Oreonectes anophthalmus Zheng

Du, Li-Na, Chen, Xiao-Yong & Yang, Jun-Xing, 2008, A review of the Nemacheilinae genus Oreonectes Günther with descriptions of two new species (Teleostei: Balitoridae), Zootaxa 1729, pp. 23-36 : 27-28

Oreonectes anophthalmus Zheng

Fig. 2

Oreonectes anophthalmus Zheng, 1981 , Freshwater Fishes Guangxi: 162 (Taiji Cave, Wuming QiFengShan, Guangxi, China); Zheng, 1989, The Fishes of Pearl River: 47 (Taiji Cave, Wuming QiFengShan, Guangxi, China); Zhu, 1989, the Loaches of the Subfamily Nemacheilinae in China ( Cypriniformes : Cobitidae ), 25.

Material examined: 5 ex. KIZ 1994001–005, 4 measured, 25.3–36.9 mm SL, 30.5–42.8 mm TL.

Diagnosis: Dorsum of head flat; eyes absent; three pairs of undeveloped barbels; dorsal-fin origin posterior to pelvic-fin origin; whole body scaleless and colorless; cephalic lateral-line system absent; caudal fin truncate. O. anophthalmus can be distinguished from all congeners by the following characters: eyes absent, 4 branched pelvic-fin rays and 12 branched caudal-fin rays.

Distribution: Taiji Cave, Wuming QiFengshan, Guangxi, and Dongtang Cave, Libo County, Guizhou, China.

Remark: One specimen has a genital papilla located immediately posterior to the anus, and the males’ gonad opens at the end of a fleshy prominence.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Oreonectes anophthalmus (KIZ 199404004, 30.7 mm SL) lateral view.