Leptobotia tchangi

Fang, 1936

Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cobitidae
Genus: Leptobotia

Environment: Freshwater; demersal
Climate: Temperate

Distribution: Asia: China.

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Literature

Fang, P. W. 1936. Study on the Botoid fishes of China, Sinensia, Nanking, 1936, 7, 1, pp. 1—49. 6 text fig.

National Research Institute Of Biology
ACADEMIA SINICA

STUDY ON THE BOTOID FISHES OF CHINA
P. W. Fang
Research fellow in Zoology of the Institute.

Pages 40-42

6. LEPTOBOTIA TCHANGI, sp. nov.

Botia rubrilabris, Tchang, 1930, (part., Chekiang), (non Dabry, 1872), l’etud. Cyprinid. Bassin Yangtze, pp. 155-156.

Description — A single adult female specimen, West Lake Museum, Hsia-chiao-kou, near West Tien-mu-shan ( 5? B lUT- Ifrn), Chekiang; August 1, 1932; K. Y. Chung (MM&)- Length to base of caudal 107 mm.

Another male, length to base of caudal 92 mm. specimen, Paris Museum No. 34-175 (Tchang’s specimen of Botia rubrilabris from Chekiang, deposited in the Paris Museum) also referrable to the present new species. Depth of body in length to base of caudal 4.46 (5.4 in the male, Tchang’s specimen); length of head 4.3-4.6; length of caudal peduncle 5.8 or about 1.2 in head, subequal to the length from nostril to the opercular border or slightly longer than it. Depth of C-peduncle alittle shorter than its length (about 1.1) in subequal height throughout the whole peduncle. General form of head and body resemble those of the foregoing species (L. taeniops). Head 1.7-1.8 times as long as high width 2.4-2.9 in head length; snout 2.4-2.5, shorter than the posterior portion of head which is 2.0-2.1 in head. Eye larger, supralateral, 3.4 in snout length, subequal or only very little narrower than interorbital space; suborbital spine simple, extending a little beyond middle of eye, never reaching its hind border. Nostrils close together, nearer eye than tip of snout. Top of whole head smooth and slightly convex, no fontanelle on the cranium. Mouth of the usual botiod type, its corner extending below a point at about anterior 2/3 of the prenasal space. Barbels 6: maxillary ones about 1.8 in the snout length, its tip reaching outer border of eye; rostral barbels subequal to the maxillary barbels in length, but the inner one slightly shorter, about 2.2 in snout, all well before nostril; all the barbels longer than the eye diameter.

D. 3/8/1, originating in middle of the distance between middle of prenasal space and C-base in the smaller and between nostril and C-base in the larger specimen, its height about 1.5 in head length, its length 1.3 in its own height; anterodorsal angle obtuse, the upper border of fin obliquely truncate.

A. 3/5/1, originating very nearer V-axil than C-base, 2 times as long as high; the height 1.7 in head; its anterior border curved, the lower anterior angle somewhat acute and the posterior border subtruncate. Tip of depressed anal fin well before C-base with a distance equal to its basal length.

P. 1/14, immediately behind gill-opening; its length subequal to the ventral height, occupying anterior 1/3 or a little more of the interspace from P-axil to V-origin, ovoid. An elongate skin flap above anterior base of the pectoral fin.

V. 2/7, the first simple ray minute, originating below 3rd simple and 1st branched, or below interspace between 1st and 2nd branched dorsal rays, in middle between hind border of eye and C-base, its length only very slightly shorter than pectoral length or subequal to it folded ventral with the tip extending a little beyond vent.

C. a little longer than head, forked in less than its posterior 1/2 length of the fin, the lobes subequal, blunt at tips.

Vent in the middle of tht interspace from V-axil to A-origin, or rather nearer the latter than the former.

Lateral line straight, complete along the middle of body and tail.

Scales minute, distinct, more or less imbricate, presenmt on the whole body and cheeks and also covering the bases of the caudal rays.

Color of the type, in alcohol, pale brownish, dusky on side of body which is rendered by each of the scales endorned with a dark spot. Three broad transverse blackish bands on back before dorsal origin, with the interspaces 1/5 in its width, the first one invading the posterior portion of head and bordered in front and sides with pale edges. About 3 distinct, or rather indistinct, dark bands on back behind and 2 below dorsal fin. A vertical, indistinct, dark band at caudal base. Head invaded by anterior portion of the first band on the back, a transverse band between the posterior half of the orbit. Dorsal and upper half of side of snout, cheek and opercle also more or less dark. Dorsal fin with a basal blackish band, one narrow subterminal series of dots forming stripes and a broad one immediately below it. Ventral with about 2 stripes. Caudal with about 4 series of bands at its terminal 1/2 fin length, while these becoming indistinct and paler gradually foreward. Dorsal surfaces of pectoral and ventral rays dark, about forming two bands which are even visible from the from the ventrals view. from the ventrals view. Ventral side of head and body before ventrals pale. In the co-type (Tchang’s specimen) the coloration and markings is almost the same, but paler. The interorbital band extends foreward and not well differentiated from that anterior to it. The paired fins nearly uniform on the dorsal sides.

Distribution — Mountainous streams of Chekiang.

Remarks — The present species is named after Dr. T. L. Tchang, curator of Zoology at the Fan Memorial Institute of Biology and Lecturer in Zoology at the National University of Peking.

Links:

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/OIKAWAMARU/20100110

http://www.zoores.ac.cn/CN/article/downloadArticleFile.do?attachType=PDF&id=1479

http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/169638/0

http://www.fishwise.co.za/Default.aspx?TabID=110&GenusSpecies=Leptobotia_tchangi&SpecieConfigId=260243

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