Body elongated; thoracic region flattened; abdomen rounded; caudal peduncle robust, compressed laterally. Mouth inferior, horseshoe-shaped; one pair of maxillary barbels rooted at upper lip extremity. Lips thick, with tiny papillae. Eyes large, positioned in dorsal half of head; interorbital region flattened, narrow. Body covered with moderately large cycloid scales; lateral line complete, almost straight. Ventral scaleless region only before pectoral-fin base end. Anus centrally located between the posterior end of pelvic-fin base and anal-fin origin. Dorsal fin with three unbranched and seven branched rays, distal margin deeply concave; anal fin with three unbranched and six branched rays; caudal fin deeply forked, with nine branched rays in upper lobe and eight branched rays in lower lobe, lobes pointed, upper lobe slightly more pointed than lower lobe. Gill rakers rudimentary. Pharyngeal teeth "3, 5–5, 3". Swim bladder small, two chambers; anterior rounded, posterior small, narrow; total length ~ ¹/₂ that of coelom.

The genus Mesogobio is monotypic, with M. lachneri as its type species.

This genus is endemic to the Yalu River, between North Korea and China, occurring in both mainstream and tributaries.

ASIZB 202636–202640, • 5 specimens, 67.2–74.6 mm SL; Fengcheng City, Dandong City, Liaoning Province, from the Caohe River (40.492°N, 124.086°E, ca 90 m a.s.l.); 23 September 2014. ASIZB 202886, • 1 specimen, 69.7 mm SL; Fengcheng City, Dandong City, Liaoning Province, from the Caohe River (40.492°N, 124.086°E, ca 90 m a.s.l.); 23 September 2014. ASIZB 241488, • 1 specimen, 91.3 mm SL; Linjiang City, Baishan City, Jilin Province, from the Yalu River (41.748°N, 127.001°E, ca 360 m a.s.l.); 20 August 2023. ASIZB 246552–246554, • 3 specimens, 88.8–103.4 mm SL; Linjiang City, Baishan City, Jilin Province, from the Wudaogouhe River (41.806°N, 126.910°E, ca 340 m a.s.l.); 21 August 2023.

Figure 2. 

General view of Mesogobio lachneri. A. Living individual, ASIZB 241488, Linjiang City, Baishan City, Jilin Province, from the main stream of the Yalu River; B. ASIZB 202640, 67.2 mm SL.

This species can be distinguished from other tribe Gobionini species in China by the following combination of characters: eyes large, interorbital region narrow; distal margin of dorsal fin deeply concave (vs moderate concave in other Chinese Gobio species); lateral-line scales 40–42 (vs > 43 in G. tumenensis and G. tenuicorpus); circumpeduncular scales 12 (vs > 12 in G. guentheri, G. coriparoides, G. tumenensis, G. huanghensis, and G. macrocephalus); anus centrally located between the posterior end of pelvic-fin base and anal-fin origin (vs positioned at posterior one-third in G. guentheri, G. coriparoides, and G. soldatovi); swim bladder small, total length ~ ¹/₂ that of the coelom (vs swim bladder developed, total length approximately equal to coelom in other Chinese Gobio species).

Body elongated, dorsal body profile rising from nostrils to dorsal-fin origin, dropping along dorsal-fin base, then gradually sloping to caudal-fin base. Maximum body depth at dorsal-fin origin, body depth 18.2%–21.5% SL. Head relatively elongated, length larger than body depth, HL 23.5%–26.4% SL; snout obtuse, with moderate concavity on top before nostrils. Mouth horseshoe-shaped, inferior, one pair of maxillary barbels rooted at extremity of upper lip; barbel relatively short, barbel length 27.2%–33.3% HL, reaching vertical through the center of the orbit. Upper lip thick, lower lip fused with throat, lips connected at mouth corners, tiny papillae present on lips, lateral lobes, and chin. Eyes large, eye diameter 28.2%–36.8% HL, positioned in dorsal half of head; interorbital region flattened and narrow, width smaller than eye diameter, interorbital width 15.3%–17.9% HL. Thoracic region flattened, abdomen rounded. Caudal peduncle robust, laterally compressed. Anus centrally located between the posterior end of pelvic-fin base and anal-fin origin.

Body covered with moderately large cycloid scales. Lateral line complete, almost straight in lateral center. Lateral line scales 40 (1 specimen), 41 (4), 42 (5); scales above lateral line 5 (1), 5.5 (8), 6.5 (1); scales below lateral line 3 (10); circumpeduncular scales 12 (10). Ventral scaleless region only before pectoral-fin base end.

Dorsal fin with three unbranched and seven (8 specimens), eight (2) branched rays; distal margin deeply concave; origin closer to snout than caudal-fin base. Pectoral fin with one unbranched and 12 (1), 13 (6), 14 (3) branched rays; adpressed pectoral-fin tip reaching anterior margin of pelvic-fin insertion. Pelvic fin with one unbranched and seven (10) branched rays; adpressed pelvic-fin tip reaching posterior to anus. Anal fin with three unbranched and six (10) branched rays; origin closer to pelvic-fin insertion than to caudal-fin base. Caudal fin deeply forked, with nine branched rays in upper lobe and eight branched rays in lower lobe, lobes pointed, upper lobe slightly more pointed than lower lobe.

Gill rakers rudimentary. Pharyngeal teeth “3, 5–5, 3". Swim bladder small, two chambers; anterior chamber rounded, posterior small and narrow; total length approximately half that of coelom.

Dorsal side of head and body greyish brown, mid-lateral side pale greyish brown, and ventral side grayish white. Lateral side with 7–9 black blotches. Posterior margins of scales on dorsal and lateral sides pigmented black, forming several longitudinal black stripes on upper lateral region of the body. A yellowish-green stripe with slight fluorescence present above the lateral line. One distinct black stripe between anterior orbit and snout. Fins translucent, with scattered black spots.

Dorsal side of head and body yellowish brown, mid-lateral side pale yellowish brown, and ventral side grayish white. Lateral side with 7–9 black blotches. Posterior margins of scales on dorsal and lateral sides pigmented black, forming several longitudinal black stripes on upper lateral region of the body. The fluorescent yellowish green stripe faded. One distinct black stripe between anterior orbit and snout. Fins pale, with scattered black spots.

No significant sexual dimorphism observed.

Mesogobio lachneri is endemic to the Yalu River drainage, occurring in both the main stream and its tributaries (Fig. 3A).

Figure 3. 

Distribution and habitat of Mesogobio lachneri. A. Geographic distribution of M. lachneri; B. The Yalu River, habitat of M. lachneri, photographed in Linjiang City, Baishan City, Jilin Province.

Mesogobio lachneri usually appears in fast-flowing water with pebble bottoms (Fig. 3B).

The name lachneri was named after Dr. Ernest A. Lachner who worked at the United States National Museum. The Chinese common name for this species is “中鮈” (Pinyin: zhōng jū).

Body elongated; thoracic region flattened; abdomen rounded; caudal peduncle robust, compressed laterally. Mouth inferior, horseshoe-shaped; one pair of maxillary barbels rooted at upper lip extremity; lips thin. Eyes moderately large, positioned in dorsal half of head; interorbital region flattened. Body covered with moderately large cycloid scales; lateral line complete, almost straight. Ventral scaleless region usually before pectoral-fin base end. Dorsal fin with three unbranched and seven branched rays; anal fin with three unbranched and six branched rays; caudal fin deeply forked, with nine branched rays in upper lobe and eight branched rays in lower lobe, lobes pointed, upper lobe slightly more pointed than lower lobe. Gill rakers rudimentary. Pharyngeal teeth “3, 5–5, 3". Swim bladder developed, two chambers; both chambers oblong, posterior larger than anterior; total length approximately equal to coelom.

The genus includes 11 valid species in China.

This genus is widely distributed across Eurasia. Its westernmost limit is the Iberian Peninsula, the easternmost limit is the Russian Far East, and its southernmost limit is the Luohe River in Shaanxi Province, a tributary of the Yellow River drainage. In China, species of the genus Gobio are distributed across several major drainages, including the Amur, Suifen, Tumen, Yalu, Haihe, Yellow, Irtysh, and Emin river drainages, as well as some coastal rivers in northeastern China.

This species can be distinguished from other Gobio species in China by the following combination of characters: barbel elongated, reaching beyond posterior preopercle margin (vs not extending over posterior preopercle margin in G. coriparoides, G. soldatovi, G. macrocephalus, G. tenuicorpus, G. rivuloides, G. fushunensis, G. cynocephalus, and G. acutipinnatus); circumpeduncular scales 20–24 (vs < 20 in G. coriparoides, G. soldatovi, G. huanghensis, G. tenuicorpus, G. rivuloides, G. fushunensis, G. cynocephalus, and G. acutipinnatus); anus positioned at posterior one-third of distance from pelvic-fin base end to anal-fin origin (vs centrally located or closer to pelvic-fin base end in G. tumenensis, G. huanghensis, G. macrocephalus, G. tenuicorpus, G. rivuloides, G. fushunensis, G. cynocephalus, and G. acutipinnatus). The second unbranched ray of the dorsal fin forms a stiff spine (vs soft in other Chinese Gobio species in); no scales on pre-dorsal region (vs scaled in other Chinese Gobio species); ventral scaleless region extends beyond pelvic-fin base (vs ventral scaleless region not reaching pelvic fin base in other Chinese Gobio species). For a detailed description see Fang et al. (2025).

Figure 4. 

General view of Gobio guentheri. A. Living individual, ASIZB 242039, Jishishan Bonan, Dongxiang and Salar Autonomous County, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, from the Yinchuanhe River; B. ASIZB 78482, 136.9 mm SL (Fang et al. 2025).

Gobio guentheri distributed in the upper reaches of the Yellow River drainage (Fig. 5A).

Figure 5. 

Distribution and habitat of Gobio guentheri. A. Geographic distribution of G. guentheri; B. The Yellow River, habitat of G. guentheri, photographed in Liulin County, Lvliang City, Shanxi Province.

Gobio guentheri usually appears in fast-flowing water with sandy bottoms (Fig. 5B).

The name guentheri was named after Dr. Albert Günther who worked at the British Museum. The Chinese common name for this species is “刺鮈” (Pinyin: cì jū).

This species can be distinguished from other Gobio species in China by the following combination of characters: lateral-line scales 39–41 (vs > 41 in G. tumenensis and G. tenuicorpus); circumpeduncular scales 16–20 (vs < 16 in G. cynocephalus); anus positioned at posterior one-third of distance from pelvic-fin base end to anal-fin origin (vs centrally located or closer to pelvic-fin base end in G. tumenensis, G. huanghensis, G. macrocephalus, G. tenuicorpus, G. rivuloides, G. fushunensis, G. cynocephalus, and G. acutipinnatus); fins without black spots (vs with black spots in G. soldatovi). For a detailed description see Fang et al. (2025).

Figure 6. 

General view of Gobio coriparoides. A. Living individual, uncatalogued, Duanjiazhai Township, Jingle County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province, from the Fenhe River; B. ASIZB 242041, 68.3 mm SL (Fang et al. 2025).

Gobio coriparoides inhabits the tributaries of the Yellow River drainage (e.g., Fenhe, Qinhe, and Kuyehe Rivers). It is rarely found in the main stream of the Yellow River (Fig. 7A).

Figure 7. 

Distribution and habitat of Gobio coriparoides. A. Geographic distribution of G. coriparoides; B. The Fenhe River, a tributary of the Yellow River drainage, habitat of G. coriparoides, photographed in Duanjiazhai Township, Jingle County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province.

Gobio coriparoides usually appears in fast-flowing water with sandy bottoms mixed with gravel and pebbles (Fig. 7B).

The name coriparoides was derived from Coripareius, a synonym of the genus Coreius, which is a genus of Gobionidae. Nichols was tempted to place this species in Coripareius since their teeth were not typical of Gobio. The Chinese common name for this species is “似铜鮈” (Pinyin: sì tóng jū).

ASIZB 197165–197168, • 4 specimens, 62.7–76.2 mm SL; Miyun District, Beijing, from the Andamuhe River (40.650°N, 117.429°E, ca 500 m a.s.l.); 7 July 2013. ASIZB 219151–219159, • 9 specimens, 66.7–87.6 mm SL; Xinglong County, Chengde City, Hebei Province, from the Liuhe River (40.475°N, 117.567°E, ca 530 m a.s.l.); 27 September 2020. ASIZB 240001–240002, 240004, • 3 specimens, 81.0–85.2 mm SL; Chengde County, Chengde City, Hebei Province, from the Laoniuhe River (40.859°N, 118.229°E, ca 320 m a.s.l.); 9 October 2023. ASIZB 242098–242099, 248242, • 3 specimens, 62.0–84.7 mm SL; Xunke County, Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, from the Xunhe River (49.378°N, 128.626°E, ca 130 m a.s.l.); 5 April 2023. ASIZB 248243–248244, • 2 specimens, 90.0–102.7 mm SL; Pingquan County, Chengde City, Hebei Province, from the Baohe River (40.983°N, 118.670°E, ca 490 m a.s.l.); 21 July 2023. ASIZB 248245–248251, • 7 specimens, 61.7–74.5 mm SL; Acheng District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, from the Toudaohe River (45.470°N, 127.360°E, ca 300 m a.s.l.); 22 March 2024.

Figure 8. 

General view of Gobio soldatovi. A. Living individual, uncatalogued, Songfengshan Township, Acheng County, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, from the Toudaohe River; B. ASIZB 248243, 102.7 mm SL.

This species can be distinguished from other Gobio species in China by the following combination of characters: lateral-line scales 38–41 (vs > 41 in G. tumenensis and G. tenuicorpus); circumpeduncular scales 12–16 (vs > 16 in G. guentheri); anus positioned at posterior one-third of distance from pelvic-fin base end to anal-fin origin (vs centrally located or closer to pelvic-fin base end in G. tumenensis, G. huanghensis, G. macrocephalus, G. tenuicorpus, G. rivuloides, G. fushunensis, G. cynocephalus, and G. acutipinnatus); fins with black spots (vs absent in G. coriparoides).

Body relatively abbreviated, dorsal body profile rising from nostrils to dorsal-fin origin, dropping along dorsal-fin base, then gradually sloping to caudal-fin base. Maximum body depth at dorsal-fin origin, body depth 19.2%–26.0% SL. Head elongated, length larger than body depth, HL 25.7%–30.1% SL; snout elongated, with moderate concavity on top before nostrils. Mouth horseshoe-shaped, inferior, with one pair of maxillary barbels rooted at extremity of upper lip, barbel relatively short, reaching vertical through the center of the orbit, barbel length 21.8%–32.2% HL. Upper lip thin, lower lip fused with throat, lips connected at mouth corners. Eyes positioned in dorsal half of head, eye diameter 24.1%–30.4% HL; interorbital region flattened, width smaller than eye diameter, interorbital width 21.2%–26.9% HL. Thoracic region flattened, abdomen rounded. Caudal peduncle robust, laterally compressed. Anus positioned at posterior one-third of distance from pelvic-fin base end to anal-fin origin.

Body covered with moderately large cycloid scales. Lateral line complete, almost straight in lateral center. Lateral line scales 38 (8 specimens), 39 (10), 40 (8), 41 (2); scales above lateral line 5 (1), 5.5 (3), 6 (3), 6.5 (20), 7.5 (1); scales below lateral line 3 (2), 4 (26); circumpeduncular scales 12 (1), 14 (16), 16 (11). Ventral scaleless region only before pectoral-fin base end.

Dorsal fin with three unbranched and seven (28 specimens) branched rays; distal margin concave; origin closer to snout than caudal-fin base. Pectoral fin with one unbranched and 12 (2), 13 (9), 14 (14), 15 (3) branched rays; adpressed pectoral-fin tip not reaching anterior margin of pelvic-fin insertion. Pelvic fin with one unbranched and seven (28) branched rays; adpressed pelvic-fin tip reaching posterior to anus. Anal fin with three unbranched and six (28) branched rays; origin closer to pelvic-fin insertion than to caudal-fin base. Caudal fin deeply forked, with nine branched rays in upper lobe and eight branched rays in lower lobe, lobes pointed, upper lobe slightly more pointed than lower lobe.

Gill rakers rudimentary. Pharyngeal teeth “2, 5–5, 2". Swim bladder developed, two chambers; both chambers oblong, posterior larger than anterior; total length approximately equal to coelom.

Dorsal side of head and body greyish green, mid-lateral side pale greyish green, and ventral side grayish white. Lateral side with 8–11 black blotches. Posterior margins of scales on dorsal and lateral sides pigmented black, forming several longitudinal black stripes on upper lateral region of the body. A yellowish-green stripe with slight fluorescence present above the lateral line. One distinct black stripe between anterior orbit and snout. Fins translucent, with scattered black spots.

Dorsal side of head and body black, mid-lateral side dark grey, and ventral side grayish white. Blotches on flank vague, merging into a dark stripe. Posterior margins of scales on dorsal and lateral sides pigmented black, forming several longitudinal black stripes on upper lateral region of the body. The fluorescent yellowish green stripe faded. One distinct black stripe between anterior orbit and snout. Fins pale, with scattered black spots.

No significant sexual dimorphism observed.

Distribution. Gobio soldatovi is widely distributed in the Haihe, Luanhe, Dalinghe, Liaohe, Yalu, and Amur river drainages (Fig. 9A).

Figure 9. 

Distribution and habitat of Gobio soldatovi. A. Geographic distribution of G. soldatovi; B. The Liuhe River, a tributary of the Luanhe River drainage, habitat of G. soldatovi, photographed in Pinganpu Township, Xinglong County, Chengde City, Hebei Province.

Gobio soldatovi usually appears in fast-flowing water with sandy bottoms mixed with gravel and pebbles (Fig. 9B).

The name soldatovi was named after B. K. Soldatov, the collector of the type specimens. The Chinese common name for this species is “高体鮈” (Pinyin: gāo tǐ jū).

Gobio soldatovi minulus was originally described by Nichols (1925) as a new subspecies under G. soldatovi. Its type locality is Kweihwa, Shansi (now Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region). Yue (1998) listed G. soldatovi minulus as a junior synonym of G. lingyuanensis, but did not provide any specimen comparison information. We examined the holotype AMNH 8417 and paratypes AMNH 10573 (10 specimens) of G. soldatovi minulus. These type materials have 38–40 lateral line scales; 5.5–6.5 scales above lateral line; 3–4 scales below lateral line; 14–16 circumpeduncular scales; barbel relatively short, reaching vertical through the center of the orbit; anus closer to anal-fin origin than pelvic-fin base end. Since all of the characters described above agree with those of G. soldatovi, G. soldatovi minulus should be considered a junior synonym of G. soldatovi.

Mori (1934) originally described Gobio lingyuanensis based on the specimens collected from Te-ling-ho, Ling-yuan (Lingyuan City, Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province, the Dalinghe River drainage) and Hsing-lung-shan (Xinglong County, Chengde City, Hebei Province, the Luanhe River drainage). According to the original description, G. lingyuanensis is similar to G. soldatovi, but the former has a longer head and a shorter caudal peduncle; these characters, however, cannot clearly distinguish these two species. Some taxonomic keys proposed in previous studies (e.g., Luo et al. 1977 and Yue 1998) were also not able to clearly distinguish these two species from each other. Based on the distribution stated in the original descriptions, we identified the specimens that were collected from the Luanhe and Haihe river drainages as G. lingyuanensis, while those from the Amur River drainage as G. soldatovi. We measured these newly collected specimens, and the results are presented in Table 4. Mann–Whitney U tests with Bonferroni correction were performed to assess differences in morphometric characters between the two species. Only body depth showed a significant difference after correction (adjusted p = 0.000768), whereas the remaining characters showed no significant differences. We further conducted principal component analysis (PCA) to evaluate whether the two species could be separated based on overall morphology. The PCA results are presented in Fig. 10 and the loadings are shown in Table 5. The first three components contributed 94.5% of the variance. Neither principal component 1 (PC 1) versus PC 2 nor PC 2 versus PC 3 showed clear separation between G. soldatovi and G. lingyuanensis. These results suggest that the two species are not clearly differentiated based on the morphometric characters examined.

Figure 10. 

A. Scatterplot of PC1 against PC2; B. PC2 against PC3 extracted from 19 morphometric data of Gobio soldatovi and G. lingyuanensis.

The phylogenetic tree shows that Gobio lingyuanensis is nested within G. soldatovi (Fig. 1). The genetic distance (Table 2) between G. lingyuanensis and G. soldatovi is 0.0038, which is comparable to the intraspecific distances of G. soldatovi (0.0023) and G. lingyuanensis (0.0053). This result further supports G. lingyuanensis to be a junior synonym of G. soldatovi.

ASIZB 62908, holotype, 153.9 mm SL; Helong County, Yanbian Chaoxianzu Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, from the Tumen River; 4 June 1977. ASIZB 62912, 62914, 62916, 62918, 62924, paratypes, • 5 specimens, 84.2–112.2 mm SL; Wangqing County, Yanbian Chaoxianzu Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, from the Gayahe River; 25 June 1977. ASIZB 61666, • 1 specimen, 132.7 mm SL; Hunchun County, Yanbian Chaoxianzu Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, from the Hunchunhe River (42.895°N, 130.781°E, ca 200 m a.s.l.). ASIZB 238333, • 1 specimen, 85.5 mm SL; Hunchun County, Yanbian Chaoxianzu Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, from the Mijianghe River (42.995°N, 130.144°E, ca 60 m a.s.l.); 2 September 2022. ASIZB 238481, 238486, • 2 specimens, 74.6–109.6 mm SL; Tumen County, Yanbian Chaoxianzu Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, from the Gayahe River (43.100°N, 129.788°E, ca 90 m a.s.l.); 3 September 2022. ASIZB 248201, 248900, • 2 specimens, 70.2–96.1 mm SL; Antu County, Yanbian Chaoxianzu Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, from the Buerhatonghe River (43.019°N, 129.039°E, ca 300 m a.s.l.); 24 August 2023.

Figure 11. 

General view of Gobio tumenensis. A. Living individual, uncatalogued, Antu County, Yanbian Chaoxianzu Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, from the Bu’erhatonghe River; B. ASIZB 248900, 96.1 mm SL.

This species can be distinguished from other Gobio species in China by the following combination of characters: barbel elongated, extending over posterior preopercle margin (vs not extending over posterior preopercle margin in G. coriparoides, G. soldatovi, G. macrocephalus, G. tenuicorpus, G. rivuloides, G. fushunensis, G. cynocephalus, and G. acutipinnatus); lips thick, upper and lower jaws with horny edges (vs without horny jaws in other Chinese Gobio species); tiny papillae on lips, lateral lobes, and chin (vs absent in other Gobio species except G. huanghensis); lateral-line scales 43–46 (vs < 43 in G. coriparoides, G. soldatovi, and G. fushunensis); circumpeduncular scales 16–20 (vs < 16 in G. cynocephalus); anus centrally located between the posterior end of pelvic-fin base and anal-fin origin (vs positioned at posterior one-third in G. guentheri, G. coriparoides, and G. soldatovi).

Body elongated, dorsal body profile rising from nostrils to dorsal-fin origin, dropping along dorsal-fin base, then gradually sloping to caudal-fin base. Maximum body depth at dorsal-fin origin, body depth 18.5%–22.6% SL. Head elongated, length larger than body depth, HL 22.7%–25.0% SL; snout elongated, with moderate concavity on top before nostrils. Mouth horseshoe-shaped, inferior; upper and lower jaws with horny edges; one pair of maxillary barbels rooted at extremity of upper lip, barbel elongated, barbel length 27.8%–47.3% HL, extending over posterior preopercle margin. Upper lip thick, lower lip fused with throat, lips connected at mouth corners, tiny papillae on lips, lateral lobes, and chin. Eyes positioned in dorsal half of head, eye diameter 23.4%–28.9% HL; interorbital region flattened, width smaller than eye diameter, interorbital width 17.5%–21.8% HL. Thoracic region flattened, abdomen rounded. Caudal peduncle robust, laterally compressed. Anus centrally located between the posterior end of pelvic-fin base and anal-fin origin.

Body covered with moderately large cycloid scales. Lateral line complete, almost straight in lateral center. Lateral line scales 43 (3 specimens), 44 (6), 45 (1), 46 (2); scales above lateral line 7.5 (10), 8 (1), 8.5 (1); scales below lateral line 4 (3), 5 (9); circumpeduncular scales 16 (4), 18 (7), 20 (1). Ventral scaleless region only before pectoral-fin base end.

Dorsal fin with three unbranched and seven (12 specimens) branched rays; distal margin concave; origin closer to snout than caudal-fin base. Pectoral fin with one unbranched and 13 (4), 14 (5), 15 (2), 16 (1) branched rays; adpressed pectoral-fin tip not reaching anterior margin of pelvic-fin insertion. Pelvic fin with one unbranched and seven (12) branched rays; adpressed pelvic-fin tip reaching posterior to anus. Anal fin with three unbranched and six (12) branched rays; origin closer to pelvic-fin insertion than to caudal-fin base. Caudal fin deeply forked, with nine branched rays in upper lobe and eight branched rays in lower lobe, lobes pointed, upper lobe slightly more pointed than lower lobe.

Gill rakers rudimentary. Pharyngeal teeth “3, 5–5, 3". Swim bladder relatively developed, two chambers; anterior chamber oblong, posterior narrow, posterior larger than anterior; total length ~ ²/₃ of coelom.

Dorsal side of head and body yellowish brown, mid-lateral side pale yellowish brown, and ventral side grayish white. Lateral side with 9–11 black blotches. Posterior margins of scales on dorsal and lateral sides pigmented black. A yellowish-green stripe with slight fluorescence present above the lateral line. One distinct black stripe between anterior orbit and snout. Fins translucent, dorsal fin, pectoral fin, and caudal fin with black spots; pelvic fin and anal fin with slightly black pigment.

Dorsal side of head and body yellowish brown, mid-lateral side pale yellowish brown, and ventral side grayish white. Lateral side with 9–11 black blotches. Posterior margins of scales on dorsal and lateral sides pigmented black. The fluorescent yellowish green stripe faded. One distinct black stripe between anterior orbit and snout. Fins pale, dorsal fin, pectoral fin, and caudal fin with black spots; pelvic fin and anal fin with slightly black pigment.

No significant sexual dimorphism observed.

Gobio tumenensis is endemic to the Tumen River drainage, occurring in both the main stream and its tributaries (Fig. 12A).

Figure 12. 

Distribution and habitat of Gobio tumenensis. A. Geographic distribution of G. tumenensis; B. The Bu’erhatonghe River, a tributary of the Tumen River drainage, habitat of G. tumenensis, photographed in Antu County, Yanbian Chaoxianzu Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province.

Gobio tumenensis usually appears in fast-flowing water with sandy bottoms mixed with gravel and pebbles (Fig. 12B).

The name tumenensis refers to the Tumen River, the habitat of this species. The Chinese common name for this species is “图们鮈” (Pinyin: tú mén jū).

We found that one of the paratype specimens of Gobio tumenensis (ASIZB 62922) exhibits some morphological differences from other specimens. This specimen has a more elongated head (length 25.0% of body length) and shorter barbel which reaches the vertical through the center of the orbit, with the length 26.2% of head length. After a detailed morphological comparison, we confirmed that this specimen is actually G. macrocephalus.

Gobio tumenensis was placed in the genus Mesogobio in its original description (Zheng et al. 1980). Yang et al. (2006) constructed a phylogenetic tree using cytb sequences and found that the M. tumenensis was nested within the genus Gobio. Tang et al. (2011) further explored the phylogeny of Gobioninae, and their result also supported the placement of M. tumenensis within Gobio. To maintain the monophyly of the genus Gobio, they recommended reclassifying M. tumenensis as a member of Gobio, with the valid combination being Gobio tumenensis. Our phylogenetic tree also supports this result: G. tumenensis is nested within the genus Gobio and forms a sister group with G. cynocephalus (Fig. 1).

We further explored the morphological differences between the genera Mesogobio and Gobio. We found that the swim bladder of Mesogobio is reduced, with its total length approximately half that of the coelom; in contrast, the swim bladder of Gobio is developed, with its total length roughly equal to that of the coelom. The swim bladder of G. tumenensis is relatively developed, with its total length approximately two-thirds that of the coelom (Fig. 13). This morphological character further supports that G. tumenensis should belong to the genus Gobio.

Figure 13. 

Swim bladder of species in the tribe Gobionini. A. Gobio acutipinnatus; B. Mesogobio lachneri; C. G. tumenensis. AC = anterior chamber; PC = posterior chamber. Scale bar: 10 mm.

This species can be distinguished from other Gobio species in China by the following combination of characters: barbel elongated, reaching beyond posterior preopercle margin (vs not extending over posterior preopercle margin in G. coriparoides, G. soldatovi, G. macrocephalus, G. tenuicorpus, G. rivuloides, G. fushunensis, G. cynocephalus, and G. acutipinnatus); tiny papillae on lips, lateral lobes, and chin (vs absent in other Gobio species except G. tumenensis); circumpeduncular scales 14–16 (vs 20–24 in G. guentheri); anus centrally located between pelvic-fin base end and anal-fin origin (vs positioned at posterior one-third in G. guentheri, G. coriparoides, and G. soldatovi). For a detailed description see Fang et al. (2025).

Figure 14. 

General view of Gobio huanghensis. A. Living individual, uncatalogued, Fengjiachuan Township, Baode County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province, from the Yellow River; B. ASIZB 242040, 88.6 mm SL (Fang et al. 2025).

Gobio huanghensis inhabits the main stream of the Yellow River drainage (Fig. 15A).

Figure 15. 

Distribution and habitat of Gobio huanghensis. A. Geographic distribution of G. huanghensis; B. The Yellow River, habitat of G. huanghensis, photographed in Daning County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province.

Gobio huanghensis usually appears in fast-flowing water with sandy bottoms and high turbidity, which is caused by fine sediments (Fig. 15B).

The name huanghensis refers to the Yellow River, the habitat of this species. The Chinese common name for this species is “黄河鮈” (Pinyin: huáng hé jū).

ASIZB 241451–241455, 241495–241496, • 7 specimens, 88.2–119.7 mm SL; Tonghua County, Tonghua City, Jilin Province, from the Hunjiang River (41.573°N, 125.863°E, ca 350 m a.s.l.). ASIZB 241491–241493, • 3 specimens, 69.0–96.7 mm SL; Antu County, Yanbian Chaoxianzu Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, from the Buerhatonghe River (43.019°N, 129.039°E, ca 300 m a.s.l.); 24 August 2023. ASIZB 241494, • 1 specimen, 69.3 mm SL; Dongning County, Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province, from the Suifenhe River (44.071°N, 131.130°E, ca 100 m a.s.l.); 27 August 2023. ASIZB 249411–249412, • 2 specimens, 93.3–98.9 mm SL; Wangqing County, Yanbian Chaoxianzu Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, from the Gayahe River (44.365°N, 129.643°E, ca 300 m a.s.l.); 26 August 2023.

Figure 16. 

General view of Gobio macrocephalus. A. Living individual, uncatalogued, Kuaidamao Township, Tonghua County, Tonghua City, Jilin Province, from the Hunjiang River; B. ASIZB 249412, 93.3 mm SL.

This species can be distinguished from other Gobio species in China by the following combination of characters: head elongated, head length 26.0%–28.8% (mean 27.3%) of standard length (vs mean HL < 26.0% SL in G. guentheri, G. coriparoides, G. tumenensis, G. huanghensis, G. tenuicorpus, G. rivuloides, G. fushunensis, G. cynocephalus, and G. acutipinnatus); circumpeduncular scales 16–20 (vs < 16 in G. cynocephalus); anus centrally located between the posterior end of pelvic-fin base and anal-fin origin (vs positioned at posterior one-third in G. guentheri, G. coriparoides, and G. soldatovi).

Body elongated, dorsal body profile rising from nostrils to dorsal-fin origin, dropping along dorsal-fin base, then gradually sloping to caudal-fin base. Maximum body depth at dorsal-fin origin, body depth 16.4%–21.7% SL. Head elongated, length larger than body depth, HL 26.0%–28.8% SL; snout elongated, with moderate concavity on top before nostrils. Mouth horseshoe-shaped, inferior, with one pair of maxillary barbels rooted at extremity of upper lip, barbel elongated, reaching vertical through the center of the orbit, barbel length 20.5%–34.8% HL. Upper lip thin, lower lip fused with throat, lips connected at mouth corners. Eyes positioned in dorsal half of head, eye diameter 22.2%–27.7% HL; interorbital region flattened, width smaller than eye diameter, interorbital width 17.5%–21.7% HL. Thoracic region flattened, abdomen rounded. Caudal peduncle robust, laterally compressed. Anus centrally located between the posterior end of pelvic-fin base and anal-fin origin.

Body covered with moderately large cycloid scales. Lateral line complete, almost straight in lateral center. Lateral line scales 40 (1 specimen), 41 (4), 42 (6), 43 (2); scales above lateral line 7 (1), 7.5 (11), 8.5 (1); scales below lateral line 4 (11), 5 (2); circumpeduncular scales 16 (11), 18 (1), 20 (1). Ventral scaleless region only before pectoral-fin base end.

Dorsal fin with three unbranched and seven (13 specimens) branched rays; distal margin concave; origin closer to snout than caudal-fin base. Pectoral fin with one unbranched and 14 (8), 15 (5) branched rays; adpressed pectoral-fin tip not reaching anterior margin of pelvic-fin insertion. Pelvic fin with one unbranched and seven (12), 8(1) branched rays; adpressed pelvic-fin tip reaching posterior to anus. Anal fin with three unbranched and six (13) branched rays; origin closer to pelvic-fin insertion than to caudal-fin base. Caudal fin deeply forked, with nine branched rays in upper lobe and eight branched rays in lower lobe, lobes pointed, upper lobe slightly more pointed than lower lobe.

Gill rakers rudimentary. Pharyngeal teeth “3, 5–5, 3". Swim bladder developed, two chambers; both chambers oblong, posterior larger than anterior; total length approximately equal to coelom.

Dorsal side of head and body yellowish brown, mid-lateral side greyish yellow, and ventral side grayish white. Lateral side with 7–11 black blotches. Posterior margins of scales on dorsal and lateral sides pigmented black. A yellowish-green stripe with slight fluorescence present above the lateral line. One distinct black stripe between anterior orbit and snout. Fins translucent, dorsal fin, pectoral fin, and caudal fin with black spots; pelvic fin and anal fin with slightly black pigment.

Dorsal side of head and body yellowish brown, mid-lateral side pale yellowish brown, and ventral side grayish white. Lateral side with 7–11 black blotches. Posterior margins of scales on dorsal and lateral sides pigmented black. The fluorescent yellowish green stripe faded. One distinct black stripe between anterior orbit and snout. Fins pale, dorsal fin, pectoral fin, and caudal fin with black spots; pelvic fin and anal fin with slightly black pigment.

No significant sexual dimorphism observed.

Gobio macrocephalus is distributed in the Yalu, Tumen, Suifenhe, and Amur river drainages. It is rare in the Yalu and Amur river drainages, where it is found only in the Hunjiang River (a tributary of the Yalu River drainage) and the Erdaobaihe River (a tributary of the Amur River drainage). In contrast, it is widespread in both the main streams and tributaries of the Tumen and Suifenhe river drainages. (Fig. 17A).

Figure 17. 

Distribution and habitat of Gobio macrocephalus. A. Geographic distribution of G. macrocephalus; B. The Gayahe River, a tributary of the Tumen River drainage, habitat of G. macrocephalus, photographed in Wangqing County, Yanbian Chaoxianzu Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province.

Gobio macrocephalus usually appears in fast-flowing water with sandy bottoms mixed with gravel and pebbles (Fig. 17B).

The name macrocephalus is derived from Latin elements macro- and -cephalus. The prefix macro- means large, and the suffix -cephalus means head. This name refers to the species having a relatively elongated head. The Chinese common name for this species is “大头鮈” (Pinyin: dà tóu jū).

ASIZB 241499–241500, 242000–242002, • 5 specimens, 89.8–98.5 mm SL; Xunke County, Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, from the Amur River (49.564°N, 128.368°E, ca 80 m a.s.l.); 12 May 2022. ASIZB 239619, 239621, • 2 specimens, 72.0–97.4 mm SL; Luanping County, Chengde City, Hebei Province, from the Luanhe River (40.988°N, 117.499°E, ca 420 m a.s.l.); 6 October 2023. ASIZB 248252–248266, • 15 specimens, 104.6–124.0 mm SL; Shuangluan Distinct, Chengde City, Hebei Province, from the Luanhe River (40.947°N, 117.791°E, ca 360 m a.s.l.); 20 November 2023. ASIZB 248288–248289, • 2 specimens, 70.5–89.9 mm SL; Sujiatun Distinct, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, from the Beishahe River, a tributary of the Liaohe River (41.593°N, 123.487°E, ca 50 m a.s.l.); 2 June 2025.

Figure 18. 

General view of Gobio tenuicorpus. A. Living individual, uncatalogued, Sujiatun Distinct, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, from the Hunjiang River; B. ASIZB 242000, 92.5 mm SL.

This species can be distinguished from other Gobio species in China by the following combination of characters: lateral-line scales 43–46 (vs < 43 in G. coriparoides, G. soldatovi, and G. fushunensis); circumpeduncular scales 12–16 (vs > 16 in G. guentheri); ventral scaleless region extends to middle of pectoral-fin base and to pelvic-fin base (vs not extending beyond pectoral-fin base in G. soldatovi, G. tumenensis, G. huanghensis, G. macrocephalus, G. fushunensis, G. cynocephalus, and G. acutipinnatus); anus positioned at anterior one-third of distance from pelvic-fin base end to anal-fin origin (vs centrally located or in posterior one-third in other Chinese Gobio species).

Body elongated, dorsal body profile rising from nostrils to dorsal-fin origin, dropping along dorsal-fin base, then gradually sloping to caudal-fin base. Maximum body depth at dorsal-fin origin, body depth 14.8%–21.8% SL. Head elongated, length larger than body depth, HL 21.4%–24.2% SL; snout elongated, with moderate concavity on top before nostrils. Mouth horseshoe-shaped, inferior, with one pair of maxillary barbels rooted at extremity of upper lip, barbel elongated, reaching vertical through the posterior of the orbit, barbel length 29.0%–42.1% HL. Upper lip thin, lower lip fused with throat, lips connected at mouth corners. Eyes positioned in dorsal half of head, eye diameter 26.8%–32.3% HL; interorbital region flattened, width smaller than eye diameter, interorbital width 19.0%–24.5% HL. Thoracic region flattened, abdomen rounded. Caudal peduncle elongated, laterally compressed. Anus positioned at anterior one-third of distance from pelvic-fin base end to anal-fin origin.

Body covered with moderately large cycloid scales. Lateral line complete, almost straight in lateral center. Lateral line scales 43 (3 specimens), 44 (11), 45 (7), 46 (3); scales above lateral line 5.5 (4), 6 (3), 6.5 (17); scales below lateral line 3 (21), 4 (3); circumpeduncular scales 12 (3), 14 (20), 16 (1). Ventral scaleless region extends to middle of pectoral-fin base and to pelvic-fin base.

Dorsal fin with three unbranched and seven (24 specimens) branched rays; distal margin concave; origin closer to snout than caudal-fin base. Pectoral fin with one unbranched and 13 (15), 14 (9) branched rays; adpressed pectoral-fin tip not reaching anterior margin of pelvic-fin insertion. Pelvic fin with one unbranched and seven (24) branched rays; adpressed pelvic-fin tip reaching posterior to anus. Anal fin with three unbranched and six (24) branched rays; origin closer to pelvic-fin insertion than to caudal-fin base. Caudal fin deeply forked, with nine branched rays in upper lobe and eight branched rays in lower lobe, lobes pointed, upper lobe slightly more pointed than lower lobe.

Gill rakers rudimentary. Pharyngeal teeth “3, 5–5, 3". Swim bladder developed, two chambers; both chambers oblong, posterior larger than anterior; total length approximately equal to coelom.

Dorsal side of head and body yellowish brown, mid-lateral side pale yellowish brown, and ventral side grayish white. Lateral side with 8–10 black blotches. Posterior margins of scales on dorsal and lateral sides pigmented black. A yellowish-green stripe with slight fluorescence present above the lateral line. One distinct black stripe between anterior orbit and snout. Fins translucent, with scattered black spots.

Dorsal side of head and body greyish yellow, mid-lateral side pale greyish yellow, and ventral side grayish white. Lateral side with 8–10 black blotches. Posterior margins of scales on dorsal and lateral sides pigmented black. The fluorescent yellowish green stripe faded. One distinct black stripe between anterior orbit and snout. Fins pale, with scattered black spots.

No significant sexual dimorphism observed.

Gobio tenuicorpus is distributed in the main stream or major tributaries of the Luanhe, Liaohe, and Amur river drainages. (Fig. 19A).

Figure 19. 

Distribution and habitat of Gobio tenuicorpus. A. Geographic distribution of G. tenuicorpus; B. The Liuhe River, a tributary of the Liaohe River drainage, habitat of G. tenuicorpus, photographed in Xinmin City, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province.

Gobio tenuicorpus usually appears in fast flowing water with sandy bottoms (Fig. 19B).

The name tenuicorpus is derived from Latin words tenuis and corpus. The prefix tenui- means slender, and the suffix -corpus means body. This name refers to the species having a slender body. The Chinese common name for this species is “细体鮈” (Pinyin: xì tǐ jū).

Bogutskaya and Naseka (1997) placed Gobio tenuicorpus in the genus Romanogobio and referred to it as Romanogobio tenuicorpus. The phylogenetic tree of Gobionidae Yang et al. (2006) constructed based on the cytb gene showed that R. tenuicorpus was nested within the genus Gobio. Thus, they reassigned R. tenuicorpus to G. tenuicorpus (Yang et al. 2006). Subsequently, Tang et al. (2011) supported this taxonomic reassignment. Our study (Fig. 1) confirms that G. tenuicorpus is a monophyletic group, nests within the genus Gobio, and forms a sister group with G. rivuloides.

The genetic distance between Gobio tenuicorpus and G. rivuloides is 0.0115, which represents the lowest interspecific distance within the genus Gobio (Table 5). Some studies have considered G. tenuicorpus a distinct lineage from G. rivuloides (Ni et al. 2023). We measured the morphological characters and compared G. tenuicorpus with G. rivuloides. We found that G. tenuicorpus differs from G. rivuloides in having more lateral line scales (Fig. 20A) and a more slender caudal peduncle (Fig. 20B). The Mann-Whitney U tests with Bonferroni correction confirmed these differences, with significant differences detected in lateral-line scale counts (adjusted p = 0.000016) and caudal peduncle depth (adjusted p = 0.000241). We also performed a PCA to further compare the morphological difference between these two species. The PCA results are presented in Fig. 21 and the loadings are given in Table 9. The first three components contributed 94.3% of the variance. Both PC 1 versus PC 2 plot and PC 2 versus PC 3 plot can separate these two species. Those results showed a clear morphological differentiation trend between G. tenuicorpus and G. rivuloides. Given the reason that G. tenuicorpus forms a monophyletic group itself, the stable and distinguishable morphological differences from G. rivuloides, and the allopatrical distribution from latter, this study suggests G. tenuicorpus as a valid species.

Figure 20. 

Morphological comparisons between Gobio tenuicorpus and G. rivuloides. A. Frequency distribution of lateral line scale counts; B. Caudal peduncle length (mm) plotted against caudal peduncle depth (mm).

Figure 21. 

A. Scatterplot of PC1 against PC2; B. PC2 against PC3 extracted from 19 morphometric data of Gobio tenuicorpus and G. rivuloides.

This species can be distinguished from other Gobio species in China by the following combination of characters: ventral scaleless region extends to middle of pectoral-fin base and to pelvic-fin base (vs not extending beyond pectoral-fin base in G. soldatovi, G. tumenensis, G. huanghensis, G. macrocephalus, G. fushunensis, G. cynocephalus, and G. acutipinnatus); circumpeduncular scales 12–16 (vs > 16 in G. guentheri); anus centrally located between pelvic-fin base end and anal-fin origin (vs positioned at posterior one-third in G. guentheri, G. coriparoides, and G. soldatovi, and at anterior one-third in G. tenuicorpus). For detailed description see Fang et al. (2025).

Figure 22. 

General view of Gobio rivuloides. A. Living individual, uncatalogued, Maping Township, Luonan County, Shangluo City, Shaanxi Province, from the Luohe River; B. ASIZB 242042, 66.9 mm SL (Fang et al. 2025).

Gobio rivuloides is distributed in the Yellow and Haihe river drainages (Fig. 23A).

Figure 23. 

Distribution and habitat of Gobio rivuloides. A. Geographic distribution of G. rivuloides; B. The Yellow River, habitat of G. rivuloides, photographed in Hequ County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province.

Gobio rivuloides usually appears in fast-flowing water with sandy bottoms mixed with gravel and pebbles (Fig. 23B).

The name rivuloides is derived from Latin elements rivul- and -oides. The prefix rivul- means stream, and here refers to the species Abbottina rivularis. The suffix -oides means similar to. This name indicates that the species is similar to A. rivularis. The Chinese common name for this species is “棒花鮈” (Pinyin: bàng huā jū).

Gobio shansiensis was described by Bănărescu and Nalbant (1966) based on the specimens from Niang-tze-kwan, Shansi Province (=Niangziguan Township, Pingding County, Yangquan City, Shanxi Province), from the Taohe River, a tributary of the Haihe River drainage (not the Hwang-ho drainage, which is synonymous with the Yellow River drainage as referenced in the original description). This species was synonymized with G. rivuloides by Luo et al. (1977). We examined specimens of G. shansiensis, including the holotype AMNH 20493 and additional voucher specimens: AMNH 10558 (1 specimen), AMNH 29711 (8), AMNH 29714 (1), AMNH 29716 (5), AMNH 29717 (12), and AMNH 29718 (5). These specimens show little morphological differences from G. rivuloides. Furthermore, the type locality of G. shansiensis is the same as that of G. rivuloides. Thus, we agree that G. shansiensis should be treated as a junior synonym of G. rivuloides.

ASIZB 242058–242060, 242063–242077, • 18 specimens, 61.9–80.1 mm SL; Fengcheng City, Dandong City, Liaoning Province, from the Dayanghe River (40.073°N, 123.700°E, ca 10 m a.s.l.); 27 March 2024. ASIZB 242048–242049, • 2 specimens, 78.9–87.0 mm SL; Tonghua County, Tonghua City, Jilin Province, from the Daluoquanhe River (41.625°N, 126.255°E, ca 480 m a.s.l.); 10 October 2024.

Figure 24. 

General view of Gobio fushunensis. A. Living individual, uncatalogued, Lanqi Township, Fengcheng City, Dandong City, Liaoning Province, from the Dayanghe River; B. ASIZB 242078, 87.0 mm SL.

This species can be distinguished from other Gobio species in China by the following combination of characters: ventral scaleless region not extending beyond pectoral-fin base (vs extending beyond in G. guentheri, G. coriparoides, G. tenuicorpus, and G. rivuloides); lateral-line scales 39–41 (vs > 41 in G. tumenensis and G. tenuicorpus); circumpeduncular scales 12–16 (vs > 16 in G. guentheri); scales above lateral-line 5.5 (vs > 5.5 in G. guentheri, G. coriparoides, G. soldatovi, G. tumenensis, G. huanghensis, G. macrocephalus, G. cynocephalus, and G. acutipinnatus); anus centrally located between the posterior end of pelvic-fin base and anal-fin origin (vs positioned at posterior one-third in G. guentheri, G. coriparoides, and G. soldatovi).

Body elongated, dorsal body profile rising from nostrils to dorsal-fin origin, dropping along dorsal-fin base, then gradually sloping to caudal-fin base. Maximum body depth at dorsal-fin origin, body depth 16.4%–20.1% SL. Head elongated, length larger than body depth, HL 22.3%–26.2 SL; snout elongated, with moderate concavity on top before nostrils. Mouth horseshoe-shaped, inferior, with one pair of maxillary barbels rooted at extremity of upper lip, barbel relatively short, barbel length 20.2%–36.3% HL, reaching vertical through the center of the orbit. Upper lip thin, lower lip fused with throat, lips connected at mouth corners. Eyes positioned in dorsal half of head, eye diameter 23.9%–32.3% HL; interorbital region flattened, width smaller than eye diameter, interorbital width 15.7%–23.2% HL. Thoracic region flattened, abdomen rounded. Caudal peduncle elongated, laterally compressed. Anus centrally located between the posterior end of pelvic-fin base and anal-fin origin.

Body covered with moderately large cycloid scales. Lateral line complete, almost straight in lateral center. Lateral line scales 39 (1 specimen), 40 (13), 41 (6); scales above lateral line 5 (8), 5.5 (9), 6 (3); scales below lateral line 3 (20); circumpeduncular scales 12 (16), 14 (3), 16 (1). Ventral scaleless region only before pectoral-fin base end.

Dorsal fin with three unbranched and six (1 specimen), seven (19) branched rays; distal margin concave; origin closer to snout than caudal-fin base. Pectoral fin with one unbranched and 12 (10), 13 (9), 14 (1) branched rays; adpressed pectoral-fin tip not reaching anterior margin of pelvic-fin insertion. Pelvic fin with one unbranched and seven (20) branched rays; adpressed pelvic-fin tip reaching posterior to anus. Anal fin with three unbranched and six (20) branched rays; origin closer to pelvic-fin insertion than to caudal-fin base. Caudal fin deeply forked, with nine branched rays in upper lobe and eight branched rays in lower lobe, lobes pointed, upper lobe slightly more pointed than lower lobe.

Gill rakers rudimentary. Pharyngeal teeth “3, 5–5, 3". Swim bladder developed, two chambers; both chambers oblong, posterior larger than anterior; total length approximately equal to coelom.

Dorsal side of head and body yellowish brown, mid-lateral side greyish brown, and ventral side grayish white. Lateral side with 6–9 black blotches. Posterior margins of scales on dorsal and lateral sides pigmented black, forming grid pattern on lateral region of the body. A yellowish-green stripe with slight fluorescence present above the lateral line. One distinct black stripe between anterior orbit and snout. Fins translucent, dorsal fin, pectoral fin, and caudal fin with black spots; pelvic fin and anal fin with slightly black pigment.

Dorsal side of head and body yellowish brown, mid-lateral side pale yellowish brown, and ventral side grayish white. Lateral side with 6–9 black blotches. Posterior margins of scales on dorsal and lateral sides pigmented black, forming grid pattern on lateral region of the body. The fluorescent yellowish green stripe faded. One distinct black stripe between anterior orbit and snout. Fins pale, dorsal fin, pectoral fin, and caudal fin with black spots; pelvic fin and anal fin with slightly black pigment.

No significant sexual dimorphism observed.

Gobio fushunensis is distributed in the Liaohe, Dayanghe, and Yalu river drainages. (Fig. 25).

Figure 25. 

Geographic distribution of Gobio fushunensis.

Gobio fushunensis usually appears in fast-flowing water with sandy bottoms mixed with gravel and pebbles.

The name fushunensis refers to Fushun City, Liaoning Province, the type locality of this species. The Chinese common name for this species is “抚顺鮈” (Pinyin: fǔ shùn jū).

ASIZB 242003–242005, 242090, • 4 specimens, 92.4–101.1 mm SL; Acheng Dictinct, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, from the Toudaohe River (45.420°N, 127.364°E, ca 260 m a.s.l.); 28 September 2023. ASIZB 242080–242089, • 10 specimens, 62.2–86.3 mm SL; Xunke County, Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, from the Wudihe River (49.338°N, 128.737°E, ca 120 m a.s.l.). ASIZB 242091–242097, • 7 specimens, 72.8–93.7 mm SL; Xunke County, Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, from the Xunhe River (49.378°N, 128.626°E, ca 130 m a.s.l.), 5 April 2023. ASIZB 248267–248268, • 2 specimens, 89.4–92.8 mm SL; Xunke County, Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, from the Amur River (49.564°N, 128.368°E, ca 80 m a.s.l.), 12 May 2022.

Figure 26. 

General view of Gobio cynocephalus. A. Living individual, uncatalogued, Songfengshan Township, Acheng Distinct, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, from the Toudaohe River; B. ASIZB 242090, 92.4 mm SL.

This species can be distinguished from other Gobio species in China by the following combination of characters: barbel relatively elongated, reaching vertical through the posterior of the orbit (vs extending over posterior preopercle margin in G. guentheri, G. tumenensis, and G. huanghensis); ventral scaleless region not extending beyond pectoral-fin base (vs extending beyond in G. guentheri, G. coriparoides, G. tenuicorpus, and G. rivuloides); circumpeduncular scales 12–14 (vs > 14 in G. guentheri, G. coriparoides, G. tumenensis, and G. macrocephalus); scales above lateral-line 6.5 (vs 5.5 in G. fushunensis); anus centrally located between the posterior end of pelvic-fin base and anal-fin origin (vs positioned at posterior one-third in G. guentheri, G. coriparoides, and G. soldatovi, and at anterior one-third in G. tenuicorpus); flank with 7–10 distinct large black blotches (vs with 9–12 small black blotches in G. acutipinnatus).

Body elongated, dorsal body profile rising from nostrils to dorsal-fin origin, dropping along dorsal-fin base, then gradually sloping to caudal-fin base. Maximum body depth at dorsal-fin origin, body depth 15.7%–20.4% SL. Head elongated, length larger than body depth, HL 23.1%–26.3% SL; snout elongated, with moderate concavity on top before nostrils. Mouth horseshoe-shaped, inferior, with one pair of maxillary barbels rooted at extremity of upper lip, barbel elongated, barbel length 31.2%–40.5% HL, reaching vertical through the posterior of the orbit. Upper lip thin, lower lip fused with throat, lips connected at mouth corners. Eyes positioned in dorsal half of head, eye diameter 28.6%–34.0% HL; interorbital region flattened, width smaller than eye diameter, interorbital width 16.3%–22.5% HL. Thoracic region flattened, abdomen rounded. Caudal peduncle elongated, laterally compressed. Anus centrally located between the posterior end of pelvic-fin base and anal-fin origin.

Body covered with moderately large cycloid scales. Lateral line complete, almost straight in lateral center. Lateral line scales 41 (1 specimen), 42 (5), 43 (7), 44 (8), 45 (2); scales above lateral line 6.5 (23); scales below lateral line 3 (18), 4 (5); circumpeduncular scales 12 (3), 14 (20). Ventral scaleless region only before pectoral-fin base end.

Dorsal fin with three unbranched and seven (23) branched rays; distal margin concave; origin closer to snout than caudal-fin base. Pectoral fin with one unbranched and 13 (1), 14 (21), 15 (1) branched rays; adpressed pectoral-fin tip not reaching anterior margin of pelvic-fin insertion. Pelvic fin with one unbranched and seven (23) branched rays; adpressed pelvic-fin tip reaching posterior to anus. Anal fin with three unbranched and six (23) branched rays; origin closer to pelvic-fin insertion than to caudal-fin base. Caudal fin deeply forked, with nine branched rays in upper lobe and eight branched rays in lower lobe, lobes pointed, upper lobe slightly more pointed than lower lobe.

Gill rakers rudimentary. Pharyngeal teeth “3, 5–5, 3". Swim bladder developed, two chambers; both chambers oblong, posterior larger than anterior; total length approximately equal to coelom.

Dorsal side of head and body yellowish brown, mid-lateral side greyish yellow, and ventral side grayish white. Lateral side with 7–10 black blotches. Posterior margins of scales on dorsal and lateral sides pigmented black, forming grid pattern on lateral region of the body. A yellowish-green stripe with slight fluorescence present above the lateral line. One distinct black stripe between anterior orbit and snout. Fins translucent, with scattered black spots.

Dorsal side of head and body brownish grey, mid-lateral side pale brownish grey, and ventral side grayish white. Lateral side with 7–10 large black blotches. Posterior margins of scales on dorsal and lateral sides pigmented black, forming grid pattern on lateral region of the body. The fluorescent yellowish green stripe faded. One distinct black stripe between anterior orbit and snout. Fins pale, with scattered black spots.

No significant sexual dimorphism observed.

Gobio cynocephalus is distributed in the Amur River drainage. (Fig. 27).

Figure 27. 

Geographic distribution of Gobio cynocephalus.

Gobio cynocephalus usually appears in fast-flowing water with sandy bottoms mixed with gravel and pebbles.

The name cynocephalus is derived from Latin elements cyno- and -cephalus. The prefix cyno- means dog-like, and the suffix -cephalus means head. This name refers to the concave dorsal snout profile and elongated, pointed snout that give the head a dog-like appearance. The Chinese common name for this species is “犬首鮈” (Pinyin: quǎn shǒu jū).

ASIZB 241460–241462, • 2 specimens, 90.8–94.1 mm SL; Qinghe County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from the Ulungur River (46.053°N, 90.149°E, ca 1080 m a.s.l.); 9 July 2023. ASIZB 241463, • 1 specimen, 100.2 mm SL; Fuyun County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from the Ulungur River (46.482°N, 89.332°E, ca 790 m a.s.l.); 6 July 2023. ASIZB 241464, • 1 specimen, 73.3 mm SL; Fuyun County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from the Ulungur River (46.482°N, 89.334°E, ca 790 m a.s.l.); 25 September 2023. ASIZB 241465, • 1 specimen, 82.8 mm SL; Fuyun County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from the Ulungur River (46.553°N, 88.476°E, ca 660 m a.s.l.); 26 September 2023. ASIZB 241466–241467, • 2 specimens, 102.0–110.9 mm SL; Qinghe County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from the Ulungur River (46.187°N, 90.803°E, ca 1110 m a.s.l.); 9 July 2023. ASIZB 241468–241474, • 7 specimens, 77.6–108.4 mm SL; Qinghe County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from the Ulungur River (46.188°N, 90.802°E, ca 1100 m a.s.l.); 20 September 2023. ASIZB 241475–241476, • 2 specimens, 66.1–78.7 mm SL; Fuyun County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from the Irtysh River (47.215°N, 89.761°E, ca 1140 m a.s.l.); 8 July 2023. ASIZB 241477–241479, • 3 specimens, 78.3–90.9 mm SL; Burqin County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from the Burqinhe River (48.172°N, 87.143°E, ca 710 m a.s.l.); 3 October 2023. ASIZB 241480–241483, • 4 specimens, 66.3–81.1 mm SL; Burqin County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from the Burqinhe River (48.120°N, 87.119°E, ca 660 m a.s.l.); 3 October 2023. ASIZB 241484–241485, • 2 specimens, 108.7–130.8 mm SL; Burqin County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from the Burqinhe River (48.223°N, 87.234°E, ca 760 m a.s.l.); 7 July 2023. ASIZB 241486–241487, • 2 specimens, 62.3–71.9 mm SL; Altay City, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from the Irtysh River (47.372°N, 87.816°E, ca 500 m a.s.l.); 28 September 2023.

Figure 28. 

General view of Gobio acutipinnatus. A. Living individual, uncatalogued, Fuyun County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from the Irtysh River; B. Preserved specimen, uncatalogued, same locality as the living individual, 100.3 mm SL.