Schizopygopsis thermalis

Herzenstein, 1891

Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Subfamily: Schizothoracinae
Genus: Schizopygopsis

Environment: Freshwater; benthopelagic
Climate: Subtropical

Description. D ii, 6; A ii, 5; P i, 18;  V i, 9; C 19. Lateral line complete, with 92-103 pores.  Gill rakers on first arch; outer row 10-12, inner row 17-23. Pharyngeal teeth biserial, 3.4-4.3.  Body elongate, slightly compressed. Head moderate, snout bluntly pointed. Mouth inferior, arched its anterior border below the level of the lower edge of eye. Lower jaw thickened, with soft horny or leathery edge. Barbel none. Nostrils nearer eyes than tip of snout. The width of isthmus narrow. Pharyngeal teeth scoop-shaped and curved at the tips, width of pharyngeal bone in its length 2.5-2.75 times. Body nearly entirely naked, with a few scales behind the gill-opening and in the anterior end of the lateral line, and an anal sheath with enlonged scales at the base of anal to behind the ventral. Anal opening near the commencement of the anal fin. Dorsal fin without spines, its origin nearer tip of snout than base of caudal. Origin of ventral fin under the 4-5th branched ray of the dorsal. Last unbranched ray in dorsal ray thickened, but not strongly, posteriorly covered by denticles (about 15), sometimes very weak and disappearing with age. Dorsal short, maximum height 1.25 times greater than its minimum height. Anal short, reaching or not reaching  to the rudimentary ray of caudal. Caudal forked. Air-bladder in two chambers. Greyish above, silvery below; side of body with scattered irregular dark spots, the largest specimen body with a small number of irregular spots. Standard length (SL) 274 mm.

Distribution. Asia. This species is found in high-altitude regions of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Habitat. This species dwells in the hot mineral springs on the southern slope of the Tanggla Range at altitude 4 750 m. When the water flows away from the source and becomes cooler, its temperature is 19 to 20 °C.

Links:

http://www.59baike.com/index.php?doc-view-3899

http://anatolab.uvigo.es/razonamientos/CORDADOS/Operculos/Cyprinidae.pdf

http://www.fishwise.co.za/Default.aspx?TabID=110&GenusSpecies=Schizopygopsis_thermalis&SpecieConfigId=260917

http://www.fishbase.us/Country/CountrySummary.php?id=45145&ctry=China%20Main&genusname=Schizopygopsis&speciesname=thermalis&vc_code=156

http://www.vostlit.info/Texts/Dokumenty/China/XIX/1860-1880/Przevalskij_3/frametext5.htm

http://www.archive.org/stream/geographicaljou07britgoog#page/n448/mode/2up

http://www.vostlit.info/Texts/Dokumenty/China/XX/1900-1920/Kozlov_6/text6.phtml