Maxwell Bernt

#NewGenusAlert - Researchers present a new genus of Central Asian minnows, 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠, gen. nov. (Leuciscidae: Pseudaspininae), described from the endorheic basins of Central Asia. This novel evolutionary lineage of leuciscid fishes includes at least three species: 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑗𝑎𝑘𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑖 (Kessler, 1879), comb. nov., 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑘𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 (Warpachowski, 1887), comb. nov., and 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑦𝑘𝑘𝑢𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 (Berg, 1912), comb. nov., all formerly placed in 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠. 🔓 bioone.org/journals/american… 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 Revision of Central Asian Minnows (Cypriniformes: Pseudaspininae) Revealed a Novel Evolutionary Lineage of Generic Rank 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 O.N. Artaev, I.S. Turbanov, M.A. Levina, N. SH. Mamilov, S.E. Sharakhmetov, G.K. Khassengaziyeva, E.P. Simonov, R.J. Thoni, B.A. Levin "Revision of Central Asian Minnows (Cypriniformes: Pseudaspininae) Revealed a Novel Evolutionary Lineage of Generic Rank," American Museum Novitates, 2026(4058), 1-28, (6 October 2026). DOI: doi.org/10.1206/4058.1 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 Morphological and genetic revision of Central Asian minnows previously named as “𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠” discovered a major novel evolutionary lineage of leuciscid fishes. According to both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers, the novel lineage is sister to large-sized fishes known as Altai osmans, the genus 𝑂𝑟𝑒𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑢𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑠; the high mtDNA p-distance between these lineages (0.113 ± 0.006) further supports the genetic distinctiveness of the new lineage. A new genus of minnows, 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠, gen. nov. (Leuciscidae: Pseudaspininae), is described from the endorheic basins of Central Asia. This genus includes at least three species: 𝑇. 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑗𝑎𝑘𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑖 (Kessler, 1879), comb. nov., 𝑇. 𝑘𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 (Warpachowski, 1887), comb. nov., and 𝑇. 𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑦𝑘𝑘𝑢𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 (Berg, 1912), comb. nov., all formerly placed in 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 Rafinesque, 1820. Detailed morphological analyses clearly distinguish the lineage of 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 from related genera (𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠, 𝑅ℎ𝑦𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑐𝑦𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑠, and 𝑂𝑟𝑒𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑢𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑠) based on unique characteristics such as the reduced number of pored scales in the lateral line, lower counts of pelvic-fin rays and caudal vertebrae, and distinct morphometric proportions. Phylogenetic evidence supports the monophyly of the genus and its placement within the subfamily Pseudaspininae of the family Leuciscidae. The species exhibit restricted distributions across the Lake Balkhash, Alakol, Issyk-Kul and Chu River basins, reflecting the geological and hydrological history of the region. 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 comes from the Romanised “Tian Shan,” a mountainous region in Central Asia, habitat of species of the genus and “𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠,” the genus of minnows in which the species were originally described. 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁 Top left: Live condition of 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑗𝑎𝑘𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑖: A. from canal from Tentek River near Usharal, locality 5 on figure 1 and figure 9B (46.2012°N, 80.8983°E). Lateral, dorsal and ventral views are of the same specimen (IBIW_FS_507, lab. n. ON372). B. from Naryn River near Ayagoz, locality 2 on figure 1 and figure 9A (47.9384°N, 80.4708°E) (IBIW_FS_513, lab. n. ON387). Scale bars: 10 mm. Photos by O. Artaev. Top right: Live condition of 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑘𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠: A. from spring in Tolkyn, locality 8 on figure 1. Lateral, dorsal and ventral views are of the same specimens (IBIW_FS_510, lab. n. ON394). B. from the Usek River near Jarkent, locality 10 on figure 1 (IBIW_FS_562, lab. n. ON355). Scale bars: 10 mm. Photos by O. Artaev. Bottom: Habitats of minnows of the genus 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠, gen. nov. A. 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑗𝑎𝑘𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑖: Naryn River near Ayagoz, Kazakhstan (47.9384°N, 80.4708°E; 4 Aug. 2024). B. T. poljakowii: Canal from Tentek River near Usharal, Kazakhstan (46.2012°N, 80.8983°E; 3 Aug. 2024). C. 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑘𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠: spring-bog (kara-su) near Shelek, Kazakhstan (43.6247°N, 78.2359°E; 6 Aug. 2024). D. 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑦𝑘𝑘𝑢𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠: Issyk-Kul Lake, Tyup Bay, Kyrgyzstan (42.7459°N, 78.3047°E; 24 Jun. 2016). Photos by O. Artaev. © 2026 the Author(s). Published in the journal American Museum Novitates. An open access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0) licence. creativecommons.org/licenses… #NewGenus #Ichthyology #Taxonomy #Biodiversity #Kyrgyzstan #Tianshanophoxinus #Phoxinus #Minnows #Minnow #Kazakhstan #Cypriniformes #Rhynchocypris #Oreoleuciscus #Pseudaspininae #Leuciscidae #LakeBalkhash #LakeAlakol #LakeIssykKul