A NEW BLIND COBITID FISH (PISCES, CYPRINIFORMES) FROM SUBTERRANEAN WATERS IN YUNNAN, CHINA

A new noemacheiline fish has been discovered from subterranean waters,at a depth of about 400 meters under the ground surface in the south part of Yunnan,China.It is another true blind species of the family Cobitidae,besides Noemacheilus smithi Greenwood first reported from Iran in 1976.In this paper the new taxon is described in detail,and the habitat is also presented succinctly along with the observations on its behavior.Noemacheilus gejiuensis,sp.nov.Holotype: Standard length 49 mm.Register no.7803001,collected at Bajianjing near Qiafang of Gejiu,Yunnan on March 30,1978.Paratypes: 7 specimens,standard length 42-52mm.Register nos.7803002-008.Locality and time are the same as that of holotype.All the type specimens are kept in Kunming Institute of Zoology,Acadcmia Si-niea.Diagnosis The new species is easily distinguished from all epigean species of the genus by its complete absence of eyes nnd by its lack of pigmentation.It resembles Noemacheilus smithi from Iran in having the classic morphological features of a true blind cave fish,but differs remarkably from the latter in the absence of deep adipose ridge between the caudal and dorsal fins,in the shorter body and other morphological characters taken in combination.