taxonID	type	description	language	source
42181E21239D5B4CA65347D6A01F22B5.taxon	description	Fig. 1	en	Zeng, Yu-Yang, Lin, Feng, Yang, Hong-Fu, Pu, Xin-Rui, Jiang, Wan-Sheng, Chen, Xiao-Yong (2026): Glyptothorax pulcher (Siluriformes, Sisoridae), a new species from the upper Pearl River of Yunnan and Guangxi, southwest China. Zoosystematics and Evolution 102 (1): 17-26, DOI: 10.3897/zse.102.167142
42181E21239D5B4CA65347D6A01F22B5.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Glyptothorax pulcher can be distinguished from its congeners distributed in the adjacent water systems of the Pearl River by the following combination of characteristics: distinctive colour pattern, skin with sparse tubercules, soft and similar in texture to skin, dorsal surface of head smooth, TAA broad (length of 1 – 1.2 times its width, width of TAA 12.0 – 14.3 % SL), adipose-fin base short (11.7 – 15.4 % SL), caudal peduncle deep and short (13.7 – 17.5 % SL in length, 10.3 – 12.3 % SL in depth).	en	Zeng, Yu-Yang, Lin, Feng, Yang, Hong-Fu, Pu, Xin-Rui, Jiang, Wan-Sheng, Chen, Xiao-Yong (2026): Glyptothorax pulcher (Siluriformes, Sisoridae), a new species from the upper Pearl River of Yunnan and Guangxi, southwest China. Zoosystematics and Evolution 102 (1): 17-26, DOI: 10.3897/zse.102.167142
42181E21239D5B4CA65347D6A01F22B5.taxon	description	Description. Morphometric data are shown in Table 2. Head depressed, body subcylindrical. Dorsal profile rising evenly from tip of snout to origin of dorsal fin and then sloping gently ventrally from origin of dorsal fin to end of caudal peduncle. Ventral profile flat to anal-fin base, then sloping gently dorsally from anal-fin base to end of caudal peduncle. Anus and urogenital openings located 1 / 2 distance between end of pelvic-fin base and origin of anal-fin ray. Skin with soft tubercules. Lateral line complete, situated in mid-line of body. Vertebrae 17 + 18 = 35 * (4), 17 + 19 = 36 (5), 18 + 18 = 36 (4) or 18 + 17 = 35 (3). Head depressed and broad, longer than broad. Snout blunt. Anterior and posterior nares separated only by base of nasal barbel. Gill openings broad, extending from directly beneath post-temporal to isthmus. Bony elements of dorsal surface of head covered with thick and smooth skin. Eyes small and ovoid, horizontal axis longest, located in dorsal half of head. Barbels in four pairs. Maxillary barbel long, extending to pectoral-fin base. Nasal barbel slender, not reaching anterior orbital margin. Mandibular barbels two pairs and short. Inner mandibular barbel not or just reaching isthmus. Outer mandibular barbel extending to 2 / 3 distance between its base and that of pectoral spine. Mouth inferior, premaxillary tooth band partially exposed when mouth closed. Oral teeth small and villiform, in irregular rows on all tooth-bearing surfaces. Premaxillary teeth in single crescent-shaped band, separated by narrow gap at mid-line. Thoracic adhesive apparatus (TAA) consisting of skin ridges (striae) in a cordate field, with anterolateral striae, but anteromedial absent, extending from isthmus to posterior limit of pectoral-fin base. TAA broad, with length of 1 – 1.2 times its width and 1.08 times on average. Anterolateral edges of TAA gently convex and posteromedial of it with a triangular medial pit, extending forward for at least half the length of TAA. Dorsal fin inserted at mid-point of snout-tip and adipose-fin base origin, with I, 6 rays; fin margin truncate; spine short and straight, smooth on anterior margin, posterior margin rough, without serration. Adipose fin base almost as long as anal-fin base, anterior margin straight, posterior margin roundish. Caudal fin strongly forked, lobes almost equal in some individuals and lower lobe slightly longer than upper in others, with i, 7, 8, i * (23) or with i, 7, 7, i (4) principal rays. Procurrent rays symmetrical and extending only slightly anterior to fin base, with about 9 – 11 short rays. Anal-fin base vertically opposite adipose-fin base. Anal fin with straight anterior and straight posterior margins; with iv, 8 * (18) or iv, 7 (9) rays. Pelvic-fin origin at vertical posterior to posterior extremity of dorsal-fin base. Pelvic fin with slightly convex margin and i, 5 (27) rays; tip of adpressed fin not reaching anal-fin origin. Pectoral fin with I, 9 * (19) or I, 8 (8) rays; posterior fin margin straight; anterior spine margin smooth, posterior margin with 7 – 10 serrations, with the last two serrations hook-shaped.	en	Zeng, Yu-Yang, Lin, Feng, Yang, Hong-Fu, Pu, Xin-Rui, Jiang, Wan-Sheng, Chen, Xiao-Yong (2026): Glyptothorax pulcher (Siluriformes, Sisoridae), a new species from the upper Pearl River of Yunnan and Guangxi, southwest China. Zoosystematics and Evolution 102 (1): 17-26, DOI: 10.3897/zse.102.167142
42181E21239D5B4CA65347D6A01F22B5.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The epithet name “ pulcher ” consists of the Latin “ pulcher ”, meaning beautiful, referring to the species’ attractive colour pattern. Suggested common name in Chinese is 美丽纹胸鮡 (Chinese Pinyin: mei li wen xiong zhao).	en	Zeng, Yu-Yang, Lin, Feng, Yang, Hong-Fu, Pu, Xin-Rui, Jiang, Wan-Sheng, Chen, Xiao-Yong (2026): Glyptothorax pulcher (Siluriformes, Sisoridae), a new species from the upper Pearl River of Yunnan and Guangxi, southwest China. Zoosystematics and Evolution 102 (1): 17-26, DOI: 10.3897/zse.102.167142
42181E21239D5B4CA65347D6A01F22B5.taxon	distribution	Distribution and ecology. The new species is currently only known from Tuoniang River Basin (upper reach of the You River) in Yunnan and Guangxi, a sub-basin in the upper Pearl River system (Fig. 3). Molecular phylogeny Both phylogenetic methods (ML and BI) recovered a similar tree in topology (Fig. 4), based on two mitochondrial gene fragments (Cyt b, CO I) and also consistent with the results reported by Jiang et al. (2011). Species with dark brown to dark yellow body and black saddle-like patches beneath the dorsal and adipose fin formed a distinct monophyletic clade (in green), represented by Glyptothorax hainanensis, G. honghensis and G. sinensis. Species with a dark body and creamy or bright yellow spots or stripes formed another distinct monophyletic clade (in orange), represented by Glyptothorax pulcher sp. nov., G. quadriocellatus and G. pallozonum. The monophyly of the new species is strongly supported. Phylogenetic evidence indicated that G. pulcher is closely related to G. pallozonum, both of which are from the Pearl River, the estimated K 2 P genetic distances between the two range from 5.7 % to 6.0 % (Table 3).	en	Zeng, Yu-Yang, Lin, Feng, Yang, Hong-Fu, Pu, Xin-Rui, Jiang, Wan-Sheng, Chen, Xiao-Yong (2026): Glyptothorax pulcher (Siluriformes, Sisoridae), a new species from the upper Pearl River of Yunnan and Guangxi, southwest China. Zoosystematics and Evolution 102 (1): 17-26, DOI: 10.3897/zse.102.167142
