Homatula guanheensis sp. nov. (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae), a new species of loach from Henan Province, China

Abstract

Homatula are peculiar taxa in China, distributed in the Yellow River, Yangtze River, Pearl River, Lancang River drainage and Red River. At present, 17 valid species have been already reported in China.Homatula guanheensis sp. nov., a new species, is described from the Guanhe River of the HanJiang River drainage (a tributary of the Yangtze River), Xixia County, Henan province, China. The species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of molecular divergence in the Cytochrome oxidase I (CO I) and Cytochrome b (Cyt b) genes and morphological characters, including a shallower body with a uniform depth, differences in the widths of vertical brown bars on the body, body scale distribution, length of the dorsal adipose crest of the caudal peduncle, and the form of the intestine.

Keywords

• <i>Homatula</i>
• morphology
• Hanjiang River draina