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Issue: Vol. 5814 No. 4: 25 May 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-05-25
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5814.4.2
Page range: 477-497
Abstract views: 54
PDF downloaded: 0

Garra jiulongi, a new labeonine species (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from the upper Salween-Nujiang River basin, Yunnan, China, with remarks on the intraspecific variability of snout morphology

Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain; Kunming Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming 650201; Yunnan; China; Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Yezin; Nay Pyi Taw 05282; Myanmar; 3Yunnan International Joint Laboratory of Southeast Asia Biodiversity Conservation; Mengla 666303; Yunnan; China; 4University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100190; China
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain; Kunming Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming 650201; Yunnan; China; Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Yezin; Nay Pyi Taw 05282; Myanmar; Yunnan International Joint Laboratory of Southeast Asia Biodiversity Conservation; Mengla 666303; Yunnan; China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100190; China
Forest Department; Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation; Nay Pyi Taw 15011; Myanmar
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain; Kunming Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming 650201; Yunnan; China; Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Yezin; Nay Pyi Taw 05282; Myanmar; Yunnan International Joint Laboratory of Southeast Asia Biodiversity Conservation; Mengla 666303; Yunnan; China
Pisces Mengboluo River freshwater taxonomy proboscis morphology

Abstract

Based on morphological comparisons and molecular evidence, a new species, Garra jiulongi is described from the upper reaches of the Salween-Nujiang River drainage in Baoshan City, Yunnan, China. It is the sixth Garra species known from the Salween-Nujiang River basin and, notably, the first Garra species whose type locality is situated in the Chinese section of the drainage. Garra jiulongi sp. nov. is closely allied to G. gravelyi in sharing similar meristic counts, but can be distinguished from it by pulvinus enlarged and its width 53.5–64.2% of disc width, and head broader, its width 68.2–77.8% of head length. It can be further distinguished from all other Salween and Chinese congeners by the following combination of characteristics: proboscis unilobed, 12 circumpeduncular scales, 32–34 lateral-line scales, 3.5 transverse scale rows between dorsal-fin origin and lateral line, 9–10 predorsal scales, two pairs of barbels, and breast scaleless. Furthermore, this study critically assesses the intraspecific variability of snout morphology in Garra. We highlight that key snout structures exhibit significant and synchronised plasticity. Such variability renders simplistic, fixed categorisations unreliable. Consequently, we argue that snout morphology should be integrated with a broader suite of morphological characters and non-morphological evidence to ensure robust taxonomic results.

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How to Cite

Liu, C., Zeng, Y., Oo, T.N. & Chen, X. (2026) Garra jiulongi, a new labeonine species (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from the upper Salween-Nujiang River basin, Yunnan, China, with remarks on the intraspecific variability of snout morphology. Zootaxa, 5814 (4), 477–497. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5814.4.2