A NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS SINOCYCLOCHEILUS FROM CHINA (CYPRINIFORMES, CYPRINIDAE, BARBINAE)

Sinocyclocheilus xunlensis sp. nov. Holotype No. ASIZB 73169, 129*!mm SL, collec- ted from a cave in Xunle, Huanjiang, Guangxi, China in May 2001. The collection locality belongs to Liu River of Pearl River Basin. Paratype No. ASIZB 73167, 93*!mm SL; ASIZB 73168, 72*!mm SL; ASIZB 73170, 126*!mm SL; ASIZB 73171, 128*!mm SL. The collection time and locality is the same as holotype. All specimens are kept in Fish Collection Room of Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIZB). D. iii-7; P. i-12(11-13); V. ii-7; A. iii-5. Scales in lateral line 41-48. Gill-rakers 8. Vertebrae 4+36-37. Depth of body in standard length (SL) 3.3-3.8, width of body 7.5-8.0, head length 3.0-3.2, predorsal length 1.7-1.8, caudal peduncle length 5.7 (5.1-6.1), caudal peduncle depth 9.4 (8.8-10.2).Snout length in head length 3.0 (2.9-3.1), interorbital width 4.3 (4.0-4.7). Caudal peduncle depth in its length 1.8 (1.5-1.8). The new species differs from all other known species in the genus Sinocyclucheilus but is similar to S. anophthalmus Chen et Chu, 1988. The two species are different from each other in following characters: 1) the last unbranched dorsal-fin ray of the new species is weak, but S. anophthalmus is strong; 2) the upheaval of the new species in head is behind frontal, but the upheaval of S. anophthalmus is in the middle of frontal; 3) the lateral line of the new species is relative straight, but the one of S. anophthalmus has a curve between ventral fin and anal fin; 4) the pectoral fin length of the new species is longer than S. anophthalmus, exceeding the origin of ventral fin; 5) the distribution of both species is different; in addition, they are different in the same counts as depth and head length in standard length, caudal peduncle depth in its length, number of lateral line scales, vertebrae, etc.