Description of a New Subspecies of the Genus Saurogobio Bleeker (1870)

The genus Saurogobio Bleeker (1870) is a group of small-sized cyprinids.Saurogobio dabryi Bleeker (1871) is widely distributed in East Asia.On the basis of careful inspection of morphological and meristic characters of specimen collected from Chenghai Lake in Yunnan and the opening river systems including Pearl River,Minjiang River,Yangtze River,Liaohe River and Songhuajiang River,the Chenghai Lake population of Saurogobio dabryi is considered to represent a new subspecies,Saurogobio dabryi chenghaiensis.Saurogobio dabryi chenghaiensis is distinguished by the combination of follo wing characters.Rostral cap developed,covering over upper lip,and lips with developed papillae.Body and caudal peduncle very slender,body depth 12.7%-15.0% of standardlength(SL),caudal peduncle depth 5.5%-6.1% of SL and 31.8%-39.1% of caudal peduncle length.A longitudinal dark stripe present along the axis on each side of body and 6-11 stick-shaped black spots (its widths being 25%-5 0% of its lengths respectively) occur along the stripe.Distance from pelvic fin origin to anus is more than 50% of pelvic fin length.The length of the shortest caudal fin ray is less than 50% that of the longest one.The new subspecies occur s only in Chenghai Lake,Yunnan,China.