Surfactant-enhanced anoxic degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aged subsurface soil at high temperature (60 °C).

Thermally enhanced anoxic biodegradation is emerging as a promising method for removing PAHs from subsurface soil. However, some PAHs still remain in soil following remediation with thermally enhanced anoxic degradation due to low bioavailability of these residual PAHs. The effects of five surfactants (Tween 80, TX 100, Brij 30, SDS, and SDBS) on the desorption of PAHs, anoxic degradation of PAHs, and native bacteria in soil at high temperature (60 °C) were evaluated in this study. The desorption of PAHs in soil increased as surfactant concentration increased. Low doses of surfactants (0.08%, w/w) enhanced the growth of potential PAHs degrading bacteria and promoted the anoxic degradation of PAHs, whereas high doses of surfactants (0.3%-0.8%, w/w) displayed the opposite effect, and the degree of inhibition increased with increasing surfactant concentration. The results also indicated that the inhibitory effect of anionic surfactants (SDS and SDBS) on microbial growth and PAHs degradation is stronger than that of nonionic surfactants (Tween 80, TX 100 and Brij 30) at the same concentration. These results suggest a feasible way of enhancing the anoxic degradation of PAHs in soil where heat cannot be effectively utilized when in situ thermal desorption (ISTD) technology is used.

Assessment of Knee Menisci in Healthy Adults Using Shear Wave Elastography.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the application value of shear wave elastography in healthy adults with knee meniscus. METHODS: One hundred adult subjects who underwent health checkups at our hospital from December 2022 to February 2023 were selected as research participants. Shear wave elastography was used to evaluate the periphery of the lateral and medial meniscus in both knees. To assess the mean differences in Young's modulus values between male and female groups, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent samples t-test were conducted. In addition, a Pearson correlation coefficient test was used to analyze the correlation between the elastic values of the meniscus and age, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: There were no significant differences in elastic values between the lateral meniscus of the left and right sides or between the medial meniscus of the left and right sides within the same gender group (P > .05). Stiffness values of the medial meniscus were higher in each gender group than those of the lateral meniscus (P < .01). Additionally, males demonstrated higher stiffness values than females (P < .01). As age increased, the Young's modulus of the meniscus increased significantly (r > .75, P < .01). CONCLUSION: Shear wave elastography can serve as an adjunctive tool to aid in the assessment of knee meniscal elasticity.

Effects of water-soluble chitosan on Hylotelephium spectabile and soybean growth, as well as Cd uptake and phytoextraction efficiency in a co-planting cultivation system.

Intercropping a Cd-accumulator with economically valuable crops is common in slightly or moderately Cd-polluted farmland soils. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of water-soluble chitosan (WSC) on the growth and Cd uptake of the Cd-accumulator Hylotelephium spectabile and soybean (Glycine max) during a co-cultivation in Cd-contaminated agricultural soil (WSC, 0 and 10 g·m-2). The results indicated that soybean yields were highest in response to the intercropping and WSC treatment. The results from the field trials generally showed that intercropping and WSC treatments significantly decreased Cd concentrations in inedible parts of soybean by 42.9-72.1% (except for stems), in the meantime, increased 95.8%-334.6% in shoot and root tissues of H. spectabile compared with the control (p < 0.05). The data revealed that Cd uptake was highest for H. spectabile during the intercropping and WSC treatment. The application of WSC in the intercropping system significantly increased the uptake of Cd by H. spectabile, but not by soybean. The findings of this study suggest that combining an intercropping system with a WSC treatment may be better for remediating Cd-contaminated soils than other methods involving the growth of a single hyperaccumulator.

This paper clearly focused on the accumulation and uptake of Cd in the system of intercropping of Cd-accumulator (Hylotelephium spectable) and soybean (Glycine max) grown in Cd-polluted farmland soils supplied with water-soluble chitosan (WSC) under field conditions. Some studies mainly focused on active agent to promote remediation efficiency of (hyper) accumulators. This study indicated that combining the intercropping system with WSC may be better for remediating Cd-contaminated soils than the methods involving a single hyperaccumulator.

Abnormal neurobehavior in fish early life stages after exposure to cyanobacterial exudates.

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) pose a risk to exposed aquatic and terrestrial species. Numerous studies have addressed effects of single toxins while much less attention has been devoted to mixtures of cHAB metabolites that are continually released by living cyanobacteria. Neuro-impairment associated with cHABs has been reported in fish, though the mechanism remains unclear. Here we exposed embryos of Sinocyclocheilus grahami, an endangered fish, to Microcystis aeruginosa exudates (MaE) to evaluate neurotoxicity and the toxicity mechanism(s). We found that MaE affected embryonic development by increasing malformation and mortality rates and decreasing the fertilization rate. MaE also inhibited fish neurobehavior including touch response, social frequency, swimming distance, and aggravated light-stimulation response. Neurobehavior suppression resulted from a decrease in excitatory neurotransmitters acetylcholine and dopamine, even though receptors increased. MaE also affected gene and protein expression of neurotransmitters, synthetic and/or degrading enzymes, and receptors. Our findings shed light on specific mechanisms by which MaE induces neurotoxicity in early life stages in fish and contributes to improvement of the conservation strategy for this species.

Potential evaluation of different intercropping remediation modes based on remediation efficiency and economic benefits - a case study of arsenic-contaminated soil.

Hyperaccumulator-cash crop intercropping remediation is a research hotspot for heavy metal contaminated farmland, but few studies evaluated its feasibility based on practice. Field experiments and survey statistics were conducted to obtain parameters of Pteris vittata-Citrus reticulata/Zea mays intercropping, and potential of intercropping remediation was evaluated based on remediation efficiency and economic benefits. The results showed that intercropping hyperaccumulator with cash crop (especially herbs) had a certain negative effect on remediation efficiency because of the influence on planting density and harvest times of hyperaccumulator; while trees could partly alleviate this effect. Until achieving the predetermined target, the net remediation cost of P. vittata-Z. mays was 18.2 $/g As, followed by P. vittata monoculture (13.3 $/g) and P. vittata-C. reticulata (8.6 $/g). Based on the proposed evaluation model, nealy half of the P. vittata intercropping modes had low economic benefits, insufficient to compensate the cost of sacrificing remediation efficiency. Based on the data from two soil remediation projects, when net income of cash crops intercropped with As-hyperaccumulators exceeded 5865/1607 $/hm2 (herbs/trees), the economic benefit of intercropping will be relatively obvious. Therefore, cash crops should be considered from three aspects: planting conditions, spatial allocation and economic benefits. Novelty statement: This work analyzed remediation efficiency and economic benefits of intercropping remediation. An economic benefit evaluation model was established to evaluate intercropping remediation modes. The selection principle and net income threshold of cash crops in intercropping was put forward for the first time.[Figure: see text]HighlightsThe selection principle of cash crops in intercropping remediation was put forward.An evaluation model of P. vittata intercropping remediation was established.The net cost of extracting 1.0 g of soil As in each remediation mode was proposed.Net income of herb/tree intercropped with P. vittata should exceed 5865/1607 $/hm2.

Water-soluble chitosan and phytoremediation efficiency of two Brassica napus L. cultivars in cadmium-contaminated farmland soils.

Pot and field trials were conducted to investigate Cd uptake and phytoremediation efficiency of two Brassica napus cultivars (QY-1 and SYH) with applied water-soluble chitosan (WSC, Pot: 0, 2% and 4%; Field: 0 and 10 g·m-2) grown in Cd-contaminated soils. The results from the pot and field trials generally showed that WSC treatments significantly increased Cd concentrations in shoot and root tissues by 33.77-159.71% (except for SYH/JY) and 7.42-168.71% of two B. napus cultivars compared with the control (p < 0.05). The uptake of Cd by shoots of SYH was obviously higher than by shoots of QY-1 treated with WSC under pot and field conditions, which was 1.54-2.22 times than that of QY-1 (p < 0.05). The results indicated that 2% WSC treatment significantly increased the water-soluble and acid extractable Cd in rhizosphere soils of both B. napus cultivars. Furthermore, Cd concentrations in the oils of two B. napus cultivars with applied WSC (10 g·m-2) grown under field conditions were not significantly different from commercial rapeseed oils. Rapeseed oil of B. napus is not only an edible oil with high nutritional value, but it can also be converted into biomass diesel that can be used as a substitute for petroleum diesel.

Safe utilization of cadmium- and lead-contaminated farmland by cultivating a winter rapeseed/maize rotation compared with two phytoextraction approaches.

Compared with phytoextraction, growing suitable crops may be a more profitable and practical approach for managing contaminated farmland, especially when there are multiple pollutants. In this 5-year field study, the phytoaccumulator Hylotelephium spectabile, the high-biomass species amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus), and a winter rapeseed/maize rotation crop were cultivated on farmland contaminated with cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). Over 4 consecutive years, the annual Cd uptake and extraction efficiency of H. spectabile was 117.6 g hm-2 and 2.36%, respectively. The Cd extraction efficiency of amaranth was equivalent to that of H. spectabile because of its high biomass, and it extracted more Pb (660-2210 g hm-2) from the soil than did H. spectabile. However, neither of these species was able to remediate contaminated farmland rapidly and inexpensively, even with enhancing strategies such as variety screening and the addition of fertilizers and a chelating agent. A safe utilization approach to cultivate rapeseed instead of wheat significantly reduced the carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks. The concentrations of heavy metals in rapeseed oil were below the limits specified in the Chinese national food standard, and the heavy metal concentrations in the byproducts (rapeseed meal and straw) were below the limits specified in Chinese national standards for organic fertilizer and feed. The cost of safe utilization was one-quarter that of phytoextraction, and the net economic benefit was 33.5%-123.5% higher than that of wheat crops. Therefore, the rapeseed/maize rotation is a profitable and feasible approach for the safe utilization of Cd- and Pb-contaminated farmland on the northern plains of China.

Effects of the Foliar Application of Water-soluble Chitosan or Na2SiO3 Fertilizer on the Pb Accumulation by a Low-Pb Accumulator Brassica napus Grown on Farmland Surrounding a Working Smelter.

Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of two foliar fertilizers, water-soluble chitosan (WSC) and Na2SiO3 (Si), on the accumulation of Pb by a low-Pb accumulator Brassica napus cultivar (QY-1) grown at two mildly Pb-contaminated farmland sites surrounding working smelters in Jiyuan city, Henan province, China. Regardless of the frequency of the fertilizer treatments, the foliar application of WSC (0.01%) or Si (0.15%) significantly increased the QY-1 biomass and decreased the grain Pb concentrations. Compared with the control treatment, spraying plants once with WSC or Si during the flowering period achieved the best effect in the two soils with different pollution, which may be because inhibiting the accumulation of Pb in grains by decreasing the husk-to-grain transfer coefficient. Thus, the foliar application of WSC or Si combined with the cultivation of a low-Pb accumulator is a promising approach for optimizing the utility of Pb-contaminated farmland affected by atmospheric deposition.

Enterobacter cloacae infection of the shoulder in a 52-year-old woman without apparent predisposing risk factor: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Enterobacter cloacae (E. cloacae) is one of the commensal flora in the human intestinal tract and a prevalent nosocomial pathogen, which rarely causes infectious osteoarthritis in immunocompetent patients without recent trauma or surgery. Here, we report the first case of septic monoarthritis of the shoulder caused by E. cloacae in an immunocompetent patient. CASE PRESENTATION: A 52-year-old female with a 6-year history of right shoulder pain was referred to our emergency department due to fever, acute severe shoulder pain, and swelling. Blood test showed elevated inflammatory markers. The patient denied any recent invasive surgical procedure and trauma. She was misdiagnosed with a frozen shoulder, and the anti-inflammatory painkiller celecoxib for symptomatic treatment was ineffective. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a shoulder joint abscess and supraspinatus tendon tear. The joint aspirate culture showed E. cloacae. After late diagnosis, she was treated with levofloxacin and underwent surgical debridement and irrigation. Her follow-up data revealed that she did not suffer from shoulder swelling and severe pain. CONCLUSION: This is a rare case of E. cloacae infected arthritis of the shoulder in an immunocompetent patient with a rotator cuff tear, indicating that even if the symptoms and age of the patients match the characteristics of frozen shoulder, the possibility of septic arthritis should be considered in the presence of fever and increasing inflammatory markers. The cases of our literature review suggest that the patients subjected to invasive procedure may develop a subsequent E. cloacae osteoarticular infection, regardless of being asymptomatic after the procedure.

Contribution of the flag leaf to lead absorption in wheat grain at the grain-filling stage.

Wheat flag leaf (FL) is one of the primary sources of carbohydrates in grains; however, its role in grain lead (Pb) absorption remains unclear. A field experiment was conducted to assess the relative contribution of the FL to Pb accumulation in wheat grain by two contrasting treatments: without (CK) and with FL removal (FLR) at the grain-filling stage. The Pb concentration in leaves was closely related to leaf strata and decreased from FL to the third leaf. FLR treatment significantly reduced the yield and grain Pb concentration by 2.79% and 11.47%, respectively. The contribution of FL to grain Pb accumulation decreased gradually with the filling process, from 35.08% (at early stage) to 13.94% (at maturity stage). After FLR, the contribution proportion of atmospheric fallout to grain Pb decreased from 69.01% (CK) to 62.43% (FLR). Combined isotope analysis with scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) revealed that the main contribution of FLs to grain Pb originated from Pb fallout in fine atmospheric particles. Therefore, taking measures to reduce the influence of fine atmospheric particles on wheat may be an effective way to control wheat grain Pb contamination.

Effects of Soil Amendments on Soil Pb Bioavailability and Pb Absorption by a low-Pb Accumulator Kumquat Grown in Two Types of Pb-Contaminated Soils.

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of 0.5% and 1% alkaline, clay mineral and phosphorus amendments, as well as 2% and 5% organic amendments, on lead (Pb) soil bioavailability and Pb absorption by the low-Pb accumulator kumquat (Citrus japonica Thunb.) 'Cuipi' in two typical Pb-contaminated soils, Jiyuan and Yangshuo, from northern and southern China, respectively. The diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-extractable Pb soil concentration and Pb accumulation in kumquat significantly decreased with amendment additions. High amendment doses had greater inhibitory effects than low doses but no significant effects on the kumquat's biomass in the two typical soils. Alkaline, but not clay mineral, amendments greatly increased the soil pH level. Organic amendments effectively reduced Pb accumulation owing to their strong adsorptive capacities. Thus, using organic amendments combined with a low-Pb accumulator kumquat forms a suitable farming practice for producing safe fruit in the two common types of Pb-contaminated soils in China.

Passivation of lead and cadmium and increase of the nutrient content during sewage sludge composting by phosphate amendments.

As an efficient and cost-effective biological treatment method for sewage sludge, composting has been widely used worldwide. To passivate heavy metals and enhance the nutrient content in compost, in the present study, phosphate rock, calcium magnesium phosphate, and monopotassium phosphate were added to the composting substrate. According to the Community Bureau of Reference sequential extraction procedure, phosphate rock and monopotassium phosphate amendments exhibit a good passivation effect on Cd and Pb. The X-ray diffraction patterns proved the formation of Pb3(PO4)2 and Cd5(PO4)2SiO4 crystals, and X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy illustrated the change in P speciation after phosphate amendment. Furthermore, phosphate amendment increased the contents of total P and available P, and it reduced the loss of N during sewage sludge composting. The germination index showed that the target phosphate amendments in sewage sludge compost had no negative effects on seed germination, and this method has great potential to be used as a soil amendment.

99mTc-Labeled Polyethylenimine-Entrapped Gold Nanoparticles with pH-Responsive Charge Conversion Property for Enhanced Dual Mode SPECT/CT Imaging of Cancer Cells.

Development of tumor dual mode contrast agents is still a great challenge due to the relative low accumulation at tumor site, which result in the poor imaging efficiency. In this study, we constructed functional technetium-99m (99mTc) labeled polyethylenimine (PEI)-entrapped gold nanoparticles (Au PENs) with pH-responsive charge conversion property for enhanced single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) dual mode imaging of cancer cells. PEI with amine functional groups (PEI.NH2) was successively modified with monomethyl ether and carboxyl functionalized polyethylene glycol (mPEG-COOH), maleimide and succinimidyl valerate functionalized PEG (MAL-PEG-SVA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic dianhydride (DTPA), and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FI), and used to entrapped gold nanoparticles inside, followed by conjugation with the alkoxyphenyl acylsulfonamide (APAS) through the PEG maleimide, acetylation of the PEI leftover surface amines and 99mTc labeling. The created nanosystem with the mean Au core diameter of 3.3 nm and with a narrow size distribution displays an excellent colloidal stability and desired cytocompatibility in the investigated Au concentration range. Due to the fact that the attached APAS moieties are responsive to pH, the functionalized Au PENs with a neutral surface charge can switch to be positively charged under slightly acidic pH condition, which could improve the cellular uptake by cancer cells. With these properties, the developed functionalized Au PENs could achieve enhanced dual mode SPECT/CT imaging of cancer cells in vitro. The constructed PEI-based nanodevices may be adopted as an excellent dual mode contrast agent for SPECT/CT imaging of cancer cells of different types.

Characterization of AtWRI1 in fatty acids and starch synthesis in rice.

WRINKLED1 (WRI1) belongs to AP2/EREBP transcription factor. Its function in dicots for fatty acids synthesis has been deeply studied, but its role in monocot, especially in rice, is still poorly understood. Here, with the overexpression of AtWRI1 in rice, we found its overexpression increased fatty acids content in vegetative organs and seed coat including aleurone layer (SCAL) but decreased fatty acids content in endosperm. Meanwhile, the overexpression of AtWRI1 increased starch content in endosperm. These results provide a new insight into the function of AtWRI1in monocot and make a previous basement for the study of the connection of fatty acids and starch synthesis in rice.

Subcellular cadmium distribution and antioxidant enzymatic activities in the leaves of four Hylotelephium spectabile populations exhibit differences in phytoextraction potential.

Hylotelephium spectabile with high tolerance to cadmium (Cd) might be a potential candidate for phytoremediation. However, the mechanisms for Cd accumulation and tolerance in H. spectabile are poorly understood. Four H. spectabile populations, namely HB1, HB2, JS, and LN, were selected to investigate their Cd extraction potential and the underlying mechanism of Cd accumulation, focusing on subcellular distribution and antioxidant enzymes. The Cd concentration, bioconcentration factor and transfer factor of the LN was significantly higher than other populations, particularly with increasing Cd exposure, and no obvious growth inhibition observed. Segregation of excessive Cd to Cd-rich granule in LN was much higher than other populations which reveal one possible mechanism of Cd accumulation. A significant increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities with increasing Cd stress suggested SOD and CAT contribute to the Cd tolerance of H. spectabile. LN displayed significantly higher and constant peroxidase (POD) activities than other populations, which indicated that an effective mechanism existed in the LN to cope with Cd stress. Therefore, the subcellular distribution and antioxidant enzymes might play important roles in Cd accumulation and tolerance of H. spectabile. LN possessed high Cd extraction potential, and further studies under field conditions are warranted.

Insights into Body Size Evolution: A Comparative Transcriptome Study on Three Species of Asian Sisoridae Catfish.

Body size is one of the most important attributes of a species, but the basic question of why and how each species reaches a different "right size" is still largely unknown. Herein, three phylogenetically closely related catfishes from Sisoridae, including one extraordinarily large-sized Bagarius yarrelli and two average-sized Glyptothorax macromaculatus and Oreoglanis setiger, were comparatively studied using RNA-Seq. Approximately 17,000 protein-coding genes were annotated for each of the three fishes, and 9509 genes were identified as high-confidence orthologous gene pairs. Comparative expressions uncovered a similar functional cluster about ribosome biogenesis was enriched in different tissues of the upregulated genes of Bagarius yarrelli. Moreover, differentially expressed genes and positively selected genes revealed that the glycolysis/pyruvate metabolism and cell cycle pathways have also greatly enhanced in this large-sized species. In total, 20 size-related candidate genes (including two growth modulators: the serine/threonine-protein kinases 3 (AKT3) and adaptor protein 1 (SH2B1), and a crucial pyruvate kinase (PKM2A)) were identified by multiplying comparative analyses along with gene functional screening, which would play major roles in enabling the large body size associated with Bagarius yarrelli and provide new insights into body size evolution. In conjunction with field observations and morphological comparisons, we hypothesize that habitat preferences promote size divergence of sisorids.

Effect of fertilizers on Cd accumulation and subcellular distribution of two cosmos species (Cosmos sulphureus and Cosmos bipinnata).

Addition of fertilizer amendments is regarded as an ideal approach to enhancing phytoextraction. However, there is little information available on the influence of common fertilizers on Cd accumulation of two newly reported Cd accumulators, Cosmos sulphureus and Cosmos bipinnata (C. sulphureus and C. bipinnata). The effects of N (CO(NH2)2), NP (CO(NH2)2 + Ca(H2PO4)2), and NPK (CO(NH2)2 + Ca(H2PO4)2 + KCl) fertilizers on Cd accumulation and subcellular distribution of C. sulphureus and C. bipinnata were studied in a 70-d pot experiment. The results showed that Cd uptake of C. sulphureus and C. bipinnata with NPK fertilizer was significantly higher than control, N, and NP fertilizers, especially 3.8- and 4.7-fold higher than control (p < 0.05). Compared with C. bipinnata, C. sulphureus achieved higher biomass and Cd uptake in aboveground parts under fertilizer treatments, especially NPK fertilizer. The Cd subcellular distribution revealed that segregation of Cd to Cd-rich granules (MRG) might play an important role in Cd detoxification in both species. C. sulphureus is more likely than C. bipinnata to separate the Cd in MRG and reduce the partition in the heat-denatured protein fraction, especially with NPK fertilizer. Therefore, C. sulphureus combined with NPK fertilizers could be an effective method to remediate Cd-polluted farmland soils in China.

Comparison among soil additives for enhancing Pteris vittata L.: Phytoremediation of As-contaminated soil.

Pot experiments were conducted to assess the effects of monoammonium phosphate (NH4H2PO4) and citric acid (CA) on the arsenic uptake of Chinese brake fern (Pteris vittata L. in two typical arsenic-contaminated soils i.e. fluvo-aquic and brown) from Jiyuan (JY) City and Baoding (BD) City in Northern China. NH4H2PO4 improved the biomass of P. vittata, whereas CA exerted no significant influence. NH4H2PO4 and CA both increased the arsenic uptake of P. vittata by 6.08 and 2.72 times, respectively, in fluvo-aquic soil and 4.20 and 2.52 times, respectively, in brown soil. Moreover, CA, but not NH4H2PO4, promoted the transfer of arsenic from the root to the frond. NH4H2PO4 and CA increased Olsen's arsenic contents in the soils and promoted the transformation of residual arsenic and crystalline Fe/Al oxide-bound arsenic to nonspecifically and specifically sorbed arsenic. This study proved that P. vittata can be used in Northern China. Applying NH4H2PO4 and CA can enhance the effectiveness of P. vittata in the phytoremediation of arsenic-contaminated soils.

Oxygen Monitoring Equipment for Sewage-Sludge Composting and Its Application to Aeration Optimization.

Oxygen is an important parameter for organic-waste composting, and continuous control of the oxygen in a composting pile may be beneficial. The oxygen consumption rate can be used to measure the degree of biological oxidation and decomposition of organic matter. However, without having a real-time online device to monitor oxygen levels in the composting pile, the adjustment and optimization of the composting process cannot be directly implemented. In the present study, we researched and developed such a system, and then tested its stability, reliability, and characteristics. The test results showed that the equipment was accurate and stable, and produced good responses with good repeatability. The equilibrium time required to detect oxygen concentration in the composting pile was 50 s, and the response time for oxygen detection was less than 2 s. The equipment could monitor oxygen concentration online and in real time to optimize the aeration strategy for the compost depending on the concentration indicated by the oxygen-measuring equipment.

Description of a new species of Triplophysa (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae) from Guizhou Province, China.

A new cave-dwelling fish species Triplophysa guizhouensis is described based on specimens collected from Guizhou, China, in a subterranean system interconnected with the Hongshui River drainage. The species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of characters: eyes present; caudal fin with 14 branched rays; inner gill rakers of first gill arch 8-10; posterior chamber of air bladder developed; and body posterior of dorsal fin scaled. A key to species of Triplophysa in the Pearl River basin is provided.