Chinese and Japanese scientists have described a new species of bagrid catfish from the middle Yangtze River drainage in southern China in the latest issue of the journal Ichthyological Research.
Authors Jian-Li Cheng, Hajime Ishihara and E Zhang have named the new species Pseudobagrus brachyrhabdion, after the short maxillary barbels of this species (Greek brachys " short, and rhabdion - rod).
Pseudobagrus brachyrhabdion is distinguished from other members of the genus in having combination of: a truncate or slightly emarginate caudal fin; supraoccipital spine and nuchal plate widely separate and covered with skin; nasal barbels reaching to the anterior margin of the eye; maxillary barbels reaching slightly beyond the posterior margin of the eye; outer mandibular barbels reaching the posterior margin of the eye; dorsal fin with a slightly convex distal margin, its origin nearer to the pectoral-fin insertion than to the pelvic-fin insertion; dorsal-fin spine shorter than the pectoral spine, with a slightly serrated posterior margin; pectoral-fin spine with a smooth anterior margin; anal fin with 20"23 rays, anal-fin base length 23.8"32.0% standard length, posterior end of the anal-fin base anterior to the posterior end of the adipose fin base; absence of a longitudinal black band extending along the flank; eyes large, diameter 16.3"23.7% head length; and number of vertebrae 5+43"46.
For more information, see the paper: Cheng, J-L, H Ishihara and E Zhang (2008) Pseudobagrus brachyrhabdion, a new catfish (Teleostei: Bagridae) from the middle Yangtze River drainage, South China. Ichthyological Research 55, pp. 112"123.