froggy
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This paper:
An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie (Nishikawa et al, 2011) reviews Pachytriton labiatus, finding lecto/paralecto-types to be synonymous with Paramesotriton ermizhaoi. They then allocate the Northeastern populations of Pachytriton 'labiatus' as P. granulosus, while naming the other population P. inexpectatus.
There is a lso a good (and short) review of the recent taxonomic changes:
"Pachytriton labiatus (Unterstein, 1930) is one of the most popular species among Chinese salamandrids, because it has been traded as pets to many countries. Although morphological variation and breeding behavior in captivity of the species have been reported (e.g., Thiesmeier and Hornberg, 1997; Scholtz, 1998; Sparreboom and Thiesmeier, 1998), its biology in natural habitats is still poorly known.
Unterstein (1930) described this species on the basis of one male and three females from “Yaoshan, Kwangsi, China” (Mt. Dayao, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China). All of the type specimens are stored in the Museum of Natural History, Humboldt University Berlin (ZMB). Unterstein (1930) provided measurement data on a subadult (halbwüchsiges) specimen, but did not indicate the register number of the specimen. Much later, Bauer et al. (1993) examined the syntypes and designated the lectotype and paralectotypes. However, no one has compared these type specimens with topotypic specimens to date.
Recently, Wu et al. (2010) reported that the newt then called Pac. “labiatus” is morphologically separated into two geographically isolated groups, “northeastern P. labiatus” (hereafter, NE group) and “southwestern P. labiatus” (SW group), which are differentiated by a large genetic distance (calculated from mitochondrial and nuclear genes) comparable to interspecific levels in Pachytriton and other newt genera. Wu et al. (2010), thus concluded that the two groups are sufficiently differentiated to be treated as different species, and proposed to restrict Pac. labiatus sensu stricto to the SW group, as the type locality of the species is included in the area of distribution of the SW group.
For the NE group of Pac. “labiatus” sensu Wu et al. (2010), the name Pac. granulosus Chang, 1933 had been available (for taxonomic history of Pac. granulosus, see Nishikawa et al., 2009). However, Hou et al. (2009) revived the name as different genus Pingia granulosa. They considered that Pin. granulosa is a terrestrial newt, which is different from the sympatric and aquatic Pac. “labiatus”. However, Nishikawa et al. (2009) soon showed that Pin. granulosa is the immature terrestrial morph of Pac. granulosus, which becomes aquatic after maturation. Wu et al. (2010) seems to have followed Hou et al. (2009) and considered that the NE group of Pac. “labiatus” had no available name. They, thus, tentatively retained the name Pac. labiatus for the NE group, noting that the group was so differentiated in body coloration and genetic distance as to be separated into different taxa. However, as pointed out by Nishikawa et al. (2009), the NE group should be treated as Pac. granulosus."
However, there are still no genetics, so I'm not sure how long this change will last!
The brief notes on natural History are also quite interesting:
"Natural history
The adults are nocturnal and usually found in montane streams. Some adults are found in very steep and shallow branch streams about 90 m from the main stream. Adults prey under the water. Their stomach contents include aquatic insect larvae such as Diptera, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera, as well as Annelida (earthworm) and Decapoda (fresh water crab). They also predate terrestrial animals including larval Hymenoptera (sawfly), probably fallen down from vegetation near the stream. Breeding ecology and life history in nature are poorly known. Because females with ripe eggs were collected in May and June, breeding seems to occur in early summer. Some adults of both sexes seem to be bitten by competitive individuals. Small juveniles are rarely found in the stream, and are probably terrestrial."
C
An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie (Nishikawa et al, 2011) reviews Pachytriton labiatus, finding lecto/paralecto-types to be synonymous with Paramesotriton ermizhaoi. They then allocate the Northeastern populations of Pachytriton 'labiatus' as P. granulosus, while naming the other population P. inexpectatus.
There is a lso a good (and short) review of the recent taxonomic changes:
"Pachytriton labiatus (Unterstein, 1930) is one of the most popular species among Chinese salamandrids, because it has been traded as pets to many countries. Although morphological variation and breeding behavior in captivity of the species have been reported (e.g., Thiesmeier and Hornberg, 1997; Scholtz, 1998; Sparreboom and Thiesmeier, 1998), its biology in natural habitats is still poorly known.
Unterstein (1930) described this species on the basis of one male and three females from “Yaoshan, Kwangsi, China” (Mt. Dayao, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China). All of the type specimens are stored in the Museum of Natural History, Humboldt University Berlin (ZMB). Unterstein (1930) provided measurement data on a subadult (halbwüchsiges) specimen, but did not indicate the register number of the specimen. Much later, Bauer et al. (1993) examined the syntypes and designated the lectotype and paralectotypes. However, no one has compared these type specimens with topotypic specimens to date.
Recently, Wu et al. (2010) reported that the newt then called Pac. “labiatus” is morphologically separated into two geographically isolated groups, “northeastern P. labiatus” (hereafter, NE group) and “southwestern P. labiatus” (SW group), which are differentiated by a large genetic distance (calculated from mitochondrial and nuclear genes) comparable to interspecific levels in Pachytriton and other newt genera. Wu et al. (2010), thus concluded that the two groups are sufficiently differentiated to be treated as different species, and proposed to restrict Pac. labiatus sensu stricto to the SW group, as the type locality of the species is included in the area of distribution of the SW group.
For the NE group of Pac. “labiatus” sensu Wu et al. (2010), the name Pac. granulosus Chang, 1933 had been available (for taxonomic history of Pac. granulosus, see Nishikawa et al., 2009). However, Hou et al. (2009) revived the name as different genus Pingia granulosa. They considered that Pin. granulosa is a terrestrial newt, which is different from the sympatric and aquatic Pac. “labiatus”. However, Nishikawa et al. (2009) soon showed that Pin. granulosa is the immature terrestrial morph of Pac. granulosus, which becomes aquatic after maturation. Wu et al. (2010) seems to have followed Hou et al. (2009) and considered that the NE group of Pac. “labiatus” had no available name. They, thus, tentatively retained the name Pac. labiatus for the NE group, noting that the group was so differentiated in body coloration and genetic distance as to be separated into different taxa. However, as pointed out by Nishikawa et al. (2009), the NE group should be treated as Pac. granulosus."
However, there are still no genetics, so I'm not sure how long this change will last!
The brief notes on natural History are also quite interesting:
"Natural history
The adults are nocturnal and usually found in montane streams. Some adults are found in very steep and shallow branch streams about 90 m from the main stream. Adults prey under the water. Their stomach contents include aquatic insect larvae such as Diptera, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera, as well as Annelida (earthworm) and Decapoda (fresh water crab). They also predate terrestrial animals including larval Hymenoptera (sawfly), probably fallen down from vegetation near the stream. Breeding ecology and life history in nature are poorly known. Because females with ripe eggs were collected in May and June, breeding seems to occur in early summer. Some adults of both sexes seem to be bitten by competitive individuals. Small juveniles are rarely found in the stream, and are probably terrestrial."
C
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