Author/Editor		Chen, Yin-rui; Yang, Jun-xing; Sket, Boris; Aljančič, Gregor
Title		A new blind cave loach of Paracobitis with comment on its characters evolution
Type		članek
Source		Zool Res
Vol. and No.		Letnik 19, št. 1
Publication year		1998
Volume		str. 59-63
Language		chi
Abstract		During February and March 1995, a Slovenian caving expedition led by Andrej Miheve in association with the Institute of Karst Geology from Guilin explored the karst region in Libo County, south of Guizhou, a province in China. During the expedition, 3 blind loach specimens were collected by Gregor Aljancic, They have been recognized as new species of the genus Paracobitis: P. longibarbatus, sp. nov. THe new possesses the following characters: adipose keel is present along the dorsal and ventral edge of caudal peduncle, depth of adipose keel less than half of depth of caudal peduncle; nostrils are situated closely together, the anterior nostril formed into a tube with a long nostral barbel.These characters indicate that it belongs to the genus Paracobitis, regardless of the presence of a nostral barbel at the terminal of nostral tube. Similar nostral tube was observed also in P. variegatus longidorsalis Yang et al. The eyes and pigment are disappeared as the result of convergent evolution adapting to the lightles habitat. The same convergent phenomena are prevalent in the cavefishes of Cobitidae and Cyprinidae. This new species is the first blind loach in the genus Paracobitis, representing a specialized of the genus. It is related to epigean P. variegatus longidorsalis which occurs in the same basin, Xijiang Basin. The new species can be easily distinguished from all congeneric species by the following characters: eyes and pigment disappeared, anterior nostril tube-like with a nostral barbel at the terminal; barbels, pectoral and pelvic fins well elongated; posterior margin of caudal fin strongly concave.(Abstract truncated at 2000 characters)
Descriptors		CYPRINIFORMES ECOSYSTEM FRESH WATER CHINA EVOLUTION