Protocobitis longicostatus, a new species of the blind cave loach is described from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. The authors highlight this new species and other members of the genus Protocobitis face threats from habitat degradation, hydrological changes, and environmental pollution. Thus, the conservation of cavefish in China has become an urgent issue.
Paywall – https://bioone.org/…/A-New…/10.2108/zs230104.short
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A New Species of the Blind Cave Loach Genus Protocobitis (Cypriniformes: Cobitidae), Protocobitis longicostatus sp. nov., from Guangxi, China.
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Zhou, J.-J., Qin, Z.-X., Du, L.-N. & Wu, H.-Y. A New Species of the Blind Cave Loach Genus Protocobitis (Cypriniformes: Cobitidae), Protocobitis longicostatus sp. nov., from Guangxi, China. Zoological Science, 41 (2): (Published 29 February 2024).
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Protocobitis species are typical cave-dwelling fish, exhibiting distinctive morphological adaptations such as colorless body, lack of eyes, and reduced scales and ribs in response to their extreme cave habitats.
Distinct from the recorded species, ๐. ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ , ๐. ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐ , and ๐. ๐ก๐ฆ๐โ๐๐๐๐ , a new species, ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ก๐ข๐ sp. nov., is described from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ก๐ข๐ sp. nov. can easily be distinguished from all known congeners by the following characteristics: whole body covered by scales except head, 12 branched caudal fin rays, and long ribs.
These species face threats from habitat degradation, hydrological changes, and environmental pollution. Thus, the conservation of cavefish in China has become an urgent issue.
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The specific name ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ก๐ข๐ is derived from a combination of long and costate, representing the longer ribs found in the new species compared to other species within Protocobitis . We suggest โ้ฟ่ๅ่ฑ้ณ โ and โlong costate ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ โ as the Chinese and English common names, respectively.
๐ฃ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐
๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ก๐ข๐ sp. nov., living photograph (KIZ2023000005). Original Image from paper discussed, modified by Fish in the News (AI generated expanded background).
Copyright ยฉ 2024 the Author(s). Published in Zoological Science journal.
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