A NEW BLIND CYPRINID FISH FROM YUNNAN, CHINA WITH A REFERENCE TO THE EVOLUTION OF ITS CHARACTERS

Holotype No. 865949, total, length 128mm, standard length 105mm, collected in May 1986 from a subterranean :river at Yiliang county (25°24′N, 103°27′E), Yunnan. Paratypes 7 specimens, total length 83-114mm, standard length 68-93mm; from the same locality as the holotype.D. 4, 7; P. 1, 15-16; V. 1, 8; A. 3, 5. L. I. 52-56. Gill raters on first arch 7-8. Lower pharyngeal teeth in three rows.Depth in standard length 3.8-4.1, head 3.4-3.6, length of caudal peduncle 4.5-5.2, depth of caudal peduncle 9.7-11.0. Wedth of month in head 3.8-4.3, snout of barbele 2.0-2.4, maxillar of barbele 1.9-2.2. Depth of caudal peduncle in its length 1.9-2.3.The new species is similar to Sinocyclocheilus angustiporus Zeng et Xie in having a strong and serrated unbranched dorsal ray and subinferior mouth, but differs from the latter in having more scales (73-76) along the lateral line, as against 52-55 scales in the latter species.All the type specimens are kept in Kunming Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica.Besides, the present paper deals with the habitat where the new species lives, and the evolution of characters and interspecific relationships.