This document describes a new species of loach, Leptobotia bellacauda, discovered in streams in the lower Yangtze River basin in China. The species is distinguished by its plain brown body with a prominent black bar in the caudal fin. The dorsal half of the head is dusky black while the ventral half is cream colored. Adult males have an enlarged pectoral fin with tubercles. A total of 13 specimens were examined from two locations in Anhui Province. The new species is described and its distinguishing morphological characteristics are outlined.

1. Accepted by R. Pethiyagoda: 20 Jul. 2016; published: 5 Dec. 2016
ZOOTAXA
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Copyright © 2016 Magnolia Press
Zootaxa 4205 (1): 065–072
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http://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4205.1.5
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6E8DBE07-B2A5-4899-9183-A441A6F9F307
Leptobotia bellacauda, a new species of loach from the lower Yangtze basin in
China (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Botiidae)
JÖRG BOHLEN & VENDULA ŠLECHTOVÁ
Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Liběchov, Czech
Republic. E-mail: bohlen@iapg.cas.cz
Abstract
A new species, Leptobotia bellacauda is described from the lower Yangtze River basin. The new species is distinguished
from all other species of Leptobotia by a combination of the following characters: body plain brown, prominent black bar
in caudal fin, dorsal half of head dusky black, ventral half of head cream colour, eye well developed, lobes of caudal fin
rounded, origin of pelvic fins beneath or anterior to dorsal-fin origin, and pectoral fin in adult males enlarged, with nu-
merous tubercles.
Key words. Morphology, taxonomy, Anhui, Shitai, Ningguo, sexual dimorphism
Introduction
The loach genus Leptobotia Bleeker includes at present 13 valid species (Kottelat, 2012) and is distributed in China
and northern Vietnam, from the Red River basin to the Yellow River basin. It is characterised by having the
erectable spine beneath the eye (suborbital spine) with a single branch instead of two branches as in all other loach
species that bear a suborbital spine (except Sinibotia zebra (Wu)). The genus Leptobotia contains small species of
usually less than 90 mm SL (e.g. L. guilinensis Chen, L. posterodorsalis Lan & Chen, L. punctata Li et al.) as well
as large species reaching 500 mm SL (L. elongata (Bleeker)) (Fang 1936; Wu 1939; Chen 1980; Nalbant 2002).
The taxonomic understanding of the genus is far from complete, and undetected species can be expected to occur,
especially in the smaller size range.
Recently-collected material from the lower Yangtze basin in southeast China included a species that could not
be assigned to any of the described species. The aim of the present study is to give it a formal description.
Material and methods
Specimens were either fixed in 10% formalin and later transferred into 70% ethanol for storage or fixed and stored
in 96% ethanol. All measurements and counts follow Kottelat (1990). Measurements were made point-to-point
with dial callipers to the nearest 0.1 mm. Collection abbreviations: IAPG, Institute of Animal Physiology and
Genetics, Liběchov; SNHM Shanghai Museum of Natural History; ZRC, Lee Kong Chian Natural History
Museum, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Taxonomy
Leptobotia bellacauda, new species
(Fig. 1)
Material examined. Holotype: SNHM 20160220, male, 70.1 mm SL; China, Anhui province, Qiupu River in

2. BOHLEN & ŠLECHTOVÁ
66 · Zootaxa 4205 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press
Shitai County (Yangtze drainage); 31 July 2015. Paratypes: SNHM 20160221‒20160224, 4 specimens, 1 male, 3
females, 64.6‒76.7 mm SL, ZRC 54802, 2, 1 male, 1 female, 71.7‒73.4 mm SL; same data as holotype. SNHM
20160225, 1 specimen, 47.6 mm SL, IAPG A8651‒8655, 5 specimens, 35.9‒87.6 mm SL, same locality as
holotype, 22 September 2013. Additional material (non-type): IAPG A10062, 1 specimen, male, 64.7 mm SL,
China, Anhui province, Ningguo county, stream close to Ningguo city (Yangtze drainage), 02 May 2015.
Diagnosis. Leptobotia bellacauda is distinguished from all other species of Leptobotia by the combination of
the following characters: body plain brown, pigmentation pattern restricted to a prominent thick black bar on the
caudal fin, a thinner black bar at the base of the caudal fin, a black base of the dorsal fin, a black stripe on the dorsal
fin and a fine black stripe from snout to eye; dorsal half of head dusky black, ventral half cream, sharply
demarcated; origin of dorsal fin above or slightly posterior of the pelvic-fin origin; 8 ½ branched rays in the dorsal
fin; 7 rays in the pelvic fin; eye well developed but small (eye diameter 2.2‒3.1 % SL) and caudal fin moderately
emarginated with rounded lobes (length of median rays 1.6‒2.0 times in length of those of lower lobe). The
pectoral fin in adult males enlarged, with numerous tubercles on its dorsal surface.
Description. See Figure 1 for general appearance and Table 1 for morphometric data.
TABLE 1. Morphometric data of holotype (SNHM 20160220) and 12 paratypes (SNHM 20160221-20160224, SNHM
20160225, ZRC 54802, IAPG A8651-8655) of Leptobotia bellacauda. Range, mean and SD include holotype.
holotype range mean S.D.
SL (mm) 70.1 35.9‒87.6
In percentage of standard length
Total length 121.4 119.4‒121.4 120.4 0.6
Dorsal head length 16.7 16.0‒19.0 17.4 0.8
Lateral head length 21.0 19.7‒23.1 21.3 1.1
Predorsal length 53.9 51.2‒59.0 55.9 2.0
Pre-pelvic length 51.1 50.5‒57.8 53.1 2.0
Pre-anus length 63.5 59.6‒69.3 64.4 2.6
Preanal length 73.9 71.4‒79.6 75.6 2.1
Head depth at eye 9.1 8.4‒9.7 9.2 0.4
Head depth at nape 12.3 11.7‒13.1 12.3 0.3
Maximum body depth 16.0 16.0‒18.2 16.9 0.7
Body depth at dorsal-fin origin 16.0 13.1‒20.7 16.6 1.8
Depth of caudal peduncle 12.6 11.0‒13.0 12.4 0.5
Length of caudal peduncle 17.5 14.2‒18.2 16.7 1.1
Snout length 7.6 7.1‒8.1 7.6 0.3
Head width at nares 4.6 4.3‒5.6 4.7 0.4
Maximum head width 8.7 8.0‒9.7 9.0 0.5
Body width at dorsal origin 8.7 6.0‒11.6 9.1 1.5
Body width at anal origin 7.1 4.3‒7.3 6.4 0.9
Eye diameter 2.4 2.1‒3.1 2.5 0.2
Interorbital width 3.3 2.8‒3.8 3.3 0.3
Height of dorsal fin 13.7 8.8‒14.6 12.2 1.6
Length of upper caudal lobe 20.5 19.0‒21.6 19.8 0.7
Length of median caudal ray 11.8 10.0‒13.6 11.6 1.0
Length of lower caudal lobe 20.7 18.7‒20.9 19.9 0.7
Depth of anal fin 15.3 13.8‒16.2 14.7 0.8
Length of pelvic fin 13.4 9.7‒13.4 11.7 1.0
Length of pectoral fin 16.4 10.7‒16.4 13.1 1.7

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LEPTOBOTIA BELLACAUDA DESCRIPTION
FIGURE 1. Leptobotia bellacauda; China: Anhui province, a‒b, SNHM 20160220, holotype, male, 70.1 mm SL; c‒d, SNHM
20160221‒20160224, paratypes, c, female, 64.6 mm SL, d, female, 76.7 mm SL.
Habitus relatively small, body elongated (body depth 4.8‒7.6 times in SL). Head strongly compressed; body,
caudal peduncle compressed. Greatest body depth between nape and dorsal-fin origin (maximum body depth 100-
1007% of body depth at dorsal origin). Depth of caudal peduncle 1.2‒1.5 times in its length. Axillary pelvic lobe
present, free. No adipose crest on dorsal and ventral midline of caudal peduncle. Largest known size 87.6 mm SL.
Dorsal fin with 4 simple and 8½ branched rays. Distal margin of dorsal fin straight or slightly convex. Anal fin
with 3 simple and 5½ branched rays, not reaching half of distance between end of anal-fin base and caudal-fin base
when adpressed. Caudal fin with 9+8 branched rays, deeply forked (length of median rays 1.5‒1.9 times in length
of upper lobe), lobes rounded. Pelvic fin with 8 rays; origin anterior to or on vertical through dorsal-fin origin; in
males reaching half of distance to anal-fin origin, beyond anus; but not or just reaching anus in females. Anus

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situated closer to pelvic-fin base than to anal-fin origin. Pectoral fin with 11‒13 rays, usually not reaching half of
distance between bases of pectoral and pelvic fins. Vertebral column with 4+37 vertebrae (4 comprising the
swimbladder complex; urostyle included into counts as one) in seven radiographed specimens.
Body covered by small scales except on ventral side, between pectoral fins. Length of lateral line varying from
ending above base of anal fin to nearly complete; pores small, difficult to visualise, unevenly scattered along lateral
line, numbering between 41‒76. Cephalic lateral-line system with 7 supraorbital, 4+9 infraorbital, 12 pre-operculo-
mandibular and 3 supratemporal pores. Lips, barbels smooth, not covered with unculi.
Anterior nostril pierced in front side of a flap-like tube, not reaching margin of eye, with a low anterior rim.
Eyes moderately large (7.0‒9.9 times in lateral head length), eye diameter 1.0‒1.6 times in interorbital width.
Mouth gape about twice as wide as long. No notch in jaws. Lips moderately thick; no median incisions or furrows.
Inner and outer rostral barbel reaching half distance to base of maxillary barbel; maxillary barbel reaching beyond
vertical through anterior rim of pupil.
Suborbital spine inserted on vertical through anterior margin of eye, reaching vertical through posterior margin
of eye, simple, without side branch, moderately curved (Fig. 2).
FIGURE 2. Leptobotia bellacauda; IAPG 8651, 87.6 mm SL; right suborbital spine, dorsal view. Scale bar 1 mm.

5. Zootaxa 4205 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press · 69
LEPTOBOTIA BELLACAUDA DESCRIPTION
FIGURE 3. Leptobotia bellacauda, sexual dimorphism; a, SNHM 20160221‒20160224, paratypes, size difference of pectoral
fin, left female 64.6 mm SL, right male 70.7 mm SL; b, IAPG A8654, 46.8 mm SL, paratype, male; left pectoral fin in dorsal
view. The majority of fin rays are covered with small tubercles (absent in females).

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Sexual dimorphism. Adult males with larger pectoral fins than females (pectoral-fin length 14.6‒16.4% SL vs
10.7‒12.9% SL); first (unbranched) pectoral-fin ray and following 4‒7 branched pectoral-fin rays with numerous
tiny tubercles along their dorsal surface in males (Fig. 3b).
Coloration. In most preserved specimens ground colour of body and dorsal side of head light brown to olive,
only darker on dorsal side. One specimen (Fig. 1d) with greyish body and head with only ventral side lighter.
Ventral half of head white. Narrow black stripe from snout to eye; broad black bar on base of caudal fin, usually
wider than eye diameter, reaching dorsal and ventral midline. A prominent black bar on caudal fin; usually located
on the distal half of fin, its shape retracing posterior margin of fin. In a single specimen (holotype) tips of caudal-
fin lobes black. Width and contrast variable, always wider than bar on base of caudal fin; in two larger specimens
dissociating into two bars. One black stripe on base of dorsal fin and one on dorsal fin, located on the distal half of
fin; interradial membrane hyaline. Usually a weak stripe present in the anal fin and in one paratype also in the
pelvic fin; body pigmentation otherwise absent. Lips, barbels white.
Colour in life slightly more vivid, ground colour between light brown and coffee brown.
Distribution. At present only known from two locations in Anhui Province, China. Both streams drain
northwards and into the Yangtze River (Fig. 4). An impression of the habitat is given by Fig. 5.
FIGURE 4. Rough distribution of species of Leptobotia in China and northern Vietnam. Red dotted line: L. elongata, L.
rubrilabris and L. taeniops; green dotted line: L. microphthalma; black dotted line: L. pellegrini; purple dotted line: L. tchangi;
1—L. flavolineata; 2—L.guilinensis; 3—L. hengyangensis; 4—L. orientalis; 5—L. posterodorsalis; 6 - L. punctata; 7—L.
tientaiensis. Red asterisks indicate the known localities of the new species Leptobotia bellacauda.

7. Zootaxa 4205 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press · 71
LEPTOBOTIA BELLACAUDA DESCRIPTION
FIGURE 5. Qiupu River in Anhui province, China. Type locality of Leptobotia bellacauda.
Etymology. From Latin ‘bella’ for ‘beautiful’ and ‘cauda’ for ‘tail’; a reference to the prominent pigmentation
on the caudal fin. An adjective.
Comparisons. All species of Botiidae have an erectable suborbital spine, a formation of the lateral ethmoid. In
most species this spine is bifid, meaning that it has a main branch (processus ventrocaudalis) and a sidebranch
(processus dorsacaudalis). A simple suborbital spine is found only in all 13 species of Leptobotia and in Sinibotia
zebra (Wu 1939; Chen 1980; Nalbant 2002) and is considered a diagnostic character for Leptobotia. Species of
Leptobotia differ from S. zebra by the absence of mental barbels on the lower lip (Fang 1936; Wu 1939; Chen
1980; Li et al. 2008; Nalbant 2002; Xu et al. 1981). The suborbital spine of L. bellacauda is simple and its lower
lip does not exhibit mental barbels, demonstrating that it is a member of the genus Leptobotia.
The most prominent character of L. bellacauda is the lack of any body pigmentation, together with the
presence of two pronounced black bars, one on the base of the caudal fin and the other on the caudal fin. Of the 13
species of Leptobotia considered valid by Kottelat (2012), eight have bars on the body or at least saddles on the
dorsum (L. elongata, L. flavolineata Wang, L. guilinensis, L. hengyangensis Huang & Zhang, L. orientalis Xu et al,
L. pellegrini Fang, L. rubrilabris Dabry de Thiersant, L. tchangi Fang), one (L. punctata) has spots on the sides and
one (L. taeniops (Sauvage)) a marbled or vermiculated pigmentation pattern with faint saddles (Fang 1936; Wu
1939; Chen 1980; Li et al. 2008; Nalbant 2002; Xu et al. 1981). Leptobotia bellacauda differs from all these
species by having (vs. not having) two black bars, one on the caudal-fin base and another on the caudal fin itself.
Only three species within the genus Leptobotia (L. microphthalma Fy & Ye, L. posterodorsalis and, L.
tientaiensis (Wu)) have a plain brown body. Leptobotia bellacauda differs from L. microphthalma by having larger
eyes (eye diameter 2.1‒3.1 % SL vs. 0.8‒1.0 % SL), a less deep emarginated caudal fin (length of median rays
1.5‒2.0 times in length of those on lower lobe, vs. 2.7‒3.1 times), presence (vs. absence) of a black stripe from
snout to eye, and by having a black bar on the caudal-fin base and another on the caudal fin (vs. having all fins in
the same colour as the body). Leptobotia bellacauda shares with L. posterodorsalis the general pigmentation
pattern (plain brown body with two prominent black bars on caudal-fin base and caudal fin, respectively), but
differs from L. posterodorsalis by having the pelvic fin inserted opposite or slightly in advance of the dorsal-fin
origin (vs. distinctly anterior to dorsal-fin origin); more branched rays in the dorsal fin (8 vs. 6‒7) and the pelvic fin
(7 vs. 6); long, pointed (vs. short and rounded) fins; a distinct (vs. faint) black stripe from snout to eye; and the
outer margin of the dorsal fin straight (vs. convex). Leptobotia bellacauda differs from L. tientaiensis by having the
anus closer to pelvic-fin base than to anal-fin origin (vs. closer to anal-fin origin), a much more compressed head
(head width at nares 4.3‒5.6% SL vs. 7.2% SL), larger interorbital width (2.8‒3.8 vs. 4.3% SL); a broad black bar

8. BOHLEN & ŠLECHTOVÁ
72 · Zootaxa 4205 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press
on caudal-fin base (wider than eye diameter vs. narrower than eye diameter); and distinct black bars on the dorsal
and caudal fin (vs. hyaline fins with dots, blotches or indistinct marbling).
Comparative material. Leptobotia guilinensis: IAPG A8861‒8883, 23 specimens, 62.7‒80.3 mm SL; China:
Guangxi: Li River. Leptobotia hengyangensis: IHASW 80013, syntype, 1; China: Hunan: Xiang River (by
photographs). Leptobotia microphthalma: IAPG A8536‒8543, 9 specimens, 66.3‒81.4 mm SL; China: Sichuan:
Min River. Leptobotia punctata: IAPG A9101, 1 specimen, 53.2 mm SL; China: Guangxi: Yong River. Leptobotia
tientaiensis: IHASW 790940 (syntype of L. tientaiensis hansuiensis), 1, China: Shaanxi: Langao (by photographs);
IAPG A9173, 1 specimen, 51.3 mm SL; China: Zhejiang: Ling River. Leptobotia tchangi: IAPG 9167‒9172, 6
specimens, 62.6‒111.8 mm SL, China: Zhejiang: Qiantang River. Further data taken from Aquatic Research
Institute of Guangxi (2006), Li et al. (2008), Xu et al. (1981), and Ye et al. (2015).
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank Fabian Herder and Serkan Güse for radiographing our material, E Zhang and Cao Liang for
photographs of L. hansuiensis and L. hengyangensis types as well as Heok-Hui Tan and Rohan Pethiyagoda for
valuable comments on the manuscript. The study was supported by grant 13‒37277 S of the Czech Science
Foundation and by the IRP IAPG No. RVO 67985904.
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