Biodiv Sci ›› 2024, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (11): 24327.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2024327

• Special Feature: 2023 New Taxa Collection • Previous Articles     Next Articles

New vertebrate species discovered in China in 2023

Jianping Jiang1,4,5*, Bo Cai1, Bin Wang1, Weitao Chen2, Zhixin Wen3, Dezhi Zhang3, Lulu Sui 1,4, Shun Ma1,4, Weibo Wang3,4   

  1. 1 Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
    2 Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China
    3 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    4 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    5 Mangkang Biodiversity and Ecological Station, Xizang Ecological Safety Monitor Network, Changdu, Xizang 854500, China

  • Received:2024-07-22 Revised:2024-09-15 Online:2024-11-20 Published:2024-12-09
  • Contact: Jianping Jiang

Abstract:

Aims: To collate and report new vertebrate species discovered in China in 2023.
Methods: This paper summarizes the basic information about discoveries of vertebrate species from academic literature published in 2023, including 73 citations.
Results: In 2023, 93 vertebrate species were discovered in China, including 69 species new to science, 15 species not previously reported in China, and 9 valid species that were upgraded from subspecies. These species belong to 14 orders, 40 families, and 61 genera. Among them, there are 18 new species of fish; 31 species of amphibian, including 23 new species and 8 newly recorded in China; 22 species of reptile, including 21 new species and 1 newly recorded in China; 10 species of bird, including 4 species upgraded from subspecies and 6 newly recorded in China; 12 species of mammal, including 7 new species, 1 newly recorded in China, and 4 species upgraded from subspecies. Ectotherm vertebrates account for 76% of new discoveries; most of the fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and birds were species of Cypriniformes (15/18), Anura (27/31), Squamata (21/22), and Passeriformes (8/10), respectively, while most of mammals were species of Eulipotyphla (6/12) or Rodentia (5/12). These 93 newly discovered vertebrates were recorded in 21 provincial regions. Of these species, 79 were recorded in only one provincial region, while there were 29, 13, 10, 10, and 9 new species recorded in Yunnan, Xizang, Guangxi, Sichuan, and Guizhou, respectively. A total of 79 of these discovered species have been supported by molecular systematics. There were 82 species published in academic journals, 14 of which were published in two English journals and 3 of which were published in two Chinese journals.
Conclusion: This article provides basic information needed for the classification and protection of vertebrate species in China. In addition, it indicates that ectotherm vertebrates may be the hot group of vertebrate species studied in diversity research in China, and an integrated classification approach is essential to support future taxonomic studies.

Key words: vertebrates, new species, new record, China