The identity of Tachysurus sinensis La Cepède, 1803, with the designation of a neotype (Teleostei: Bagridae) and notes on the identity of T. fulvidraco (Richardson, 1845).

Heok Hee Ng ¹, Maurice Kottelat².

¹ Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, Department of Biological Sciences, 6 Science Drive 2 #03-01, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117546. Email: dbsnhh@nus.edu.sg

²Case Postale 57, Cornol, CH-2952, Switzerland. Email: mkottelat@dplanet.ch

Abstract: The identity of Tachysurus sinensis, a species previously thought to be an East Asian ariid, but now believed to be a bagrid, is fixed with the designation of a neotype. The neotype designation is necessary because of previous misapplications of the name and the ambiguity surrounding the identity of the species, the description of which was based on a Chinese painting. The neotype designation results in Tachysurus being a subjective senior synonym of Pseudobagrus. The evidence that what is currently recognized as T. fulvidraco consists of at least two species is briefly discussed, with the name T. sinensis restricted to the species found in northern China and T. fulvidraco for the species found in southern China.

Keywords: Catfish - Ostariophysi - Siluriformes - East Asia

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