Type locality and species identity of Pareuchiloglanis sinensis (Hora & Silas) with a description of a new species of the genus from the upper Yangtze River basin in southern China.

Abstract

The genus Pareuchiloglanis, distributed in the Salween, Mekong, Red, Pearl and Yangtze River basins in China, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, consists of 20 valid species and 5 uncertain species. This study provided a taxonomic revision to Pareuchiloglanis occurring in the Yangtze River. According to the results of a morphological comparison, the type locality of Pareuchiloglanis sinensis was updated to the Nanpan-jiang (the upper Pearl River) basin; five species were identified in Pareuchiloglanis from the Yangtze River basin. Specimens formerly identified as Pareuchiloglanis sinensis from this basin were described as a new species, Pareuchiloglanis chui sp. nov. Moreover, Pareuchiloglanis tianquanensis was synonymized with Pareuchiloglanis sichuanensis. This study provided a key to these two species and three others (Pareuchiloglanis anteanalis, Pareuchiloglanis hupingshanensis and Pareuchiloglanis robusta) from the Yangtze River basin, including information about their geographical distribution. These findings provide an insight into the evolution, distribution and taxonomy of this genus for future studies.