Triplophysa papilloso-labiatus (Kessler 1879)

Jinlu Li, Naifa Liu & Junxing Yang, 2007, A brief review of Triplophysa (Cypriniformes: Balitoridae) species from the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang, China, with description of a new species., Zootaxa 1605, pp. 47-58 : 54

[[ Triplophysa papilloso-labiatus (Kessler 1879) ]]

Triplophysa papilloso-labiatus (Kessler) has been regarded as a subspecies of T. strauchii (Kessler, 1874) (Herzentein 1888; Zugmeyer 1910; Berg 1933; Li 1979), but most authors regard it as a distinct species (Rendahl 1933; Zhu 1987, 1989; Wang 1991; Wu 1991). Besides its different distribution, T. papilloso-labiatus can be distinguished from T. strauchii by the lip structure (papillae with 2 lines vs. undeveloped), fin ray number and shape of the pectoral fin (10-11, tip formed by 3rd-4th branched ray vs. 12-14, tip formed by 5th branched ray), intestine loop number (2 vs. 3), different body color (black spots small and indistinct vs. big and distinct) (Li 1979), and dorsal fin position (close to snout tip vs. caudal base) (Zhu 1987, 1989). While our results generally support Li (1979) and Wang’s (1991) data, the dorsal fin position of T. papilloso-labiatus is variable in Kashigar and the Aksu River, Xinjiang, and also in Hexi Corridor, Gansu.