First records of Abbottina rivularis from Kyoto, Japan in 38 years

Abstract

Fifteen specimens of the Chinese false gudgeon Abbottina rivularis were collected from three rivers in the Lake Biwa–Yodo River system, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan for the first time in 38 years. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences indicated that the specimen haplotypes completely matched two haplotypes included in the Honshu clade of the Japanese lineage, suggested as indigenous to Japan in a previous study. Further surveys are necessary to reveal the origin and distribution of the species in Kyoto Prefecture, and future conservation requirements, in addition to progressing biogeographic studies in the Kinki region.