DATE2024.09.27 #Press Releases
Description Lefua nishimurai from the Reihoku region of Fukui Prefecture, Japan
—Newly described species and future challenges for their conservation—
Summary
The genus Lefua is a small freshwater loach, and four species are distributed in Japan: the native L. echigonia, L. nikkonis, L. torrentis, and L. tokaiensis. Among them, L. torrentis inhabits the headwaters of rivers in the Hokuriku, Kinki, Chugoku, and Shikoku Regions, and four genetically distinct populations have been found within the species. This time, a research group led by Yuta Katayama, master course student, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, and Naoto Sawada, doctor course student (at the time of the research) and project researcher, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, clarified through genetic and morphological analyses that the Reihoku Population of L. torrentis in the Reihoku region of Fukui Prefecture is an independent species. This new species was described as Lefua nishimurai. This species is distinguished from other species in the genus by the following five characteristics: 1) eyes positioned dorsally on the head; 2) a narrow conspicuous longitudinal mark between the base of the outer rostral barbel and the eye; 3) small dark spots on the body, dorsal, and caudal fins; 4) a small dorsal fin and eye diameter; and 5) black spots above and below the base of the caudal fin. The head morphology of this species is different from those of other species in the same genus. This species has only been found in a small area in the Reihoku region, and its population is very small, so further research on its distribution and ecology should be conducted to conserve it.
Figure：A newly described species of Lefua nishimurai (photo by Yuta Katayama).
Links：Kyoto University（in Japanese)
Journal
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Journal name Evolutionary SystematicsTitle of paper