Table 2. Major diagnostic characters amongst three species with a continuous or discontinuous orange line along the dorsal mid-line of the back. Data utilised for L. micra are from Bohlen and Šlechtov (2017). CharacterL. brachycephala sp.nov. (n = 22)L. citrauratea (n = 29)L. micra (n = 5)Colour on the back of bodyA continuous or discontinuous orange line along dorsal mid-lineA row of rounded orange spots along the dorsal mid-lineA row of rounded orange spots along the dorsal mid-lineDorsal-fin originSlightly posterior to pelvic-fin insertionSlightly anterior to or superior to pelvic-fin insertionSlightly posterior to or superior to pelvic-fin insertionCaudal-fin shapeEmarginate with rounded lobes; median rays 1.2-1.5 times as long as upper lobe.Strongly forked, with broadly pointed lobes; median rays 1.7-2.3 times as long as upper lobe.Moderately forked, with broadly pointed lobes; median rays 1.3-1.4 times as long as upper lobe.Predorsal length49.9-54.751.4-56.358.1-59.0Body depth (% SL)11.1-15.814.8-19.215.3-18.3Head length (% SL)18.4-22.822.5-26.823.6-25.9Upper caudal-lobe length (% SL)15.2-20.823.6-26.918.7-23.9Caudal-peduncle length (% SL)14.6-20.012.1-15.811.8-13.5Dorsal-fin length (% SL)9.0-11.613.7-18.011.0-14.6Anal-fin length (% SL)8.1-11.413.0-17.715.3-16.8

Published as part of Guo, Dong-Ming & Zhang, E, 2021, Re-description of the loach species Leptobotia citrauratea (Teleostei, Botiidae), with the description of L. brachycephala from southern Zhejiang Province, China, pp. 89 in ZooKeys 1017 on page 89, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1017.57503