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Tachysurus platystomus Shao & Zhang 2026

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Description: A striped Tachysurus species. Distinguished from all other striped congeners except T. heterofasciatus by the moderately (vs. deeply) forked caudal fin. It can be further differentiated from T. heterofasciatus in having a shorter dorsal spine (length 15.7–20.3% SL vs. 19.1–24.4%), a wider mouth (width 12.3–14.7% SL vs. 8.9–11.7%) and a mid-lateral stripe with slight (vs. distinct) constriction at the posterior end of the dorsal and adipose fins. Habitat: Currently known from the Huangjiang River, in Haifeng County, Guangdong Province, South China, which is a coastal river flowing into the South China Sea. Recorded exclusively in flowing streams. Etymology: The genus name of Tachysurus: tachys, swift; oura, tail, referring to the presumed agility of T. sinensis based on its “long and nimble” tail (translation). The specific name platystomus is derived from the Greek platy-(“broad”) and -stomus (“mouth”), referring to the broad mouth of this species, which is wider than that of all other striped Tachysurus species. The onomatopoeic Chinese sound of this species is “Kuankou Ni Chang”.

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Bagridae

Distribution:

Asia: Huangjiang River, in Haifeng County, Guangdong Province, South China.

Size:

9.0cm (3½ins)

Temp:

21-25°C (70-77°F)

p.H.

6.0-7.0.

IUCN Red List

Not Evaluated.

Reference:

Fish in the News 2026.
Shao, W., Cai, X., Nguyen, T. D., & Zhang, E. (2026). Beyond Morphological Conservatism: Integrative Taxonomy Unveils Remarkable Cryptic Diversity in the Tachysurus virgatus (Oshima 1926) Group (Siluriformes: Bagridae) Endemic to the Northern Margin of East Asian Tropics. Animals, 16(15), 2422.

Family: Bagridae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Tachysurus platystomus
Guangdong Prov.: Haifeng County: Huang River, a coastal river flowing into the South China Sea

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