Black-spotted longnose gudgeon (Microphysogobio punctatus) as new species and M. elongatus as synonym of M. tungtingensis

NEWS - Researchers have established the black-spotted longnose gudgeon (Microphysogobio punctatus) as a new species and redescribed M. elongatus (Yao & Yang, 1977) as a junior synonym of M. tungtingensis (Nichols, 1926) based on morphological analysis and molecular evidence supported by mitochondrial gene sequences.

M. tungtingensis has been considered valid since its description, but its morphology is still vague especially when compared to another similar species, M. elongatus. In this study, researchers examined both species and compared several lots of specimens from a wide geographical range.

There was no significant morphological difference between the two. Molecular evidence supported by mitochondrial gene sequences also showed low genetic distance and suggested that M. elongatus is a junior synonym of M. tungtingensis. At the same time, M. punctatus was found to have a similar distribution to both.

M. punctatus is distributed in the Guijiang and Liujiang rivers, two northern tributaries of the Xijiang River system, which belong to the Pearl River basin. The specimen was also found in the upper Xiangjiang River flowing into the middle Yangtze River basin.

The new species inhabits slow-flowing river water with a width of 30-40 meters and usually in sandy areas with gravel and rocks. They coexist with Opsariichthys bidens, Acheilognathus tonkinensis, Squalidus argentatus, Sarcocheilichthys sp. Microphysogobio zhangi and Cobitis spp.

The name punctatus is derived from the Latin punctum, meaning spot. The name refers to the many black spots on the scales and fins. The suggested Chinese name for the species is “斑点小鳔鮈”.

A total of 37 haplotypes from 43 Microphysogobio individuals for the Cyt b gene were included in the molecular phylogenetic study and the new species is sister to M. bicolor (Nichols, 1930) which together is sister to the clade M. luhensis (Huang, Chen, Zhao & Shao 2018), M. kachekensis (Oshima, 1926) and M. yunnanensis (Yao & Yang, 1977).

Original research

Sun Z-X, Tang W-Q, Zhao Y-H (2024) Redescription of Microphysogobio tungtingensis (Nichols, 1926) with the description of a new species of the genus (Cypriniformes, Gobionidae) from southern China. ZooKeys 1214: 161-186, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1214.127061

Dlium theDlium

Yellow garden spider (Argiope appensa)

Yellow garden spider ( Argiope appensa ) is a species of spider in Araneidae that lives on the coast to forests on islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Black and yellow females are striking and have a length of 5.1-6.4 cm including long legs, while males are brown and have a length of about 1.9 cm. A. appensa lives on cliffs in the hills at 600 m above sea level in Kewu plain to rice fields in the lowlands. They make nests at a height of 1.5 meters from the ground between teak ( Tectona grandis ), sonokeling ( Dalbergia latifolia ), sonosiso ( Dalbergia sissoo ), crown flower ( Calotropis gigantea ) and various grasses. Yellow garden spiders grow in large sizes, but are not toxic to humans. Advanced builds ball-shaped nets and most of them make stabilizers which are zigzag-shaped lines in nets made of thicker bands. This species spends more time in stationary and sits in the middle of the net with its head down to wait for insects to be entangled in fine silk thread. Unli...

Skyflower (Duranta erecta)

Sinyo nakal or skyflower ( Duranta erecta ) is plant species in Verbenaceae, a broad shrub or small tree, up to 6 m high, stems growing upright or horizontally with broad clumps, many branches, bark light brown, old tree has axillary spines and grows to form dense colonies. D. erecta has bright green leaves, elliptical to ovoid, pointed or rounded ends, sitting opposite, 7.5 cm long, 3.5 cm wide, a main vein in the middle with several small lateral veins, petiole long 1.5 cm. Flowers are light blue or lavender or white, appear in tight clusters as on terminal stems and axils, often curled or pendulous, blooms in summer. The fruit is a berry having a stalk, small round, yellow or orange or white in color, up to 11 mm in diameter, an eye green in front and containing several seeds. Skyflower grows in dry or humid areas and lots of sun, rocky or sandy beaches, forests, farmland and disturbed places. Plants will grow at a rate of up to half a meter per year. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum:...

Pink trumpet tree (Tabebuia heterophylla)

Pink trumpet tree ( Tabebuia heterophylla ) is a species of plant in the Bignoniaceae family, growing 6–9 meters tall with a cylindrical trunk and brown bark that is often linearly fissured. The leaves are opposite, compound, with five or fewer minor leaflets. T. heterophylla has striking bright red flowers, tubular, five-lobed, and 5–7.5 cm long. The fruit is a cylindrical pod, up to 20 cm long and up to 1 cm wide. The pod stalk is up to 3 cm long. The pod splits along two lines to release numerous thin, light brown seeds, 0.5–2.5 cm long with two white wings. This species is often used as a street tree and shade tree for residential properties. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Bignoniaceae Genus: Tabebuia Species: Tabebuia heterophylla

Dlium