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Hybridization has been successfully achieved using Dianchi golden-line barbel (Sinocyclocheilus grahami) and barbless carp (Cyprinus pellegrini) as parental species. However, little is known about the crossbreeding feasibility of S. grahami with domesticated common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and crucian carp (Carassius auratus). In this study, we constructed reciprocal hybrid lineages using parents of S. grahami (2n = 96) with C. carpio rubrofuscus (2n = 100) and C. auratus (2n = 100). We found that hybrids of S. grahami ♀ × C. carpio rubrofuscus ♂ survived, but with fertilization (41.6%) and hatching rates (68.2%) lower than the reciprocal hybrids (fertilization rate 92.7% and hatching rate 89.5%). Hybrids of S. grahami ♀ × C. auratus ♂ exhibited failed hatching and low fertilization (6.3%) compared with the reciprocal hybrids, which showed high fertilization (88.5%) and hatching rates (88.6%). Growth results show that hybrids of S. grahami ♀ × C. carpio ♂ (total length: 12.2 cm, body weight: 25.4 g), S. grahami ♂ × C. carpio ♀ (total length: 12.1 cm, body weight: 25.0 g), and S. grahami ♂ × C. auratus ♀ (total length: 10.1 cm, body weight: 16.7 g) achieved medium growth rates compared to their parents. Based on this study, the three hybrid lineages show fast growth performance compared to S. grahami and exhibit high commercial and aquacultural application potential.

Phytoextraction is a promising technology that uses hyperaccumulating plants to remove arsenic (As) and heavy metals (HMs) from soil. A field experiment has been conducted to evaluate impacts of water-soluble chitosan (WC) upon the growth and phytoextraction of As, Cd and Pb by the hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata L. and the economic plant castor bean ( Ricinus communis L.) in a co-planting system in polymetallic contamination of agricultural soil. The co-planting system was comprised of As-hyperaccumulator and Pb high-accumulating P. vittata and Cd high-accumulating R. communis . The results showed that yields of P. vittata were significantly increased by co-planting. The results revealed that the uptake of As and Pb by P. vittata was also significantly increased by co-planting. When the WC was applied to the co-planting system, the uptake of Cd and Pb by P. vittata and R. communis was significantly increased, but the uptake of As was not increased obviously. This study suggested that the combination of co-planting system with WC is a more promising approach than single hyperaccumulator. This approach not only enhanced the removal rates of soil As and HMs, but also simultaneously offered agricultural practices with no edible products in the As and HMs contaminated farmland soils.

The taxonomy and phylogeny of the Chinese species of the Barbinae (Cypriniformes) has a confusing history. In this study, partial sequences of four mitochondrial genes (cyt b, COI, ND4 and 16S rRNA) from 75 Barbinae species and 38 outgroup species were used to investigate the taxonomy and phylogeny within the Barbinae in China. The monophyly of Neolissochilus, Sikukia and Tor are not supported. Neolissochilus benasi might represent a new genus, and Tor hemispinus and Tor qiaojiensis should be moved into Neolissochilus. Sikukia flavicaudata is not Sikukia species. Puntius paucimaculatus might be a synonym of Puntius semifasciolatus. Puntius semifasciolatus does not belong to Puntius. Onychostoma barbatum might consist of more than one species. Our molecular results corroborate that Acrossocheilus stenotaeniatus is a synonym of Acrossocheilus longipinnis. Finally, Barbonymus gonionotus from Menglun, Yunnan should be Poropuntius huangchuchieni.

The red-tail knobby newt (Tylototriton kweichowensis), endemic to Yunnan–GuizhouPlateau (China), is classed as vulnerable amphibian by IUCN. Recently, habitat destructionand degradation are major threats to this species. To assess the genetic diversity andpopulation structure with this species, we determined the sequence of the mitochondrialDNA (mtDNA) control region and tRNA-Phe gene in 13 individuals from two sites inYunnan, and reanalyzed 58 published samples from 12 sties in Yunnan and Guizhou.Nineteen variable sites were observed and 28 haplotypes were identified. Haplotype di-versity was high (0.9364) and nucleotide diversity among all haplotypes was relatively low(0.00219). Bayesian tree and a median-joining network revealed no significant phylo-geographic structure. Both the bell-shaped pairwise mismatch distribution and significantnegative values of Fu’s F S suggested that red-tail knobby newt have experienced a recentpopulation expansion. Base on the results of this study, several conservation recommen-dations on this vulnerable species are discussed.Crown Copyright 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phylogeny of Rhacophoridae is constructed using two mitochondrial (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA) and two nuclear (tyrosinase and Rag-1) genes in an attempt to test for the taxonomic status of Rhacophorus appendiculatus and Kurixalus species from Tam Dao. All phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that specimens from Tam Dao are nested in Kurixalus bisacculus , indicating that they belong to K. bisacculus . R. appendiculatus is closer to genus Kurixalus than to other genera with strong support values. In combination with morphological evidence, it is suggested that R. appendiculatus should be placed in Kurixalus . Kurixalus verrucosus is not related to Kurixalus appendiculatus and it is the sister taxon to the clade of K. bisacculus and Kurixalus odontotarsus , which rejects that K. verrucosus is a synonym of K. appendiculatus . The genus Kurixalus needs redefinition by clear synapomorphic characters, and generic status of Kurixalus ananjevae deserves further examination.

A rhizobox experiment was conducted to compare iron (Fe) oxidation and changes of pH, redox potential (Eh) and fractions of zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils of four emergent-rooted wetland plants (Echinodorus macrophyllus, Eleocharis geniculata, Hydrocotyle vulgaris and Veronica serpyllifolia) with different radial oxygen loss (ROL) from roots. The results indicated that all these wetland plants decreased pH and concentration of Fe(II) but increased the Eh in the rhizosphere soils. Pb and Zn were transformed from unstable fractions to more stable fractions in the rhizosphere soils, so decreasing their potential metal mobility factors (MF). Among the four plants, E. macrophyllus, with the highest ROL and root biomass, possessed the greatest ability in formation of Fe plaque and in the reduction of heavy metal MFs in the rhizosphere soil. Wetland plants, with higher ROLs and root biomass, may thus be effective in decreasing potential long-term heavy metal bioavailabilities.

A new species of the cyprinid genus Placocheilus Wu 1977, is described from the Dulong River drainage (in the upper reach of the Irrawaddy River), northwestern Yunnan Province (China). Placocheilus dulongensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from the other three congeners, namely P. caudofasciatus , P. robustus and P. cryptonemus , by the following combination of characters: no semicircular black mark on the middle of each caudal fin lobe; no blackish band across the dorsal fin; one pair of rostral barbels and one pair of maxillary barbels; 39–40 perforated lateral line scales. Osteological characters, such as the shape of the second infraorbital, preoperculum, and the vertical plate of the urohyal were observed in a cleared and stained skeletal specimen. A simplified key to the genus Placocheilus is provided based on the comparisons among the four species.

The phylogenetic relationships among rhacophorid frogs are under dispute. We use partial sequences of three mitochondrial (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and cytochrome b) and three nuclear protein-coding (Rag-1, rhodopsin exon 1, and tyrosinase exon 1) genes from 57 ingroup taxa and eight outgroup taxa to propose a hypothesis for phylogenetic relationships within Rhacophoridae. Our results support recognition of the genus Feihyla, and Chiromantis is the sister taxon to the clade formed by Feihyla, Polypedates and Rhacophorus. We place Aquixalus odontotarsus within Kurixalus, and the remaining species of Aquixalus and Philautus jinxiuensis into the genus Gracixalus. We give Philautus (Kirtixalus) the rank of genus and place Philautus menglaensis within it. The division of species groups among Chinese Rhacophorus needs revision, and a cryptic species is revealed within Rhacophorus nigropunctatus. Rhacophorus pingbianensis is considered a synonym of Rhacophorus omeimontis. The validity of Rhacophorus hui is confirmed by present molecular evidence.