Metadata

Speolabeo hokhanhi

Tan, Cao, Deng and Zhang 2018

Speolabeo hokhanhi
Speolabeo hokhanhi. Photograph from Tao, Cao, Deng and Zhang (2018). Used under a Creative Commons Attribution License.
ORDERSUB-ORDERFAMILY
CypriniformesCyprinoideiCyprinidae

Synonyms

None.

Country

Vietnam

Types

Holotype: IHB 2016092883 74.6 mm SL. Paratypes: IEBR 2884–5 50.7 and 54.4 mm SL, IHB 2016092886–8 3 specimens 61.8–69.0 mm.
SL

Distribution

Known only from the type locality: Hang Va Cave, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (Son River basin) at Tan Trach Commune, Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province, Central Vietnam. (17o29’29’’N, 106o17’06’’E).

Habitat

Collected from a small vadose pool with a muddy substrate. Up to 30 individuals observed. The troglobitic shrimp Macrobrachium phongnhaense (Decapoda: Palaemonidae) is found in the same cave and is probably part of the food supply for the fishes (Do and Nguyen 2014).

Systematics

Speolabeo is currently placed in the tribe Labeonini in the subfamilly Labeoninae (Tan and Armbruster 2018) but it is by no means certain that this will remain the case. A morphological analysis by Tao et al. (2018) suggests that the, currently, congeneric Speolabeo musaei may be more closely related to species in the genera Bangana and Altigena (also within the Labeonini) than it is to S. hokhanhi. There is a sugestion that the tribal placement may be wrong  and that molecular evidence would be valuable in this regard.

Conservation Status

MuG TLO [NE]

Museum Holdings

As above only

Key References

Kottelat, M. and Steiner, H. Journal Article 2010 Bangana musaei, a new cave fish from central Laos
Do, V.T. and Nguyen, T.C. Journal Article 2014 A new species of troglobitic freshwater prawn of the genus Macrobrachium Bate, 1868 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) from Phong Nha—Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh province
Kottelat, M. Journal Article 2017 Speolabeo, a new genus name for the cave fish Bangana musaei (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)
Tao, N.D., Cao, L., Deng, S. and Zhang, E. Journal Article 2018 Speolabeo hokhanhi, a new cavefish from Central Vietnam (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)
Speolabeo hokhanhi preserved specimen. Photograph from Tao, Cao, Deng and Zhang (2018). Used under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence