Schizopygopsis labiosa is a species of cyprinid fish that is only found in the upper reaches of the Yellow River basin in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau of China, where it mostly inhabits slow-flowing cold waters at altitudes above . It was regarded as the only member of the genus Chaunchia, and as a schizothoracine (snowtrout and allies).Tang, Y.; C. Li; K. Wanghe; C. Feng; C. Tong; F. Tian; and K. Zhao (2019). Convergent evolution misled taxonomy in schizothoracine fishes (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 134: 323–337 Qi, D.; Y. Chao; Y. Zhao; M. Xia; and R. Wu (2018). Molecular evolution of myoglobin in the Tibetan Plateau endemic schizothoracine fish (Cyprinidae, Teleostei) and tissue-specific expression changes under hypoxia. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry 44(2): 557–571. .Qi, D.; Y. Chao; S. Guo; L. Zhao; T. Li; F. Wei; and X. Zhao (2012). Convergent, Parallel and Correlated Evolution of Trophic Morphologies in the Subfamily Schizothoracinae from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. PLoS ONE 7(3): e34070. However, Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes classifies this species within the genus Schizopygopsis in the subfamily Schizopygopsinae.
Schizopygopsis labiosa reaches up to in length. Its lower jaw has a horny sheath, which it uses to scrape invertebrates and algae off the bottom.Qi, D. (2016). Fish of the Upper Yellow River. Pp. 233–252 in: G.J. Brierley et al. (eds.). Landscape and Ecosystem Diversity, Dynamics and Management in the Yellow River Source Zone. Springer Geography. It has seriously declined because of habitat loss, overfishing and introduced species, and is now listed as vulnerable on China's Red List.
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