Chinese scientists have described three new species of Discogobio cyprinid from the Red River drainage in southern China.
The study by Lanping Zheng and Wei Zhou, which reviews the Discogobio species from the upper Red River drainage in Wenshan Prefecture (Yunnan province, China), is published in the most recent issue of the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes.
The authors recognize four species of Discogobio from the study area: D. yunnanensis and three others (D. antethoracalis, D. propeanalis and D. poneventralis) described as new in the study.
The three new species inhabit fast-flowing stretches of streams with a cobble substrate. Local fishermen claim that they feed mainly on algae, occasionally also eating aquatic plants and aquatic insect larvae.
Discogobio antethoracalisThis species is named after the anterior position of the pectoral fins (from the Latin ante, meaning before and thorax, meaning the chest).
It is distinguished from other members of the genus in having a combination of: large oral sucking disc with its posterior edge reaching the vertical through the anterior margin of the eye, small tubercles on the snout, body depth greater than 17.2% standard length, scaleless mid-ventral region anterior to the pelvic-fin insertion, rounded and non-projecting snout, prepectoral length 16.3"18.3% standard length, interorbital width 52.5"60.9% head length head length 17.5"20.6% standard length, head depth 13.2"14.2% standard length, and the distance from the anus to the anal-fin origin 25% of the distance from the posterior end of pelvic-fin base to the anal-fin origin.
Discogobio poneventralisThis species can be distinguished from other members of the genus in having a combination of: small oral sucking disc with its posterior margin not reaching the vertical through the anterior margin of the eye, rostral barbels equal in length to eye diameter, maxillary barbels not reaching the posterior margin of the oral sucking disc, scaleless mid-ventral region anterior to the pelvic-fin insertion, eye visible in ventral view, prepelvic length 57.1"58.1% standard length, head length 17.5"18.4% standard length, and snout length 44.9"47.2% head length. Discogobio poneventralis is named after the posterior position of the pelvic fins (from the Latin pone meaning behind and ventralis, meaning of the belly).
Discogobio propeanalisThis species is named after the position of the pelvic fins (close to the anal-fin origin), the name coming from the Latin prope, meaning near and analis, referring to the anal fin. It can be distinguished from other members of the genus in having a combination of: large oral sucking disc with its posterior edge reaching beyond the vertical through the anterior margin of the eye and its central fleshy pad nearly oblong, small tubercles on the snout, body depth greater than 17.2% standard length, scaleless midventral region anterior to the pelvic-fin insertion, interorbital distance more than half of head length, the pelvic fin reaching beyond the anal-fin origin, distance from anus to the anal-fin origin less than 25% of distance from the posterior end of the pelvic-fin base to the anal-fin origin, head length 20.6"24.4% standard length, head depth 14.4"16.6% standard length.
For more information, see the paper: Zheng, L-P and W Zhou (2008) Revision of the cyprinid genus Discogobio Lin, 1931 (Pisces: Teleostei) from the upper Red River basin in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan, China, with descriptions of three new species. Environmental Biology of Fishes 81, pp. 255"266.