Barbatula pechiliensis ( Fowler, 1899 )

Chen, Hao, Zhang, Hui, Chen, Yongxia & Freyhof, Jörg, 2019, A review of the Barbatula loaches (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae) from north-eastern China, with the description of four new species, Zootaxa 4565 (1), pp. 1-36 : 15-19

Barbatula pechiliensis ( Fowler, 1899)

( Fig. 16–18 )

Nemchilus pechiliens Fowler, 1899 ( China: Inner Mongolia: Tan lan Ho River about 30 miles northeast of Lama-miau or Dolon-nor) Barbatula toni fowleri: Nichols, 1925:3 ( China: Chihli: Eastern Tombs).

Material examined. HU 1804062–64, 1805100–107, 11, 55.6–106.9 mm SL; FSJF 4045, 4, 71.6–98.4 mm SL; China: Inner Mongolia: Tuligen River 45 km north-east of Dolon-nor, upper Luan River drainage, 42°41′N 116°93′E (4); Yongxia Chen , May 2018.—HU 1600024–30, 1608881, 1608993, 1608897, 1608899, 1608900, 12, 59.5–94.4 mm SL ; China: Hebei prov.: Xiaoluan River 18 km north-west of Guojiatunzhen, upper Luan River drainage, 41°69′N 117°01′E (2); Yongxia Chen , Sept. 2015.—HU 1608292, 1608311, 2, 62.3–67.5 mm SL ; China: Hebei prov.: Shandian River 4 km north of Shandian River Reservoir, upper Luan River drainage, 41°68′N 115°79′E (3); Sept. 2015.—HU 1608309, 1608314, 2, 71.3–76.2 mm SL ; China: Hebei prov.: Tang River at Beiwanzi of Fengning Manchu Autonomous County, upper Hai River drainage, 41°03′N 116°47′E (1); Sept. 2015.—HU 1609185–87, 1608914, 4, 70.0– 90.5 mm SL ; China: Inner Mongolia: Yin River 5 km north-east of Chutoulangzhen, upper Liao River drainage, 42°34′N 118°72′E (6); Aug. 2017.—HU 1608038, 1608040, 1608042, 1608044, 4, 47.6–53.2 mm SL ; China: Liaoning prov.: Nu’er River, south of Xintaimenzhen, upper Xiaoling River drainage, 40°84′N 120°36′E (9); Aug. 2016.— IHB 2006082037–49 , 2006082051–55 , 18 , 50.1 – 88.3 mm SL ; China: Liaoning prov.: Daling River at Yixian (10) .

Material used in the molecular genetic analysis. HU1608314; China: Hebei prov.: Tang River (1). (GenBank accession number: KY451917 ).—HU1600026; China: Hebei prov.: Xiaoluan River, upper Luan River drainage, 41°69′N 117°01′E (2). (GenBank accession number: KY451914 ).—HU1608311; China: Hebei prov.: Shandian River, upper Luan River drainage, 41°68′N 115°79′E (3). (GenBank accession number: KY451919 ).— HU1608040; China: Liaoning prov.: Nu’er River, upper Xiaoling River drainage, 40°84′N 120°36′E (9). (GenBank accession number: MF770517 ).—HU1804062; China: Inner Mongolia: Tuligen River, upper Luan River drainage, 42°41′N 116°93′E (4) (GenBank accession number: MH316129 ).

Diagnosis. Barbatula pechiliensis is distinguished from the other species of Barbatula in north-eastern China by a combination of characters, none of them unique: a shallow median incision in the upper lip, its depth is 10- 40% of the width of the upper-lip (vs. deep, 40-60% in B. nuda and B. gibba ), a blade-shaped lateral expansion of the mental lobe (vs. without expansion in B. nuda , B. toni B. gibba and B. kirinensis ), the upper jaw completely covered by the upper lip (vs. partly covered in B. nuda ), a short lateral expansion of the lower lip, its length 60– 90% of the width of the upper lip (vs. without expansion in B. nuda ), having the nostrils widely spaced (vs. closely set in B. nuda ), snout shorter than the postorbital head length (vs. equal to in B. nuda and B. toni ), a convex dorsal profile (caudal-peduncle depth 43–58% of body depth vs. slightly convex, caudal-peduncle depth 62–84% of body depth in B. nuda and B. kirinensis ), 7½ branched dorsal-fin rays (vs. 6½ in B. potaninorum ) and scales restricted to the caudal peduncle (vs. sparsely set scales in front of the dorsal-fin origin in B. toni and B. kirinensis , scales restricted to the back and flank behind the dorsal-fin base in B. nuda and B. gibba ).

See Table 3 for the character states shown by the different species of Barbatula found in north-eastern China.

Description. See Figures 16–17 for general appearance and Table 2 for morphometric data. Body elongate, roundish; caudal peduncle compressed. Dorsal profile convex; caudal-peduncle depth 43–58% of body depth at dorsal-fin origin. Ventral profile between anal-fin base and caudal-fin origin concave. Head wider than deep, head depth 76–92% of its width at posterior margin of operculum. Mouth inferior and arched ( Fig. 18a ). Snout rounded, short and blunt; head width at trailing edge of operculum 1.3–1.4 times in its width at anterior nostril. Snout shorter than postorbital head length. Eye small, set close to dorsal profile. Anterior and posterior nostril widely spaced ( Fig. 18b ), gap between nostrils equal or larger than width of posterior nostril. Caudal-fin truncate. Caudalpeduncle length 72–100% HL, caudal-peduncle width 39–66% its depth. Distance between anus and anal-fin origin shorter than or equal to eye diameter. Dorsal-fin origin situated at middle between posterior nostril and caudal-fin base. Pelvic-fin origin situated below or in front of the vertical through dorsal-fin origin. Anal-fin origin anterior to midpoint between pelvic-fin origin and caudal-fin base.

Lateral line complete, reaching to caudal-fin base. Scales restricted to caudal peduncle, densely set. Scales on caudal peduncle small, oval, with a large focal zone and 25–27 radial grooves ( Fig. 18c ). Anterior nostril with long tube, posterior tube short or absent. Width of anterior nostril equal to width of posterior nostril ( Fig. 18b ). Upper jaw completely covered by upper lip. Upper lip with shallow median incision, its depth 10–40% of width of upper lip. Lower lip widely separate in middle. Mental lobe with blade-shaped lateral expansion. Interspace between mental lobes narrow, exposing small part of lower jaw. In few individuals lower jaw with elongated, club-shaped protrusion, formed by produced antero-ventral angles of symphyseal tip of dentary. Lower lip with short lateral expansion, its length 60–90% of width of upper lip ( Fig. 18a ). Maxillary barbel usually reaching to posterior eyemargin, inner rostral barbel usually reaching to anterior margin of posterior nostril, outer rostral barbel usually reaching to anterior half or middle of snout. In few individuals, barbels slightly shorter.

Dorsal fin with 4 unbranched and 7½ branched rays. Anal fin with 2 unbranched and 5½ branched rays. Caudal-fin with 7–8+8 branched rays. Pectoral fin with 1 unbranched and 11–12 branched rays. Pelvic fin with 1 unbranched and 6–7 branched rays. Infraorbital canal confluent with occipital canal, separated from supraorbital canal. Infraorbital canal with 12–13, supraorbital canal with 7–8, occipital canal with 3, and mandibular canal and preopercular canal with 10–12 pores. Intestine Z-shaped, anterior margin of zigzag loop not touching U-shaped stomach.

Colouration in preservative. Background colour pale yellow with dark-brown pattern. Back with 9–12 large, dark-brown bars. Interspaces between bars equal to or wider than width of them. Flank with large cloud-like mottling. Caudal fin hyaline with 3–5 dark-brown bands formed by spots. Dorsal fin hyaline with 3–5 dark-brown bands formed by spots. Pectoral and pelvic fins hyaline without pigmentation or with few dark-brown spots.

Sexual dimorphism. Males have a longer pectoral-fin than females (pectoral-fin length 16–19% SL vs. 13– 15% in female) and the 2nd–7rd branched pectoral-fin rays are thickened in males (vs. not in female).

Distribution. Known from the Luan and Hai Rivers, the Yin River, which is a tributary of the West Liao River, the Dali-Nur Lake in Inner Mongolia and the Nu’er River, which is a tributary of the Xiaoling River. See Figure 2 for details.

Remarks. Barbatula pechiliensis was described by Fowler (1899) from the Tan Lan Ho River 50 km northeast of Dolon-nor in the Chinese Pechili province. The 19 th century Pechili province is situated in today’s Inner Mongolia. The Tan Lan Ho River of the 19 th century is modern day Tuligen River in the upper Luan River drainage. We found only one species of Barbatula in the Tuligen River north-east of Dolon-nor. The type of B. pechiliensis , the only individual examined by Fowler (1899), was noted to be lost ( Cao et al. 2012). The description by Fowler (1899) is uninformative except the position of the dorsal-fin origin, which is situated slightly behind the vertical through the pelvic-fin origin in B. pechiliensis , as in our material examined. Therefore, we are convinced that loaches collected at the type locality of B. pechiliensis indeed represent this species. Kottelat (2012) treated B. pechiliensis as a synonym of B. nuda and Cao et al. (2012) considered it to be a synonym of B. toni . Our morphological and molecular data demonstrate that B. pechiliensis is well distinguished from B. nuda and B. toni and we treat it as a valid species.

Prokofiev (2015) lists B. pechiliensis as a synonym of B. potaninorum . Unfortunately, we have no access to material of B. potaninorum . Barbatula pechiliensis is distinguished from B. potaninorum by the pelvic-fin origin being situated below the vertical through the dorsal-fin origin (vs. in front), having 7½ branched dorsal-fin rays (vs. 6½), the mental lobe with a blade-shaped lateral expansion (vs. without) and the scales restricted to the caudal peduncle (vs. scales present on complete back and flank).

Barbatula toni fowleri was described by Nichols (1925) from Eastern Tombs in Zunhua City in the Chinese Chihli (today’s Hebei) province (see Fig. 2 ). As is the type locality of B. pechiliensis , the type locality of B. toni fowleri is situated in the Luan River drainage. Unfortunately, we were unable to find Barbatula loaches at the type locality of B. toni fowleri . We found Barbatula in the Shandian and Xiaoluan Rivers in the upper Luan River drainage which are identified as B. pechiliensis . We found only one species of Barbatula in the Luan River drainage, but cannot rule out the possibility that a second species might occur there. Nichols (1925) stated that B. toni fowleri has closely-set nostrils and the scales were only evident on the caudal peduncle, character states in agreement with B. pechiliensis . We examined photos of the type of B. toni fowleri (AMNH 8409, Fig 16 ) and it has a blunt and short snout, widely spaced nostrils, a shallow median incision in the upper lip, a short lateral expansion at lower lip and the pelvic-fin origin situated below the vertical through the dorsal-fin origin. The type of B. toni fowleri has few scales on the back anterior to the dorsal-fin origin but no scales on the flank anterior to the dorsalfin origin. It is also different from B. pechiliensis by having the scales densely set on the caudal peduncle only, while in B. pechilienis , the scales are densely set below the dorsal-fin base. We cannot exclude that there might be some variation between different populations of B. pechilensis in the scale patterns and more field work is needed to resolve this question. Until it can be demonstrated that B. fowleri is distinguished from B. pechiliensis , we treat it as a synonym of B. pechiliensis .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Map showing the collection sites. Details for each number are listed in material examined.

FIGURE 16. Barbatula pechiliensis, from the top: HU1608897, 69.8 mm SL; HU 1805102, 90.77 mm SL; HU1600026, 63.6 mm SL; China: Hebei prov.: Luan River drainage; IHB200608002042, 69.4mm SL; China: Liaoning prov.: Daling River drainage.

FIGURE 17. Barbatula pechiliensis, from the top: HU 1805102, 90.8 mm SL; China: Hebei prov.: Luan River drainage; HU 1804062, 76.8 mm SL; China: Inner Mongolia: Luan River drainage; HU 1608042, 47.9 mm SL; China: Liaoning prov.: Xiaoling River drainage; IHB 200608002042, 69.4mm SL; China: Liaoning prov.: Daling River drainage.

FIGURE 18. Barbatula pechiliensis, a–b: HU1805102, 90.77 mm SL; c: HU1600024, 79.4 mm SL; China: Hebei prov.: Luan River drainage. Scale bars: a–b = 1 mm, c = 0.1 mm. Designations: m.i, median incision; m.le,; m.i, mental lobe lateral expansion; l.le, lower lip lateral expansion.