Sinobdella longitubulus

Shan, Peng, Li, Guangyu & Zhang, E, 2024, Sinobdella longitubulus, a new species of spiny eel (Pisces, Mastacembelidae) from the Zhu-Jiang Basin, with a note on the type locality of S. sinensis (Bleeker, 1870), Biodiversity Data Journal 12, pp. e 123990-e 123990 : e123990-

Sinobdella longitubulus Shan & Zhang 2024 sp. nov.

Materials

Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: recordNumber: IHB 202303066738; individualCount: 1; occurrenceID: 0A39F7E5-D24D-5E38-B46B-DACB7D000E48; Taxon: scientificName: Sinobdella longitubulus ; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Chordata; class: Actinopterygii; order: Synbranchiformes ; family: Mastacembelidae ; genus: Sinobdella ; Location: waterBody: Zhu-Jiang Basin; country: China; stateProvince: Guangxi; county: Pingnan; municipality: Lilia Village; locality: Datong-Jiang, a tributary to Meng-Jiang of Xi-Jiang ; verbatimElevation: 135 m; verbatimCoordinates: 23 ° 57 ′ 36 ″ N 110 ° 18 ′ 55 ″ E; verbatimSRS: WGS 84; Identification: identifiedBy: Peng Shan; dateIdentified: 2023; Record Level: collectionCode: Fish; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordNumber: IHB 202303066739-40; individualCount: 2; occurrenceID: C43F36CB-B23A-5897-B277-8003717129C2; Taxon: scientificName: Sinobdella longitubulus ; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Chordata; class: Actinopterygii; order: Synbranchiformes ; family: Mastacembelidae ; genus: Sinobdella ; Location: waterBody: Zhu-Jiang Basin; country: China; stateProvince: Guangxi; county: Pingnan; municipality: Lilia Village; locality: Datong-Jiang, a tributary to Meng-Jiang of Xi-Jiang ; verbatimElevation: 135 m; verbatimCoordinates: 23 ° 57 ′ 36 ″ N 110 ° 18 ′ 55 ″ E; verbatimSRS: WGS 84; Identification: identifiedBy: Peng Shan; dateIdentified: 2023; Record Level: collectionCode: Fish; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordNumber: IHB 202104052032, 3705; individualCount: 2; occurrenceID: 150682DC-8100-50B1-B46E-987F6287A81B; Taxon: scientificName: Sinobdella longitubulus ; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Chordata; class: Actinopterygii; order: Synbranchiformes ; family: Mastacembelidae ; genus: Sinobdella ; Location: waterBody: Zhu-Jiang Basin; country: China; stateProvince: Guangxi; county: Mengshan; municipality: Donghu Village; locality: Changping-He discharging into Meng-Jiang of Xi-Jiang ; verbatimElevation: 258 m; verbatimCoordinates: 24 ° 17 ′ 16 ″ N 110 ° 32 ′ 35 ″ E; verbatimSRS: WGS 84; Identification: identifiedBy: Peng Shan; dateIdentified: 2021; Record Level: collectionCode: Fish; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordNumber: IHB 202310064917-28; individualCount: 12; occurrenceID: E93A45AA-DC35-5C67-8C42-761BE6CED7F7; Taxon: scientificName: Sinobdella longitubulus ; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Chordata; class: Actinopterygii; order: Synbranchiformes ; family: Mastacembelidae ; genus: Sinobdella ; Location: waterBody: Zhu-Jiang Basin; country: China; stateProvince: Guangxi; county: Shanglin; locality: Qingshui-He flowing into Hongshui-He of Xi-Jiang ; verbatimCoordinates: 23 ° 33 ′ 14 ″ N 108 ° 25 ′ 16 ″ E; verbatimSRS: WGS 84; Identification: identifiedBy: Peng Shan; dateIdentified: 2023; Record Level: collectionCode: Fish; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordNumber: IHB 202206063298-3302; individualCount: 5; occurrenceID: 7097B098-CFD4-5538-9057-F211F9458F3C; Taxon: scientificName: Sinobdella sinensis ; acceptedNameUsage: Sinobdella sinensis Bleeker, 1870 ; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Chordata; class: Actinopterygii; order: Synbranchiformes ; family: Mastacembelidae ; genus: Sinobdella ; Location: waterBody: lower Chang-Jiang basin; country: China; stateProvince: Anhui; county: Susong; locality: lower Chang-Jiang ; verbatimCoordinates: 30 ° 11 ′ 50 ″ N 116 ° 4 ′ 37 ″ E; verbatimSRS: WGS 84; Identification: identifiedBy: Peng Shan; dateIdentified: 2022; Record Level: collectionCode: Fish; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordNumber: IHB 202204062039-44; individualCount: 5; occurrenceID: 941804DF-F1BD-5DFA-9ECD-43FAA9E19780; Taxon: scientificName: Sinobdella sinensis ; acceptedNameUsage: Sinobdella sinensis Bleeker, 1870 ; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Chordata; class: Actinopterygii; order: Synbranchiformes ; family: Mastacembelidae ; genus: Sinobdella ; Location: waterBody: middle Chang-Jiang basin; country: China; stateProvince: Hubei; municipality: Xiangyang City; locality: Han-Jiang of middle Chang-Jiang ; verbatimCoordinates: 32 ° 12 ′ 57 ″ N 112 ° 21 ′ 42 ″ E; verbatimSRS: WGS 84; Identification: identifiedBy: Peng Shan; dateIdentified: 2022; Record Level: collectionCode: Fish; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordNumber: IHB 202203061530-34; individualCount: 4; occurrenceID: 15C38902-CB39-5795-B5DB-F4432C0A1DA4; Taxon: scientificName: Sinobdella sinensis ; acceptedNameUsage: Sinobdella sinensis Bleeker, 1870 ; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Chordata; class: Actinopterygii; order: Synbranchiformes ; family: Mastacembelidae ; genus: Sinobdella ; Location: waterBody: Luan-He; country: China; stateProvince: Hebei; county: Luanzhou; locality: Luan-He (an independent river flowing into Bohai Sea) ; verbatimCoordinates: 39 ° 42 ′ 29 ″ N 118 ° 46 ′ 10 ″ E; verbatimSRS: WGS 84; Identification: identifiedBy: Peng Shan; dateIdentified: 2022; Record Level: collectionCode: Fish; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordNumber: IHB 202203061535-38; individualCount: 4; occurrenceID: CE23B704-CB7E-52C9-BA50-1775B6376F6A; Taxon: scientificName: Sinobdella sinensis ; acceptedNameUsage: Sinobdella sinensis Bleeker, 1870 ; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Chordata; class: Actinopterygii; order: Synbranchiformes ; family: Mastacembelidae ; genus: Sinobdella ; Location: waterBody: Qiantang-Jiang basin; country: China; stateProvince: Zhejiang; county: Changshan; municipality: Quzhou City; locality: Changshangang ; verbatimCoordinates: 28 ° 56 ′ 15 ″ N 118 ° 28 ′ 15 ″ E; verbatimSRS: WGS 84; Identification: identifiedBy: Peng Shan; dateIdentified: 2022; Record Level: collectionCode: Fish; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordNumber: IHB 202209061967; individualCount: 1; occurrenceID: 4B8DDD23-630C-53C5-939B-CDF9456D2C2E; Taxon: scientificName: Sinobdella sinensis ; acceptedNameUsage: Sinobdella sinensis Bleeker, 1870 ; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Chordata; class: Actinopterygii; order: Synbranchiformes ; family: Mastacembelidae ; genus: Sinobdella ; Location: waterBody: Min-Jiang basin; country: China; stateProvince: Fujian; county: Sanming; locality: Min-Jiang ; verbatimCoordinates: 26 ° 14 ′ 52 ″ N 117 ° 32 ′ 43 ″ E; verbatimSRS: WGS 84; Identification: identifiedBy: Peng Shan; dateIdentified: 2022; Record Level: collectionCode: Fish; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordNumber: IHB 202010051336-37, IHB 202203064318; individualCount: 3; occurrenceID: B63617B7-0495-5B97-B739-A4E0669AAA1B; Taxon: scientificName: Sinobdella sinensis ; acceptedNameUsage: Sinobdella sinensis Bleeker, 1870 ; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Chordata; class: Actinopterygii; order: Synbranchiformes ; family: Mastacembelidae ; genus: Sinobdella ; Location: waterBody: Zhu-Jiang Basin; country: China; stateProvince: Guangxi; county: Yongfu; locality: Luoqing-Jiang of Xi-Jiang ; verbatimCoordinates: 25 ° 5 ′ 55 ″ N 109 ° 55 ′ 44 ″ E; verbatimSRS: WGS 84; Identification: identifiedBy: Peng Shan; dateIdentified: 2023; Record Level: collectionCode: Fish; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordNumber: IHB 202306064822; individualCount: 1; occurrenceID: AA2E9ED2-D736-5359-AD9E-35D17563AD6F; Taxon: scientificName: Sinobdella sinensis ; acceptedNameUsage: Sinobdella sinensis Bleeker, 1870 ; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Chordata; class: Actinopterygii; order: Synbranchiformes ; family: Mastacembelidae ; genus: Sinobdella ; Location: waterBody: Chang-Jiang basin; country: China; stateProvince: Guangxi; county: Quanzhou; locality: Xiang-Jiang of Chang-Jiang basin ; verbatimCoordinates: 25 ° 52 ′ 51 ″ N 110 ° 58 ′ 56 ″ E; verbatimSRS: WGS 84; Identification: identifiedBy: Peng Shan; dateIdentified: 2023; Record Level: collectionCode: Fish; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordNumber: IHB 202306064812, 4820; individualCount: 2; occurrenceID: 2AD5A3E4-41B3-53FE-BD6E-8ACFCCDEA307; Taxon: scientificName: Sinobdella sinensis ; acceptedNameUsage: Sinobdella sinensis Bleeker, 1870 ; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Chordata; class: Actinopterygii; order: Synbranchiformes ; family: Mastacembelidae ; genus: Sinobdella ; Location: waterBody: Huai-He basin; country: China; stateProvince: Henan; county: Shangcai; locality: Hong-He of Huai-He basin ; verbatimCoordinates: 33 ° 22 ′ 58 ″ N 114 ° 14 ′ 20 ″ E; verbatimSRS: WGS 84; Identification: identifiedBy: Peng Shan; dateIdentified: 2023

Description

Morphometric measurements and counts are presented in Table 1 . See Figs 1 , 2 a for general body appearance.

Body elongated, oval in cross-section and compressed laterally in caudal region. Body depth evenly deep towards soft anal-fin origin, then gradually decreasing towards caudal-fin base, terminating in form of a pointed or rounded fin tail-like structure. Tail region relatively short. Pre-anal length slightly greater than postanal length. Body covered with tiny scales without lateral line.

Head short and pointed, with snout produced into fleshy and long rostral appendage projecting from upper jaw. Two tubular anterior nostrils located on underside of rostral appendage, longer than or equal to this appendage. Posterior nares oval, horizontal axis longest and situated in front of eyes. Eyes small, laterodorsally located at anterior half of head. Posteriorly growing single pre-orbital spine on right / left side of head, located under eyes and buried under skin, with ending point extending beyond anterior margin of eye, but not reaching middle of eye. Mouth inferior and horse-shoe-shaped. Lips thick and fleshy. Jaws with numerous small, pointed teeth; upper jaw longer than lower jaw. Angle of jaws between the posterior edge of the posterior external nare and the anterior edge of the eye. Preoperculum unarmed. Upper extremity of gill opening immediately above dorsal end of pectoral-fin base, slightly anterior to vertical through ventral end of pectoral-fin base.

Dorsal fin long and divided into two parts: dorsal spines and dorsal-fin. Dorsal spines 32 to 33, increasing in size from first to second last spine; last spine smaller than second last spine, situated anterior to base of first soft dorsal-fin ray. Soft dorsal-fin rays 50-60. Anal spines 3 and soft anal-fin rays 50-60; anterior end of dorsal spines posterior to pectoral-fin insertion and anterior end of soft dorsal-fin rays slightly posterior to anterior end of soft anal fin. Pectoral fins small, extended latero-posteriorly, with their bases located mainly below upper margins of gill openings. No pelvic fins. Origin of exposed anal spines slightly posterior to anal. Caudal fin very small and rounded with 7-8 rays, confluent with soft dorsal- and anal-fins. First and second anal spines supported by well-developed first anal spine pterygiophore and third anal spine derived from second spine pterygiophore, situated anteriorly to first soft anal-fin ray. Second anal spine placed close to first spine, but distinctly distant from third spine, much longer than both.

Diagnosis

Sinobdella longitubulus is clearly distinguished from the single congeneric species ( S. sinensis ) by having a more or less white-brown reticulated pattern (vs. many dark brown vertical bars, with very narrow light yellow interspaces) on the flank (Fig. 2), two tubular anterior nostrils longer than or equal to (vs. shorter than) the rostral appendage (Fig. 3), an anal fin heavily mottled with dark brown markings and white spots and bearing a narrow white distal margin (vs. black with a relatively wide light white distal margin) (Fig. 2); shorter pre-anal length (53.3-56.2 vs. 56.3-60.6 % SL; see Fig. 4 ) and fewer abdominal vertebrae (32-33, mean = 32.9 vs. 34-36, mean = 35.1) (Table 1 ).

Etymology

The epithet name, used here as a noun, is derived from the Latin word longus (= long) and tubulus (= pipe), alluding to two longer tubes modified from anterior nostrils. The common Chinese name here suggested for this new species is “ 长管华刺鳅 ”.

Distribution

Sinobdella longitubulus is currently known from the Meng-Jiang emptying into the Xi-Jiang and the Qingshui-He, a stream tributary to the Hongshui-He discharging into the Xi-Jiang of Zhu-Jiang Basin (Fig. 5 ). It was collected in shallow running waters with mixed bottom including pebbles, cobbles, gravel and boulders (Fig. 6 ). Co-existing species are: Traccatichthys pulcher , Vanmanenia stenosoma , Opsariichthys acutipinnis , Acrossocheilus parallens , Rhinogobius duospilus , Coreoperca whiteheadi and Schistura fasciolata .

Colouration

In formalin-preserved specimens (Fig. 1 ), top of head whitish-brown and cheek and opercula brown, with a reticulated pattern of brown markings on ventral surface of head. A broad light yellowish mid-dorsal band extending from behind head to soft dorsal-fin origin and two narrow whitish stripes parallel to this band laterally, wider and lightened anteriorly and prolonging backwards under soft dorsal-fin base. Lateral body brown with numerous small white spots, more or less inconspicuous on upper two-thirds of abdomen and caudal region and conspicuous and restricted only to lower one-third of abdomen to form a white-brown reticulated pattern, continued by a broad extension across belly. Pectoral fin pale, dorsal and caudal fins dark grey and anal fin dark grey with a narrow whitish distal margin and a dark black submarginal stripe.

In freshly- 、 collected specimens (Fig. 2 a ), dorsum of head and body yellowish-brown from snout tip to origin of soft dorsal fin, with two black longitudinal zigzag lines parallel to dorsal mid-line on each side, more or less connected to constitute a reticulated pattern of markings. Lateral body dark brown with numerous irregular white spots scattering densely over abdomen and sparsely on caudal region, more or less distinct and restricted to lower half of flank to form a reticulated pattern of markings. Continued dorsal and caudal fins light yellowish-brown with an indistinct reticulated pattern. Pectoral fins yellowish or orange and anal fin heavily mottled with dark brown markings and white spots, bearing a narrow light white distal margin and a very narrow submarginal black stripe.

Figures

Figure 1. S. longitubulus, holotype, IHB 202303066738, 153.3 mm SL, dorsal (a), lateral (b) and ventral (c) views. China: Guangxi Province: Guigang City: Pingnan County: Lilia Village: Datong-Jiang, a stream tributary to Meng-Jiang flowing into Xi-Jiang of Zhu-Jiang basin.

Figure 4. Relationship between pre-anal length (% SL) and SL for two species of Sinobdella sinensis (▼), y = - 0,008 887 x + 59.65 and S. longitubulus sp. nov. (●), y = 0.01158 x + 53.48.

Figure 5. Map showing three sampling sites of the type specimens of S. longitubulus. S 1, Donghu Village, Mengshan County, Wuzhou City; S 2, Lilia Village, Pingnan County, Guigang City; and S 3, Shanglin County, Nanning City, Guangxi Province, P. R. China.

Figure 6. Habitat at the type locality of Sinobdella longitubulus in the Datong-Jiang, a stream tributary to the Xun-Jiang of Zhu-Jiang Basin at Lilia Village, Pingnan County, Guangxi Province, China.

Figure 2 a. Sinobdella longitubulus, IHB 202303066740, 148.7 mm SL, China: Guangxi Province: Guigang City: Pingnan County: Lilia Town: Datong-Jiang: Zhu-Jiang Basin;