be distinguished from all other species of this group by having a combination of following characteristics: upper jaw longer than lower one (vs. shorter or equal in L. marginatus , L. nigricauda , L. kingi , L. chenghaiensis , L. andersoni and L. obesus ), more anal-fin rays (15–17 vs. 11–14 in L. marginatus , 9–12 in L. kingi , 10–12 in L. chenghaiensis and 13–14 in L. mediadiposalis ), fewer post-Weberian vertebrae (35–37 vs. more than 37 in L. andersoni , L. mediadiposalis , L. obesus , L. somjinensis and L. hyeongsanensis ), fewer serrations on posterior edge of pectoral-fin spine (2–3 vs. 4–6 in L. mediadiposalis and L. somjinensis ), caudal-fin rounded (vs. sub-truncate in L. marginatus , L. chenghaiensis , L. andersoni , L. mediadiposalis and L. somjinensis ), anus positioned closer to pelvicfin insertion than to anal-fin origin (vs. positioned closer to anal-fin origin than to pelvic-fin insertion in L. kingi , L. andersoni and L. obesus ), presence of a marked incision at confluence between adipose-fin and caudal-fin (vs. absence in L. nigricauda and L. hyeongsanensis ) ( Table 2 ).

Description. Morphometric and meristic data of holotype and paratypes are shown in Table 1 . Body elongate, anteriorly terete, and posteriorly evenly compressed to tail. Scales absent. Lateral line short with 4–7 pores. Head depressed and broad when viewed dorsally. Snout broadly rounded when dorsal view. Anterior nostril tubular, rim with fleshy flap forming short tube; posterior nostril porelike, rim posteriorly confluent with base of nasal barbel. Eye small, dorsolateral, and subcutaneous. Mouth sub-terminal; upper jaw slightly longer than lower. Lips thickened. Premaxillary and mandibular toothpads curved, with small and setiform teeth. Palatal teeth absent. Four pairs of barbels, maxillary barbels long, extending beyond pectoral-fin insertion, or to posteriormost margin of preoperculum; nasal barbels short, not extending to gill membrane margin; inner mandibular barbels approximately half of outer mandibular-barbel length, extending to gill membrane margin at isthmus but not to pectoral-fin insertion; outer mental barbels longest, reaching middle of pectoral-fin. Dorsal-fin with II, 6–7 rays, origin closer to snout tip than to adipose-fin origin; distal margin convex; tip of adpressed fins reaching pelvic-fin insertion. Dorsal-fin spine covered by thick skin, straight, with a smooth anterior and posterior margin, about as long as pectoral-fin spine. Adipose-fin low, with its base longer than anal-fin base, confluent with caudal-fin to form a marked incision at confluence. Pectoral fin with I, 6–7 rays, vertical through edge of operculum, partially covered by opercular membrane. Pectoral-fin spine long and sharp, with 2–3 prominent serrations on posterior edge. Pelvic fin with I, 5 rays; short, with adpressed tip not reaching anal-fin origin. Anal-fin with 15–17 rays; distal margin rounded; tip of adpressed fins reaching beyond posterior edge of adipose-fin. Anus positioned closer to pelvic-fin insertion than to anal-fin origin. Caudal-fin rounded, with 50–55 rays. Vertebral with 35–37 post-Weberian elements. Gill rakers 6–8.

Coloration. Body generally brownish yellow, with irregular yellowish blotches, fading to light yellow on ventrally. All barbels yellowish. Dorsal, adipose and caudal-fin brownish yellow; pectoral, pelvic and anal-fin yellowish. All fins with narrow, yellowish distal margins ( Fig. 3 ).

Distribution and ecology. Liobagrus huaiheensis is known from the Shihe River, a tributary of the Huaihe River, Luoshan County, Henan Province ( Fig. 4 ). Liobagrus huaiheensis is nocturnal and benthic, mainly prey on aquatic insects and crustacea. It inhabits the bottom of running waters with large pebbly substrates.

Etymology. The species is named after the Huaihe River, its type locality is a tributary of the Huaihe River. An adjective.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Lateral (upper), ventral (middle) and dorsal (lower) of Liobagrus huaiheensis, SAULS 2012001, holotype, 122.1 mm SL.China: Henan Province: Luoshan County: Shihe.

FIGURE 3. Lateral view of Liobagrus huaiheensis in life individual, SAULS 2012003, 122.6 mm SL, China: Henan Province: Luoshan County: Shihe River.

FIGURE 4. Distribution of Chinese species of Liobagrus with a serrated posterior edge of the pectoral-fin spine.