A new species of the genus Balitora (Teleostei: Balitoridae) from Guangxi, China

• Published in: Environmental biology of fishes 2012-02, Vol.93 (3), p.369-375
• Main Authors: Liu, Shu-Wei, Zhu, Yu, Wei, Ri-feng, Chen, Xiao-Yong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Anatomy & physiology; Animal and plant ecology; Animal populations; Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Autoecology; Balitoridae; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Environment; Fish; Freshwater; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Habitats; Life Sciences; Nature Conservation; Rivers; Teleostei; Vertebrata; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Zoology
• ISSN: 0378-1909; 1573-5133
• DOI: 10.1007/s10641-011-9924-x

A new species of the hillstream loach genus Balitora Gray, Balitora ludongensis , from Qilong River which drains to Zuojiang River (a headwater of the Pearl River) drainage, Jingxi County, Guangxi, China. It can be distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: pectoral fin with vi–vii, 11–12 rays; pelvic fin with ii, 6–7 rays; pre-oral groove relatively shallow, upper lip without or with 3–5 fold-like papillae in a row on its middle surface and gradually smooth to the corner of mouth; two maxillary barbels at each corner of mouth, the outer one slightly longer than the inner one, 149.0–190.9% of eye diameter; eyes small, eye diameter 14.2–18.1% of head length; Dorsal-fin origin slightly anterior to pelvic-fin origin; Caudal-peduncle depth 39.1–55.0% of its length; upper lobe of caudal fin longer than the lower one; lateral-line scales 69–74; with 6–9 black blotches on the dorsal side of body.