scholarly journals The blind catfish from the caves of Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae): description, anatomy, phylogenetic relationships, natural history, and biogeography

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 673-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flávio A. Bockmann ◽  
Ricardo M. C. Castro

Rhamdiopsis krugi, a new troglobitic heptapterid catfish, is described from the caves of Chapada Diamantina, State of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. This species, although frequently cited in the scientific literature along the last seventeen years, remained undescribed largely due to its uncertain phylogenetic affinities. The generic assignment of R. krugi was clouded largely by its high number of unusual morphological features (some related to cave life), for instance: absence of eyes and body pigmentation; presence of a widely exposed pseudotympanum; posterior border of the anterior branch and anterior margin of the arborescent portion of the posterior branch of the transverse process of fourth vertebra joined; dorsal hypural plate commonly with seven rays; ventral caudal plate usually with six rays; dorsal and ventral caudal-fin lobes typically with six branched fin rays each; 38-39 vertebrae; anal fin with 14-17 rays; and lateral line very short. Rhamdiopsis krugi can be easily distinguished from its congeners, R. microcephala and R. moreirai, by its troglomorphic features and by the presence of a shorter lateral line, fewer vertebrae and anal-fin rays, pattern of branching of caudal-fin rays, and several attributes of skeletal system. The affinities of this new species are discussed in light of current phylogenetic knowledge of the family Heptapteridae. Incongruent derived characters do not allow selection of a particular hypothesis of sister group relationships among species of Rhamdiopsis. The occurrence of R. krugi in the rio Paraguaçu basin is possibly due to an event of hydrological capture from a section of the middle portion of the rio São Francisco basin, caused by tectonic events. The semi-arid region where R. krugi presently lives was probably covered by a wide forested area during a humid cycle in Quaternary. A summary of natural history and ecology data of R. krugi, as well as notes on its conservation, are provided. We also offer comments on the morphological plasticity of R. krugi.

Zootaxa ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4196 (4) ◽  
pp. 552 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARCELO R. S. MELO ◽  
VINICIUS C. ESPÍNDOLA

A new species of Characidium Reinhardt, 1867 endemic to tributaries of the upper rio Paraguaçu in the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil, is described. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners except C. bahiense, C. bimaculatum, C. laterale, C. nana, C. nupelia, and C. xavante, by having a conspicuous peduncular blotch in addition to the basicaudal spot on the base of the middle caudal-fin rays. Among other features, the new species differs from C. bahiense, C. laterale, C. nana, C. nupelia, and C. xavante by having a complete lateral line with 32–36 perforated scales (vs. lateral line short, with 9–11 perforated scales), and from C. bimaculatum by the body pigmentation pattern, with secondary bars present (vs. absent), total bars 11–16 (vs. 10–12), peduncular blotch rounded (vs. horizontally elongated), and mature males not having a darker dorsal fin (vs. proximal third of dorsal fin darker in mature males). Characidium bimaculatum, a poorly known species from Northeastern Brazil, is redescribed. 


2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valdener Garutti ◽  
Francisco Langeani

Astyanax goyacensis Eigenmann, 1908 is redescribed based on the holotype and 25 topotypes. The species belongs to the A. bimaculatus species complex, sharing with those species a black, horizontally ovate, humeral spot (the most conspicuous feature of this complex), two diffuse vertical brown bars in the humeral area (the first through humeral spot and the second 2-3 scales behind), and black medium caudal-fin rays. Furthermore, A. goyacensis possesses a black stripe extending along midlateral body portion, more conspicuous in alcohol preserved specimens. These characteristics allow its inclusion in the putative "black lateral stripe" sub-group of A. bimaculatus species complex. From the species of this complex it differs by the black lateral stripe shape, pattern of chromatophores on the flank, coloration of the caudal fin, scales on the lateral line, branched rays on anal fin, eye diameter, and caudal peduncle depth. Comments about the color pattern in Astyanax bimaculatus species complex are added.


Zootaxa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3586 (1) ◽  
pp. 329 ◽  
Author(s):  
ZACHARY S. RANDALL ◽  
LAWRENCE M. PAGE

The genus Homalopteroides Fowler 1905 is resurrected and distinguished from the genus Homaloptera van Hasselt 1823based on a combination of characters including a unique mouth morphology, dorsal-fin origin over pelvic fin,≤60 lateral-line scales, and≤30 predorsal scales. Species included in Homalopteroides are H. wassinkii (Bleeker 1853), H. modestus(Vinciguerra 1890), H. rupicola (Prashad & Mukerji 1929), H. smithi (Hora 1932), H. stephensoni (Hora 1932), H. weberi(Hora 1932), H. tweediei (Herre 1940), H. indochinensis (Silas 1953), H. nebulosus (Alfred 1969), H. yuwonoi (Kottelat1998), and possibly H. manipurensis (Arunkumar 1999). Homalopteroides modestus (Vinciguerra 1890) is a poorlyknown species that was originally described from the Meekalan and Meetan rivers of southern Myanmar. It occurs in theSalween, Mae Khlong, and Tenasserim basins, and can be distinguished from all other species of Homalopteroides by thecombination of caudal-fin pattern (black proximal and distal bars, median blotch), 15 pectoral-fin rays, pectoral-fin lengthgreater than head length, 5½–6½ scales above and 5–6 scales below the lateral line (to the pelvic fin), 39–44 total lateral-line pores, no axillary pelvic-fin lobe, pelvic fin not reaching anus, orbital length less than interorbital width in adult, and maxillary barbel reaching to or slightly past the anterior orbital rim.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cárlison Silva-Oliveira ◽  
Rafaela P. Ota ◽  
Flávio C. T. Lima ◽  
Lúcia Rapp Py-Daniel

ABSTRACT A redescription of Bryconops gracilis is provided, a species poorly known for more than a century. Bryconops gracilis differs from all congeners by having the following combination of features: eight branched pelvic-fin rays, 31-36 anal-fin rays, 15-17 predorsal scales arranged in a regular series, two rows of premaxillary teeth, and 53-60 lateral-line scales. The species was often misidentified as B. alburnoides by sharing an overall elongated body shape, caudal fin yellowish in life, and a high number of lateral-line scales. A diagnosis between B. alburnoides and B. gracilis is provided. The holotype of B. gracilis which for many years had whereabouts unknown, was recovered, examined and illustrated by CT-Scan. Additionally, more detailed information about the type locality, morphology, color pattern (including in living specimens), habitat and distribution pattern of species are provided.


2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Ferreira Haluch ◽  
Vinícius Abilhoa

A new species of characid fish, Astyanax totae, is described from a small tributary in the upper drainage of the rio Iguaçu, Paraná basin, Brazil. The new species is distinct from most species of Astyanax by the vertically elongated humeral spot, slightly expanded above the lateral line to posterodorsal margin of opercle, followed by a midlateral dark stripe expanded from the humeral region to the median caudal-fin rays, maxilla with 2 to 5 teeth (usually 3) and 15 to 18 branched anal-fin rays.


2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo C. Benine ◽  
Ricardo M. C. Castro ◽  
Alexandre C. A. Santos

Moenkhausia diamantina, new species, is described from tributaries of the rio Paraguaçu, BA, northeastern Brazil. This species is distinguished from all congeners by features of body color pattern, the presence of scales on the predorsal median line and the number of anal-fin rays.


Zootaxa ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 1813 (1) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
CARLOS A. GARCÍA-ALZATE ◽  
CÉSAR ROMÁN-VALENCIA ◽  
DONALD C. TAPHORN

Hyphessobrycon oritoensis (Characiformes: Characidae) is described from the Putumayo River drainage of the Colombian Amazon. The new species belongs to the H. heterorhabdus group and is distinguished from all other known species by the following combination of characters: iii,8 dorsal–fin rays, iv, 26–27 anal–fin rays, 19 teeth on dentary, 35 scales in longitudinal series, 10–11 perforated scales in lateral line, 7 scales between lateral line and dorsal–fin origin, 14 predorsal scales and a dark lateral band that extends from the posterior border of the humeral spot to the tips of the middle caudal fin rays.


Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2994 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
JUAN MARCOS MIRANDE ◽  
GASTÓN AGUILERA ◽  
MARÍA DE LAS MERCEDES AZPELICUETA

Oligosarcus itau n. sp. is described. This species is the sister group of the remaining analyzed species of Oligosarcus and this relationship is supported by seven morphological synapomorphies: 1) well developed temporal fossa, 2) absence of a dorsal expansion on the rhinosphenoid, 3) posteroventrally angled articulation between second and third infraorbitals, 4) presence of ectopterygoid teeth on a row, 5) laterally displaced cartilage on the ectopterygoid, 6) presence of bony lamellae bordering laterosensory canal of suprapreopercle, and 7) presence of two pairs of uroneurals. The new species is diagnosed by the following combination of characters: 1) two distinct premaxillary rows of teeth, 2) tricuspidate and pentacuspidate teeth on dentary and posterior premaxillary row, 3) presence of a row of 3–4 tricuspidate to conical ectopterygoid teeth, 4) possession of v-vi,21–23 anal-fin rays, and 5) presence of 41–42 perforated scales on lateral line. Oligosarcus itau n. sp. was previously considered as an Astyanacinus. Astyanacinus moorii (Boulenger), type species of the genus, is included in the Astyanax clade and Astyanacinus platensis Messner is transferred to Oligosarcus.


Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4755 (2) ◽  
pp. 365-374
Author(s):  
JUAN G. ALBORNOZ-GARZÓN ◽  
ASTRID ACOSTA-SANTOS ◽  
JUAN D. BOGOTÁ-GREGORY ◽  
EDWIN AGUDELO-CÓRDOBA

A new species of Creagrutus is described from the Amazonian Piedmont, Colombia. The new species can be distinguished from congeners by presenting the following unique combination of characters: a dark mid-lateral stripe starting at anteriormost scale of lateral line, a vertically elongated humeral blotch, absence of dark blotches on dorsal fin and at base of middle caudal-fin rays, a triangular dentigerous surface of the premaxilla, 5–6 dentary teeth, and 11–12 predorsal scales. Comparisons with congeners distributed in the piedmont region of Río Caquetá basin are presented and its relationships among species of Creagrutus is inferred from the available phylogenetic framework. 


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document