Paraqianlabeo lineatus, new species

(Fig. 2; Table 2)

Holotype. SWU 20130710005, 65.1mm SL, a tributary flowing into Furong-Jiang of Wu-Jiang (Yangtze River) drainage at Wangcao, Suiyang County, Guizhou, South China, (28°13' N 107°13' E); coll. H.T. Zhao, July 2013.

Paratypes (21). CUMV 98006 (4), SWU 20130710006–22 (17), 62.8–80.8 mm SL, same data as holotype.

Diagnosis. A species of Paraqianlabeo with longitudinal dark stripe along side of body (Fig. 3); for additional features see the generic diagnosis.

Description. Whole body and morphology of oromandibular structures are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, respectively. Morphometric data for 22 type specimens are given in Table 2. A small-sized fish attaining length of up to 81 mm, body elongate and compressed, greatest depth at dorsal-fin origin. Caudal peduncle slender with smallest depth close to base of caudal fin. Dorsal profile of body gradually ascending from snout tip to dorsal-fin origin; from there to origin of dorsal procurrent caudal-fin rays profile slightly concave. Ventral profile from tip of snout to pectoral-fin insertion nearly straight; convex from there to anal-fin origin. Anal-fin base straight; slightly concave from posterior end of anal-fin base to origin of ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays. In size and shape of head, body and fins, it is most similar to another diminutive labeoninae Qianlabeo striatus Zhang & Chen, 2004, endemic to the Beipan-Jiang tributary (Fig. 4).

Head moderately large, longer than wide; interorbital space slightly concave. Eye medium-sized, dorsolaterally placed in anterior half of head. Snout blunt in lateral view and pointed in dorsal view, with shallow sublachrymal groove extending obliquely to corner of mouth; no tubercles on tip. Two pairs of barbels; rostral pair at anterior end of sublachrymal groove and well-developed maxillary pair at corner of mouth, longer than eye diameter but seven-tenths as long as rostral pair. Three rows of pharyngeal teeth, tooth pattern 5,4,2–2,4,5, with compressed and pointed distal tips (Fig. 5 a). Air bladder bipartite, anterior chamber oval, wider than posterior one; posterior chamber stick-like or elongate with an enlarged, pointed distal end, about twice as long as anterior chamber (Fig. 5 b). Gill rakers on outer side of first gill arch 14–16, short and small. Mouth inferior and arched.

Peritoneum black.

Body scales moderate in sized; ventral scales between pectoral fins and pelvic fins half-hidden and subcutaneous. Lateral line complete, horizontal, 39–42 scales; 5 scale rows above lateral line and 3 below. Predorsal midline scales very much smaller than ones on flank, irregularly arranged and embedded under skin anteriorly, difficult to count. Circumpeduncular scale rows 15–17. Axillary scale present at pelvic-fin base. Two scales between vent and anal-fin origin.

Dorsal-fin with 3 unbranched and 7½–8 branched rays, origin slightly nearer to tip of snout than to caudal-fin base; last simple ray soft, equal to or somewhat longer than HL and last branched ray split; distal margin slightly concave. Dorsal-fin origin roughly at midpoint of body, while pelvic-fin origin slightly posterior. Pectoral fin falcate, no longer than HL, extending slightly beyond midway to pelvic-fin insertion and as far as sixth or seventh scale anterior to pelvic fin insertion; with one unbranched and 13 or 14 branched rays. Pelvic fin with one unbranched and 8 or 9 branched rays, inserted vertically posterior to second branched dorsal-fin ray base, and extending to vent, but not to anal-fin origin. Anal fin with 3 unbranched and 5 branched rays, last one split to base; distal margin slightly concave; origin equidistant between pelvic-fin insertion and caudal-fin base. Caudal deeply forked; upper and lower lobes equal in length and similarly shaped, with tapering, rounded tips.