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Tachysurus trimaculatus Shao & Zhang 2026

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Description: A striped Tachysurus species. Distinguished from all other striped congeners by the following combination of characters: a deeply (vs. moderately) forked caudal fin, presence (vs. absence) of a connection between the dorso-lateral stripe and the black blotches on the upper margin of the operculum, and absence (vs. presence) of a connection between the dorso-lateral and mid-lateral stripes anterior to the dorsal fin. Habitat: Currently known from the Beixi River, a tributary of the Jiulongjiang River in Fujian Province, Southeast China, which is a coastal river flowing into the Taiwan Strait. 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 epithet is derived from the Latin tri-(“three”) and maculatus (“spotted”), referring to the distinctive nuchal stripe of this species. In dorsal view, the nuchal white-yellowish stripe, typically continuous in congeners, is uniquely separated into three blotches. The onomatopoeic Chinese sound of this species is “San Ban Ni Chang”.

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Bagridae

Distribution:

Asia: Beixi River, a tributary of the Jiulongjiang River in Fujian Province, Southeast China.

Size:

7.0cm (2¾ins)

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 trimaculatus
Southeast China: Fujian Prov.: Pinghe Town: Jiulong River, a coastal river flowing into the Taiwan Strait

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