Magnischistura khaokrajom, a new genus and species of loach (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae) from the Pachi River drainage in Western Thailand

2026/02/10 by LAWRENCE M. PAGE, PARINYA PAWANGKHANT, Weerapongse Tangjitjaroen +3 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Environmental Science · #Fish Biology and Ecology Studies #Identification and Quantification in Food #Ichthyology and Marine Biology

paper · pdf · doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5757.6.7

Abstract

Magnischistura khaokrajom, new genus and species, is described from a small tributary of the Pachi River in the Suan Phueng region of the Tenasserim Hills in western Thailand. Magnischistura shares with several recently described genera of nemacheilids a globulous suborbital flap with tubercles at its extremity and a highly modified pectoral fin on mature males, but molecular data failed to support a close relationship to any of them. Morphologically, the new genus is distinguished by the presence of a suborbital flap in the female. The highly modified pectoral fin of males is hypothesized to facilitate juxtaposition with a female during spawning.

Discussions

• There's always a new loach from somewhere in SE Asia, which is cool. 🐟🌍 #TeamFish [bsky, 15 points, 0 comments]

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