title: [Morphologic differentiation analysis for rounded caudal fin group of Oreonectes (Balitoridae) from China].
abstract: Morphological characteristics were compared between three recorded species of rounded caudal fin Oreonectes and specimens collected from Guan'an of Guangxi. The results showed the Oreonectes sp. from Guan'an was distinguished from O. anphthalmus. Although some morphologic differentiations existed among Oreonectes sp., O. polystigmus, and O. platycephalus, their differentiations were not enough to distinguish between them. Consequently, we used multivariate morphometrics to determine their morphologic differentiation. Twenty-six frame characteristics and 20 general characteristics of 63 specimens were measured. The results of the Principal Component Analysis showed that Oreonectes sp. and O. polystigmus, and Oreonectes sp. and O. platycephalus occupied obviously different areas in the scatter plot. It is suggested that the specimens collected from Guan'an may be a cryptic new species of Oreonectes. However, its taxonomic status should be decided by evidence from anatomical and molecular biological studies.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Conservation Biology in Southwest Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, Kunming 650224, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Li-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jia-Hu
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lan
mesh_terms: D058500:Animal Fins / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D003531:Cypriniformes / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification*