Discovery of Three New Fish Species in China
Researchers from Shanghai Ocean University have recently identified three new fish species unique to China. These species are Beaufortia viridis, Beaufortia granulopinna, and Microdous hanlini.
TroibNews 
Researchers at Shanghai Ocean University have unearthed three new fish species native to China: Beaufortia viridis, Beaufortia granulopinna, and Microdous hanlini. The findings have been published in the academic journals "Zoosystematics and Evolution" and "Zootaxa."
Professor Tang Wenqiao from the university explains that Beaufortia viridis is a distinctive species located in mountain streams of central Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and western Yunnan Province. This fish boasts a deep green body adorned with zebra-like black stripes and has the ability to cling to rocks akin to a disc. Local inhabitants refer to it as the "green zebra."
The research team conducted field investigations during which they collected specimens, photographed, measured their morphology, and extracted and sequenced their DNA. The analysis revealed that the "green zebra" exhibits a 5.20 percent genetic divergence from the closest known species, surpassing the genetic divergence commonly seen in this group. As a result, the team has officially categorized it as a new species, naming it Beaufortia viridis.
While analyzing the distribution and population status of Beaufortia viridis, the researchers encountered fish in the Yunnan-Guangxi border area that appeared similar to Beaufortia pingi. These fish, however, had a unique characteristic: their pectoral fins were lined with rows of pearl-like tubercles, a feature not observed in other populations.
Curious about this anomaly, the team sequenced the DNA of these specimens and found a significant genetic distance from Beaufortia pingi—an impressive 11.15 percent, which is well beyond the typical divergence seen within the same genus. This distinct genetic separation confirmed that they had discovered another new species, which they named Beaufortia granulopinna.
Furthermore, Professor Li Chenhong's team also reported the identification of a new fish species native to China in the highly reputable journal "Zootaxa." The newly found species, Microdous hanlini, is the second new species in the genus Microdous that the team has identified after Microdous amblyrhynchos. It inhabits the southern region of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and is named in honor of Professor Wu Hanlin, a distinguished ichthyologist at Shanghai Ocean University.
(Cover image: Beaufortia viridis. /Courtesy of Chen Haojun)
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
Professor Tang Wenqiao from the university explains that Beaufortia viridis is a distinctive species located in mountain streams of central Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and western Yunnan Province. This fish boasts a deep green body adorned with zebra-like black stripes and has the ability to cling to rocks akin to a disc. Local inhabitants refer to it as the "green zebra."
The research team conducted field investigations during which they collected specimens, photographed, measured their morphology, and extracted and sequenced their DNA. The analysis revealed that the "green zebra" exhibits a 5.20 percent genetic divergence from the closest known species, surpassing the genetic divergence commonly seen in this group. As a result, the team has officially categorized it as a new species, naming it Beaufortia viridis.
While analyzing the distribution and population status of Beaufortia viridis, the researchers encountered fish in the Yunnan-Guangxi border area that appeared similar to Beaufortia pingi. These fish, however, had a unique characteristic: their pectoral fins were lined with rows of pearl-like tubercles, a feature not observed in other populations.
Curious about this anomaly, the team sequenced the DNA of these specimens and found a significant genetic distance from Beaufortia pingi—an impressive 11.15 percent, which is well beyond the typical divergence seen within the same genus. This distinct genetic separation confirmed that they had discovered another new species, which they named Beaufortia granulopinna.
Furthermore, Professor Li Chenhong's team also reported the identification of a new fish species native to China in the highly reputable journal "Zootaxa." The newly found species, Microdous hanlini, is the second new species in the genus Microdous that the team has identified after Microdous amblyrhynchos. It inhabits the southern region of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and is named in honor of Professor Wu Hanlin, a distinguished ichthyologist at Shanghai Ocean University.
(Cover image: Beaufortia viridis. /Courtesy of Chen Haojun)
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
