Cophecheilus, Zhu, Yu, Zhang, E, Zhang, Ming & Han, Yao-Quan, 2011

Zhu, Yu, Zhang, E, Zhang, Ming & Han, Yao-Quan, 2011, Cophecheilus bamen, a new genus and species of labeonine fishes (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from South China, Zootaxa 2881, pp. 39-50 : 41-42

Cophecheilus , new genus

Type species: Cophecheilus bamen , new species

Diagnosis. Cophecheilus can be distinguished from all other genera of the Garraina ( sensu Stiassny and Getahun, 2007 ) by the presence of a shallow, arched, subdistal depression extending almost the entire length of the ventral margin of the rostral cap and partitioning this margin into a soft, slightly papillated anterior portion and a flexible, cornified, medially slightly furrowed but non-fimbriate posterior portion, and an upper lip reduced to a thin membranous fold which is medially adnate to the upper jaw but reflected slightly from its distal edge, and laterally produced into a frenum connecting the upper jaw with the lower lip ( Fig. 1 ). The genus is further separated by having a unique combination of the following characters: lower lip partitioned into one median lobe and two lateral lobes by long postlabial grooves extending anteromedially close to the anterolateral margin of the median lobe, with a gap between their anterior margins wider than one-third of the mouth gape; many lobate papillae scattered over anterior part of median lobe of lower lip; lower jaw separated from lower lip by a deep groove along its entire length, with a thick, flexible, cornified sheath on its anterior margin; rostral cap completely overlying upper jaw and laterally connected with lower lip around corners of mouth; mouth opening arched, width greater than three-fourths of corresponding head width; three rows of pharyngeal teeth; two pairs of well-developed barbels, antero-rostral position of rostral barbels; and eight branched dorsal-fin rays.

Table 2 Morphometric data for Cophecheilus bamen .

Paratypes (8)

Characters Holotype Range Mean SD

Standard length (mm) 105.7 65.3–84.5 78.8 11.49

Percentage of standard length

Body depth 26.7 25.7–31.0 27.4 1.45 Head length 22.3 22.6–24.8 23.4 0.76 Caudal-peduncle length 16.2 15.8–19.0 17.3 0.98 Caudal-peduncle depth 12.8 12.5–13.9 13.0 0.45 Dorsal length 24.7 21.4–23.5 22.8 1.01 Pectoral length 22.0 10.3–23.0 21.5 1.17 Ventral length 19.4 17.3–20.9 18.7 1.18 Anal length 17.3 16.0–19.1 17.7 0.99 Predorsal length 49.8 48.3-51.8 49.5 1.14 Prepectoral length 22.7 21.8–24.1 22.8 0.69 Preventral length 55.3 50.1–54.6 52.6 1.50 Preanal length 77.4 71.0–77.4 74.7 1.97

Percentage of head length

Head depth 67.2 63.2–70.0 65.9 2.14 Head width 67.6 62.1–68.3 64.8 2.13 Snout length 36.9 32.1–37.5 36.1 2.21 Eye diameter 20.4 20.2–25.0 22.5 1.59 Postorbial length 51.3 44.2–50.6 48.1 2.32

Etymology. The generic name is a Latinized combination of the Greek words k ō pheia (depression) and cheilos (lips), the latter a commonly used suffix for Labeonin genera, alluding to the presence of a shallow, arched, subdistal depression along the ventral margin of the rostral cap. Gender: masculine.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Diagrammatic illustrations of oromanibular structures of Cophecheilus bamen. Ventral view. The rostral cap is removed in the right side. drc = depression on ventral subdistal margin of rostral cap; fr = frenum connecting upper and lower lips; lj = lower jaw; lll = lateral lobe of lower lip; mb = maxillary barbel; mll = median lobe of lower lip; pg = postlabial groove; rb = rostral barbel; rc = rostral cap; uj = upper jaw; ul = upper lip.