taxonID	type	description	language	source
4670BC383C0B0203FF6DFCD73B604B1D.taxon	description	(Figs. 1 – 3)	en	Chen, I-Shiung (2025): A new species of freshwater goby (Teleostei: Gobiidae: Rhinogobius) from Xijiang, Pearl River basin, Guangxi Province, China. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 215-221, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.26, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.26
4670BC383C0B0203FF6DFCD73B604B1D.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined Holotype. NTOUP- 2009 - 08 - 255, 26.2 mm SL, Lingjiang, the small hillstream of Xijiang, Guelin, Pearl River basin, Guangxi Province, P. R. China; coll. I-S. Chen, Aug. 06, 2009. Paratypes. NTOUP- 2009 - 08 - 256, 2 specimens, 22.9 – 25.6 mm SL, other data same as holotype.	en	Chen, I-Shiung (2025): A new species of freshwater goby (Teleostei: Gobiidae: Rhinogobius) from Xijiang, Pearl River basin, Guangxi Province, China. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 215-221, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.26, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.26
4670BC383C0B0203FF6DFCD73B604B1D.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis Rhinogobius lingjiangensis can be well distinguished from all other congeners by the unique combination of the following features: (1) fin rays: second dorsal fin rays I / 7 – 8 (usually I / 8); anal fin rays I / 6 – 7 (usually I / 6); pectoral fin rays 16 – 17 (modally 16); (2) squamation: longitudinal scale series 31 – 32 (modally 31); perdorsal scales 5 – 6 (modally 6); (3) vertebral count 28; and (4) specific colouration: cheek with 7 rather wide reddish orange parallel bands in male; caudal fin base with a central blackish brown spot in male; pectoral fin base greyish with brown vertical bar in male, anterior basal 1 / 4 region of pectoral fin with semicircular creamy yellow region in male.	en	Chen, I-Shiung (2025): A new species of freshwater goby (Teleostei: Gobiidae: Rhinogobius) from Xijiang, Pearl River basin, Guangxi Province, China. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 215-221, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.26, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.26
4670BC383C0B0203FF6DFCD73B604B1D.taxon	description	Description Body proportions in Table 1. Body cylindrical anteriorly, compressed posteriorly. Head rather large, somewhat depressed in male. Eye large, dorsolateral. Snout pointed. Cheek fleshy in male. Lips thick. Mouth oblique, large, rear edge reaching to midline of orbit in male, but just reaching vertical of anterior margin of eye in female. Both jaws with 3 – 4 rows of conical teeth, outer jaws enlarged. Tongue margin rounded. Anterior nostril in short tube and posterior nostril round. Gill opening rather large, extending ventrally far forward beyond vertical midline of opercle. Vertebral count 11 + 17 = 28 (in all 3 specimens). Fins. D 1 VI, D 2 I / 7 – 8 (usually I / 8); A I / 6 – 7 (usually I / 6); P 16 – 17 (modally 16); V I / 5 + I / 5 (distribution frequency in Table 2). D 1 rounded, 3 rd rays slightly longest, with rear tip while depressed extending just to D 2 origin in male, but not reaching the point in female. Origin of A inserted below third branched rays of D 2. The rear tips of D 2 and A rays when depressed far from of procurrent rays of C. P moderate large and oblong, its rear tip near reaching vertical line through anus. V rounded, spinous rays with somewhat pointed membrane lobe. C elliptical, rear edge rounded. Scales. Body with rather large ctenoid scales, anterior region of predorsal area naked; posterior dorsal area and belly cycloid. LR 31 – 32 (modally 31); TR 8; PreD 5 – 6 (modally 6); and SDP 7. Head and prepelvic region naked. Anterior edge of midpredorsal squamation extending near the midline of upper end of gellopening. Values in parenthese are the average.	en	Chen, I-Shiung (2025): A new species of freshwater goby (Teleostei: Gobiidae: Rhinogobius) from Xijiang, Pearl River basin, Guangxi Province, China. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 215-221, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.26, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.26
