Homatula disparizona, a new species of loach from the Red River drainage in China (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae)



Authors

Rui Min*, Jun-Xing Yang* and Xiao-Yong Chen*



Homatula disparizona, new species, is described from Panlong River, Red River drainage, China. It is the first species of Homatula recorded from the Red River drainage. It is distinguished by its scaleless body; a very variable colour pattern, anteriorly with bars joined dorsally and posteriorly stripes that may enclose a series of pale ovoid blotches along the midlateral line; caudal fin emarginate; 7 1/2-8 1/2 branched dorsal-fin rays; axillary pelvic lobe absent or rudimentary; both lips thin, nearly smooth; no median notch on lower jaw.
* 32 Jiaochangdong Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650223, China. E-mail: yangjx@mail.kiz.ac.cn; chenxy@mail.kiz.ac.cn



Fig. 3. Typical habitat of Homatula disparizona in Xichou County, Wenshan City, Yunnan, China

Introduction

The loach genus Homatula Nichols, 1925 presently includes twelve valid species (Gu & Zhang, 2011). They are widely distributed in the Nu Jiang (Salween), Lancang Jiang (Mekong), Nanpan Jiang (Pearl River), Jinsha River (Yangtze River), and Wei He (Yellow River) drainages. We describe here the first species of Homatula from the Red River drainage.

Material and methods

The specimens were fixed into 95 % ethanol or 10 % formalin. All measurements and counts followed Kottelat (1990). Measurements were made point-to-point with digital callipers to the nearest 0.1 mm. X-ray films were used to count vertebrae and simple fin rays. Collection abbreviations: KIZ, Kunming Institute of Zoology,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming.


Homatula disparizona, new species(Figs. 1-2)Holotype. KIZ 2012000623, 76.0 mm SL; China:
Yunnan Province: Xichou County, Wenshan City: Panlong River (Red River drainage); Xiao-Fu Pan & Lie Li, 26 Oct 2011.
Paratypes. KIZ 2012000622, 0624-0634, 12, 44.3-78.1 mm SL; same data as holotype. – KIZ 2012001859-1865, 7, 58.4-72.8 mm SL; same locality as holotype, 21°21'03.6" N 104°36'47.1" E; Xiao-Fu Pan & Lan-Ping Zheng, 23 Oct 2012.Diagnosis. Homatula disparizona is distinguished from all congeners by the following combination

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