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We describe three new species of Geophagus from the Orinoco and Casiquiare drainages of Venezuela, bringing the total number of described species in the genus to fourteen, and of Venezuelan species to six. All three species are distinguished from G. grammepareius, G. taeniopareius, G. argyrostictus and G. harreri by lacking an infraorbital stripe, which is either reduced to a preopercular mark or is absent. Geophagus abalios n. sp. reaches at least 163 mm SL; it is distinguished from G. dicrozoster n. sp., G. winemilleri n. sp., G. brachybranchus and G. proximus by lacking a preopercular mark. It can be further distinguished from the widely sympatric G. dicrozoster n. sp. by the squamation pattern, and upper jaw teeth arrangement. Preserved specimens of Geophagus abalios are distinguished from other Geophagus species without head markings except G. brokopondo by six vertical, parallel bars on the flank; it is distinguished from G. brokopondo by the anterior three bars, which are dorso-ventrally bisected by a clearer area, giving the impression of two thinner bars, whereas in the latter species all bars are solid; additionally, the sixth bar in G. abalios is elongate and restricted to the dorsal half of the caudal peduncle, above the lower lateral line, and in G. brokopondo the bar covers the entire caudal peduncle. Geophagus abalios is present in the llanos of the Orinoco drainage, reaching the Andean piedmont, the R o Caura in the Guyana Shield, and the higher Orinoco and Casiquiare drainages in Amazonas State. G. dicrozoster n. sp. and G. winemilleri n. sp. bear a preopercular mark, which distinguishes them from G. abalios n. sp., G. brokopondo, G. surinamensis, G. megasema, G. camopiensis, and G. altifrons, which lack head markings. G. dicrozoster n. sp. reaches at least 202 mm SL; preserved specimens are distinguished from other species with a preopercular mark by seven vertical, parallel lateral bars. The species is present in black water tributaries of the Orinoco in the Guyana Shield, and its middle and upper course, as well as in the Casiquiare and the headwaters of the R o Negro. G. winemilleri n. sp. reaches a maximum known size of 195 mm SL; preserved specimens are distinguished from other species with a preopercular mark by four broad, ventro-caudally inclined bars on the flank, plus a fainter bar on the dorsal portion of the caudal peduncle. G. winemilleri is described from the lower Casiquiaredrainage and the headwaters of the R o Negro in southern Venezuela, but may be distributed along the length of the R o Negro.
Briggsia hastingsi is described as a new genus and species of gobiesocid fish from a single specimen, 22 mm in standard length, collected in 2 m depth on the southeastern coast of Oman. The genus differs principally from other aspasmine genera in having fewer dorsal- and anal-fin rays (4 each) and a shorter head (head length 2.5 in standard length).
A new species of chimaera, Hydrolagus melanophasma sp. nov. (Chimaeridae), is described from the eastern North Pacific. It is distinct from other eastern Pacific chimaeroids by the following characteristics: a large slightly curved dorsal fin spine extending beyond dorsal fin apex, a long second dorsal fin of uniform height throughout, large pectoral fins extending beyond the pelvic fin insertion when laid flat, trifid claspers forked for approximately one-quarter the total clasper length and a uniform black coloration throughout. The new species is compared to other eastern Pacific members of the genus Hydrolagus including H. alphus, H. colliei, H. macrophthalmus, and H. mccoskeri. Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) video footage has identified and documented Hydrolagus melanophasma from the Gulf of California. ROV observations suggest that individuals typically occur over soft-bottom habitats or cobble patches with minimal vertical relief. This is in contrast to other eastern Pacific Hydrolagus species that tend to occur in areas of high rocky relief. The known distribution of this new species at present extends from southern California, U.S.A., along the Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico, and into the Gulf of California.
Cnesterodon pirai new species is described from a small stream, tributary of the arroyo Cuñá-Pirú, río Paraná basin in Argentina. The new species is diagnosed by the following combination of characters: 6 to 8 irregular dashes, ranging from oval to vertical stripes on females and 7 to 9 irregular dashes ranging from oval to circular dots on males; lack of a distal membranous filament on the terminal appendix of ray 3 of the gonopodium; absence of longitudinal dark-brown band along flank; snout long (16.7–28.7 % HL) and pointed; absence of a large post-gonopodium blotch on ventral profile in adult males; absence of dashes along predorsal portion of first, second and third lateral series of scales, associated to the vertical bars on body side; 12–13 epipleural ribs; medial surface of ascending process of premaxilla approximately straight; presence of teeth on fourth ceratobranchial; distal portion of third and fourth gonactinosts separate, except by tip of third gonactinost; fifth gonactinost free; and presence of a constriction on unpaired appendix of gonopodium. In a phylogenetic analysis the new species forms a tricotomy with (Cnesterodon brevirostratus + C. septentrionalis) and (C. hypselurus + C. iguape).
Eight species are considered valid in the genus Achirus (Lacépède), distributed on both sides of the Americas, mainly in marine and estuarine waters with A. novoae being the only species of this genus restricted to freshwaters of the Orinoco basin and its delta. A new species, A. mucuri, is described from the estuary of the Mucuri River, a small system in Bahia state, northeastern Brazil. A. mucuri differs from congeners, except A. novoae, in having a connection between the branchiostegal membrane and the isthmus. A. mucuri differs from A. novoae in its labial fimbriae and latero-sensory cephalic canal pattern.
Brachyhypopomus gauderio n. sp. is described here from the central, southern and coastal regions of the Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, from Uruguay, and from Paraguay. It is diagnosed from the congeners on the basis of body coloration, meristic and morphometric characters, such as the number of anal-fin rays, the position of anal-fin origin in relation to pectoral-fin, the morphology of the distal portion of caudal filament of mature males, and body proportions. The new species has been formerly identified as B. pinnicaudatus and is herein distinguished from it.
Two new species of the deep-sea fish genus Pseudoscopelus are described, P. lavenbergi from the eastern Pacific, and P. bothrorrhinos from the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. A new diagnosis for Pseudoscopelus based on two synapomorphies is proposed: the dorsal margin of the orbit is formed by infraorbital 6; the last pore of the infraorbital canal is on the dorsal edge of the orbit, anterior to the middle of the pupil. Twelve species of the genus are considered valid, with P. microps confirmed as a junior synonym of P. altipinnis, and P. stellatus regarded as species inquerida.
A new species of scaly blenny, Labrisomus conditus sp. n., is described from Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, off northeastern Brazil. It differs from its Western Atlantic congeners by the following combination of characters: nuchal cirri when depressed not reaching dorsal-fin origin, 68 to 73 lateral line scales, first and second dorsal-fin spines slightly shorter than third spine and not flexible, numerous pale dots overall (light blue in life), opercular dark spot with incomplete and diffuse broad pale margin (orange in life). The new species is a territorial bottom-dweller in rocky shores and is found among algae and in crevices at depths from 0.5 to 6 m. Labrisomus conditus sp. n. feeds mostly on crustaceans (crabs, amphipods) and molluscs (snails, bivalves). The new species increases to five the species within the genus Labrisomus recorded from Southwestern Atlantic.
A new species of cleaner goby, Elacatinus phthirophagus sp. n., is described from Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, off northeastern Brazil. It differs from its congeners of the putative “randalli-evelynae” cleaning clade by the following combination of characters: mouth subterminal, pale (bright yellow in life) elliptical spot on dark snout, width of lateral pale (bright yellow in life) stripe almost equal as eye diameter (slightly narrower in live individuals), light purplish sheen (in life) extending laterally from below eye to tail origin, no blue line (in life) from below eye to end of opercular margin, teeth multiserial on the distal portion of both jaws, males with 3 enlarged and recurved teeth on dentary inner row. The new species was recorded at depths ranging from 3 to 18 m and is ubiquitous in the archipelago islets. It tends cleaning stations on coral heads, sponges, and rocky substrata, with up to 15 individuals present in large stations, particularly those on sponges. Elacatinus phthirophagus sp. n. was recorded to clean about 30 species of fish clients, including large carnivores such as the shark Carcharhinus perezi and smaller carnivores such as the grouper Cephalopholis fulva, besides small clients like the planktivorous damselfish Chromis multilineata and the zoobenthivorous butterflyfish Chaetodon ocellatus. The new species increases to three the number of cleaner gobies recorded for Southwestern Atlantic, one from the coast and two from oceanic islands.
Merodoras nheco, new genus and species of Doradidae (Siluriformes) is described from Rio Paraguay basin, Brazil. The new genus belongs to the new subfamily Astrodoradinae, a monophyletic group formally named herein that includes, besides Merodoras, Amblydoras, Anadoras, Astrodoras, Hypodoras, Physopyxis, and Scorpiodoras. This group is diagnosed by the possession of: lacrimal serrated and participating in the orbital margin, four to seven pleural ribs; spines on the postcleithral process; postero-inferior portion of the coracoid exposed. Merodoras nheco, new species, is distinguished from other doradids by the unique combination of the following characteristics: 1) tips of retrorse spines on the midlateral scutes ventrally oriented in adults; 2) incomplete lateral line, with only a few midlateral scutes anteriorly; 3) pectoral girdle entirely exposed ventrally, with the opening of the arrector ventralis inferior reduced to a small fossae on the anterior edge of the coracoid; 4) caudal fin truncate; 5) dorsal-fin spine smooth, without serrae on both faces; 5) lacrimal serrated; 6) lateral ethmoid serrated. Merodoras nheco inhabits the “Pantanal Matogrossense,” a flooded portion of the upper Rio Paraguay basin in western Brazil.
A taxonomic review of the waspfish genus Liocranium Ogilby, 1903 (Tetrarogidae) resulted in two species of the genus being regarded as valid: L. praepositum Ogilby, 1903 (type species of the genus) and L. pleurostigma (Weber, 1913) (previously regarded as a junior synonym of L. praepositum). Liocranium pleurostigma is distinguished from L. praepositum by colour pattern, gill-raker counts and several morphometrics, including upper-jaw length, depth of the posterior margin of the maxilla, length of the longest anal-fin soft ray, and position of the spine tip of the depressed pelvic fin. Lectotypes of the two nominal species are herein designated. Liocranium pleurostigma is distributed off the northwestern coast of Australia (east to Torres Strait), New Guinea and the Philippines, whereas L. praepositum occurs off the northeastern coast of Australia (north to about Hinchinbrook Island). Comments on the biogeography of Liocranium are also provided.
We describe a new genus to accommodate the species originally described as Rivulus stellifer Thomerson & Turner, 1973, but currently referred to the genus Rachovia Myers, 1927. Rachovia stellifer has had a complicated taxonomic history and has, at various times since its description, been placed in and out of three genera: Rivulus Poey, 1860, Pituna Costa, 1989 and Rachovia. However, phylogenetic analyses using 3537 mitochondrial and nuclear characters, and 93 morphological characters indicate it is not a member of any of these genera, but place it as a deeply divergent sister species to the genus Gnatholebias Costa, 1998. In addition to molecular characters, it is distinguished from the genera Rachovia and Gnatholebias by 13 and 33 morphological character states, respectively.
Five new species of the damselfish genus Chromis 2 (Perciformes 3 : Labroidei 4 : Pomacentridae 5 ) are described from specimens collected from deep (>60 m) coral-reef habitat in the western Pacific by divers using mixed-gas closed-circuit rebreather gear. Two of the five new species (C. abyssus and C. circumaurea) are each described from specimens taken at a single locality within the Caroline Islands (Palau and Yap, respectively); one (C. degruyi) is described from specimens collected or observed throughout the Caroline Islands, and two (C. brevirostris and C. earina) are described from specimens collected from several localities throughout the Caroline Islands, Fiji, and Vanuatu. All five species can easily be distinguished from other known Chromis, and from each other, on the basis of color and morphology. These new species represent the first five scientific names prospectively registered in the official ICZN ZooBank registry 6 . Moreover, the electronic online edition of this document has been specially formatted with many embedded links to additional resources available online via the internet to enhance access to taxonomically-relevant information, and as a demonstration of the utility of international standards for biodiversity informatics.
A comprehensive revision of the cusk-eel genus Lepophidium, encompassing all 23 known species, is presented in a single work for the first time. A summary discussion of the status of Lepophidium and its position in the Lepophidiini is presented. Systematic accounts for each species of Lepophidium detail meristic, mensural, and pigment pattern variability, including features of the skeletal and internal anatomy. Eight species are described as new: Lepophidium collettei n. sp., Lepophidium zophochir n. sp., Lepophidium entomelan n. sp., Lepophidium cultratum n. sp., Lepophidium crossotum n. sp., Lepophidium wileyi n. sp., Lepophidium robustum n. sp., and Lepophidium gilmorei n. sp. Two subspecies are elevated to full species. Individual species distribution maps based on 1,012 collections of Lepophidium examined by the authors are presented. A dichotomous key to the 23 species of Lepophidium is provided. Study material, examined over the course of six decades by the senior author, is archived in various natural history museums detailed herein.
The eelpout Leucogrammolycus brychios gen. et sp. nov., is described from nine specimens, five males (92–198 mm SL) and four females (99–205 mm SL), collected from off Rio de Janeiro state, southeastern Brazil, at depths from 536 to 632 m. It is mainly characterized by the following combination of characters: vertebrae 23–26 + 62–66 = 85–92; first anal-fin pterygiophore associated with first or second caudal vertebrae; scales absent; lateral line with mediolateral and ventral branches; upper lip broadly adnate to snout tip; gill slit not reaching ventrally to opposite lower end of pectoral-fin base; pelvic-fin rays 2; head pores relatively few, small, rounded; and whitish mid-body stripe forming a chevron on top of snout.
Phaeoptyx and Astrapogon are represented in the Caribbean by six species (P. conklini, P. pigmentaria, P. xenus, A. alutus, A. stellatus, and A. puncticulatus). Species identification of larvae and juveniles is problematic because characters used to distinguish adults (e.g., patterns of pigmentation and numbers of gill rakers) are absent, incomplete, or difficult to discern in the young stages. Neighbor-joining trees derived from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 sequences (DNA Barcoding) were used to match early life stages and adults. Subsequent comparative analysis of preserved voucher specimens from which the DNA was extracted or digital color photographs of those specimens taken prior to preservation yielded sufficient information to separate all early life-history stages of Belizean Phaeoptyx and Astrapogon and provided additional information for field identification of adult Phaeoptyx. Patterns of chromatophores in fresh material, combined with patterns of melanophores, provide the easiest means of separating the life-history stages of Phaeoptyx. Larvae of Astrapogon species are morphologically very similar, and some differences in pigmentation detected among them may reflect different stages of development. Continued implementation of the DNA Barcoding methods and field protocol outlined herein should prove valuable in accurately identifying much more of the ichthyoplankton fauna of the Caribbean.
The surface structures of eggs of the anabantoid species Ctenops nobilis, Luciocephalus pulcher, Parasphaerichthys ocellatus and Sphaerichthys osphromenoides are described for the first time after observations with scanning electron microscope. Eggs of these species share a distinctive surface pattern which is not found in any other anabantoid species or even in any other teleost. It consists of a system of almost equidistant ridges. They originate at the vegetal pole and run parallel towards the animal pole where they end in a counter-clockwise spiral near the micropyle. This peculiar pattern presents strong evidence for the monophyly of a group which consists of the genera Ctenops, Luciocephalus, Parasphaerichthys and Sphaerichthys. In addition, the derived pear shape of the eggs of Luciocephalus and Sphaerichthys indicates that they are more closely related to each other than either is any to Ctenops. Due to the lack of information about the egg shape of spawned eggs of Parasphaerichthys the precise phylogenetic placement of that genus within the monophyletic four-taxon-group remains open.
The monophyletic origin of that group is further corroborated by the shared mouthbreeding behaviour in Ctenops, Luciocephalus and Sphaerichthys. To date the reproductive behaviour of Parasphaerichthys is unknown.
v This paper describes Elops smithi, n. sp., and designates a lectotype for E. saurus. These two species can be separated from the five other species of Elops by a combination of vertebrae and gillraker counts. Morphologically, they can be distinguished from each other only by myomere (larvae) or vertebrae (adults) counts. Elops smithi has 73–80 centra (total number of vertebrae), usually with 75–78 centra; E. saurus has 79–87 centra, usually with 81–85 centra. No other morphological character is known to separate E. smithi and E. saurus, but the sequence divergence in mtDNA cytochrome b (d = 0.023–0.029) between E. smithi and E. saurus is similar to or greater than that measured between recognized species of Elops in different ocean basins. Both species occur in the western Atlantic Ocean, principally allopatrically but with areas of sympatry, probably via larval dispersal of E. smithi by oceanographic currents.
The osteology of the three miniaturized African freshwater gonorynchiforms Cromeria nilotica, C. occidentalis and Grasseichthys
gabonensis is investigated. We show that the two species of Cromeria, long considered to be subspecies, differ significantly
in a number of characters. This has some consequences because all recent studies of the relationships of Cromeria were
based only on C. occidentalis. We review previous osteological accounts of Cromeria and Grasseichthys and discuss the differences
that we encountered in our material. In addition we re-evaluate the characters considered of phylogenetic importance
for the placement of Cromeria and Grasseichthys among kneriids. We demonstrate that a surprisingly large number of these
was based on misinterpretations of anatomical characters or was applied at the wrong level of inclusiveness. Cromeria nilotica,
C. occidentalis, and Grasseichthys gabonensis share numerous developmental truncations, but no derived progressive characters,
which makes it difficult to place them phylogenetically among kneriid gonorynchiforms. Grasseichthys is the most developmentally
truncated of the three miniature species. In addition to bones that are absent in the two species of Cromeria
(suprapreopercle, symplectic, ectopterygoid, hypural 6, scales), Grasseichthys lacks the premaxilla, coronomeckelian, urohyal,
posttemporal, cranial rib, epineural and epipleural intermuscular bones, and the anterior most branchiostegal ray. We discuss
characters that we think will be of significance in future studies on kneriid intrarelationships. Finally, we address the general
issue that taxa that have undergone extreme reduction of body size, as the three miniature kneriids, frequently show severe
developmental truncations that render it difficult to determine their phylogenetic position with confidence.
A second species of Microcambeva, M. ribeirae, is described from the Rio Ribeira do Iguape basin, S o Paulo, southeastern Brazil, which constitutes the southernmost record for sarcoglanidine catfishes. It is distinguished from M. barbata by a series of morphological features, including nasal barbel extent, position of the eye, first pectoral-fin ray extent, position of the anal fin, position of the posterior pore of the supraorbital canal, frontal shape, cranial fontanel extent, lateral process of the sphenotic, absence of the anterior ossification of palatine, and size of the posterior process of the palatine and supraorbital bone.
In Darwin's Fishes, Daniel Pauly presents an encyclopaedia of ichthyology, ecology and evolution, based upon everything that Charles Darwin ever wrote about fish. Entries are arranged alphabetically and can be about, for example, a particular fish taxon, an anatomical part, a chemical substance, a scientist, a place, or an evolutionary or ecological concept. The reader can start wherever they like and are then led by a series of cross-references on a fascinating voyage of interconnected entries, each indirectly or directly connected with original writings from Darwin himself. Along the way, the reader is offered interpretation of the historical material put in the context of both Darwin's time and that of contemporary biology and ecology. This book is intended for anyone interested in fishes, the work of Charles Darwin, evolutionary biology and ecology, and natural history in general.
Two new gobioid genera are described. Navigobius nov. gen. is described from three specimens of a species from Kagoshima, Japan known from depths of 45–85 m. The genus is similar to Ptereleotris and Nemateleotris, but differs in having the interorbital canal separate between the eyes. Pterocerdale nov. gen. is described from a single specimen from a mangrove creek in Australia. The genus has many features in common with Parioglossus, but is unique within the Ptereleotrinae in having 12 precaudal vertebrae, the lower lip without a free margin (except posteriorly) and bony projections on the dentary. The genus has a number of features in common with Microdesminae.
Lophiodes infrabrunneus Smith and Radcliffe, 1912 is redescribed on the basis of all known specimens. The species is redefined as: a species of Lophiodes with three dorsal spines, postcephalic spines absent; illicium relatively short, 13.3– 24.2% of SL; second and third dorsal spine relatively short, 12.2–21.2% and 9.1–20.6% of SL respectively, a narrow leaf–like flap, and tendrils present on second and third dorsal spine. Lophiodes abdituspinus is a junior synonym of L. infrabrunneus based on examination of type series of both species. L. infrabrunneus is distributed from Japan, to the Timor Sea, Salomon Is. and northwestern Australia, in eastern Indian Ocean where it occurs in depths between 208–1412 m.
The taxonomic history of the genus Manta has been questionable and convoluted, with Manta having one of the most extensive generic and species synonymies of any living genus of cartilaginous fish. Having previously been considered a monotypic genus with a single recognized species, Manta birostris (Walbaum 1792), new evidence, in the form of morphological and meristic data, confirm that two visually distinct species occur, both with wide ranging distributions through many of the world’s oceans. Manta birostris stands as the most widely distributed member of the genus, while Manta alfredi (Krefft 1868), resurrected herein, represents a smaller, more tropical species. Separation of the two species is based on morphometric measurements and external characters including colouration, dentition, denticle and spine morphology, as well as size at maturity and maximum disc width. The two species of Manta are sympatric in some locations and allopatric in other regions. A visual key was constructed which highlights the conspicuous, diagnostic features of the two species using data collected throughout their respective geographical ranges. A third, putative species, referred to here as Manta sp. cf. birostris, in the Atlantic may be distinct from M. birostris, but further examination of specimens is necessary to clarify the taxonomic status of this variant manta ray. The results of this study will aid in the differentiation of members of this genus both in the field and in preserved specimens. The splitting of this long-standing monospecific genus will help to highlight the specific threats facing the different species of Manta (e.g. targeted fishing, bycatch fisheries, boat strikes and habitat degradation) and will ultimately assist in the correct assessment of their respective worldwide conservation status.
Poecilia obscura, new species, is described from the Oropuche system, Trinidad. A mitochondrial DNA-sequence based molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed the status of the new species as a separate taxon. It is most closely related to the Common guppy, P. reticulata and to the recently described species, P. wingei. It can also be distinguished by morphometrics and gonopodial characteristics from these two species, although the ranges for all values overlap. A definition of the new species on morphology criteria alone is thus impossible. Therefore, P. obscura forms a cryptic species complex with the two other species. P. wingei is now unequivocally defined by the molecular phylogeny as a valid species. The three guppy species are included in the subgenus Acanthophacelus Eigenmann (1907), which is considered as generically different from all other taxa of the Poeciliinae sensu Parenti (1981).
Frilled sharks (Chondrichthyes, Hexanchiformes, Chlamydoselachidae), long believed to be a monotypic family and genus, consisting of a single wide ranging species, Chlamydoselachus anguineus (Garman, 1884), is now known to contain at least two species. A new species of frilled shark, Chlamydoselachus africana, sp. nov., is described from five specimens collected from southern Africa. The new species, although difficult to distinguish externally from the well known C. anguineus, differ internally by the structural differences in the chondrocranium, lower total vertebral and spiral valve counts, and pectoral-fin radial counts. The new species, Chlamydoselachus africana, is known from off southern Angola, Namibia, and South Africa.
Elacatinus lobeli is described as a new species of cleaning goby from coral reefs of Belize and Islas de la Bahía, Honduras. Formerly misidentified as E. oceanops Jordan, it differs in smaller size (largest, 31 mm SL vs. 41 mm for E. oceanops), 10–12 (rarely 12) branched caudal rays vs. 12–14 (rarely 12) for E. oceanops, a mode of 16 pectoral rays vs. 17 for E. oceanops, a longer pelvic disk, averaging 17.1% SL, vs. 15.6% for E. oceanops), and in life color: notably a bright blue line within a gray stripe on upper side of body, compared to a broad bright blue stripe on E. oceanops. It has been observed in cleaning symbioses with 39 species of fishes representing 19 families. Larval gnathiid isopods have been found in the gut contents.
Species inventories for macroecology, biogeography and conservation biology rely upon accurate lists of valid species. In order to provide a more uniform taxonomic treatment for blennioid fishes, we evaluated the taxonomic status of 21 species with currently recognized subspecies. In six cases we found no compelling evidence for recognizing these nominal forms as distinct species. However, in 15 cases, evidence exists for elevating 17 subspecies to full species status based on currently used criteria for delimiting fish species. This evidence includes the existence of significant phenotypic and/or genetic differences supporting the hypothesis that they are on distinct evolutionary pathways in accordance with a phylogenetic species concept. Known distributions of affected species are modified accordingly. Most of these elevated species are separated from their closest relatives by well-known biogeographic barriers.
The Aphyosemion calliurum species group is poorly diagnosed by chromatic and meristic characteristics leading various authors to propose different species as members. We used partial sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene to characterize all species that have been at one time or another included in the A. calliurum species group. Results obtained allowed a clear definition of the group which is composed of 10 species: A. ahli, A. australe, A. calliurum, A. celiae, A. edeanum, A. franzwerneri, A. heinemanni, A. lividum, A. pascheni, and a herein newly described species A. campomaanense. This new species is described from 26 specimens captured in small streams of the Campo-Ma’an region within the Ntem River basin of southern Cameroon. A. campomaanense n. sp. is distinguished from all the other species of the A. calliurum species group, and above all from A. ahli, by asymmetric coloration of the caudal fin with a yellow lower margin and a white upper margin, and a body with a dark blue background against which red spots are arrayed in horizontal rows towards the head merging into vertical rows posteriorly. This species is also genetically distinguished from the other species of the A. calliurum species group by its mitochondrial genome and its karyotype, characterized by an unusually high number of chromosomes and arms (2n= 44, NF=58).
A new species of zoarcid fish is described on the basis of three specimens collected from the Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctic Ocean. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by its body shape and pigment pattern, and by the following combination of characters: 6 branchiostegal rays; pectoral-fin origin well below midbody, pectoral base extending ventrally to abdomen; lateral line double with ventral and medio-lateral branches; oral valve not reaching anterior edge of vomer; gill slit extending ventrally well below end of pectoral fin base; vertebrae asymmetrical 22+7074=92-96; dorsal fin origin associated with vertebrae 4 or 5 with no supraneurals; pectoral fin rays 16 or 17; 2 postorbital pores (positions 1 & 4) and 2 well developed pyloric caeca. The relationships of the new species with its congeners are discussed.
Crenicichla mandelburgeri, new species, is described from the streams Tembey, Pirayuy, Pirapó and Poromoco which are Paraguayan tributaries to the Paraná River. It is similar in particular to Crenicichla niederleinii, C. mucuryna, and C. jaguarensis, distinguished by relatively small size (114 mm SL), low scale counts, and details of the colour pattern.
A new Barbulifer species is described from 26 specimens. Barbulifer enigmaticus differs from its congeners by the following combination of characters: body completely lacks scales, including modified basicaudal scales. Cephalic pore pattern generally B'FH' + M'O' in juveniles and B'FH' + M'NO' in adults. No median barbel on snout. A single short barbel on each side of head, flattened, flexible, and located between the eye and the upper jaw, directly below the anterior nostril. A single median pair of short barbels on chin. D1 VII, D2 13(12–13), A 11(10–11), P 19(18–20). To 24 mm SL (29 mm TL). The species is found in very shallow reef areas from Espírito Santo to São Paulo, southeastern Brazil.
The present paper describes two new species of the gobiid fish genus Glossogobius from southern New Guinea and a third related species from northeastern Australia. All three species are restricted to a small number of river systems. Glossogobius bellendenensis, sp. nov. is distinctive in having reduced predorsal scales and fin-ray counts and mental frenum shape. It is restricted to relatively clear water rivers of northeastern Queensland. The closely related, Glossogobius muscorum sp. nov. is also distinctive in reduced predorsal scales and fin-ray count and is found only in the Fly River system of New Guinea. Glossogobius robertsi sp. nov. is distinctive in fin-ray and scale counts and is found in the Fly River in Papua New Guinea and possibly in a river in Papua close to the Fly River. That species has been confused with Glossogobius giuris, which generally occurs in lower reaches of the river.
The Sri Lankan population of the spiny eel previously assigned to Macrognathus aral Schneider (Teleostei: Mastacembelidae) is shown to be a distinct species, for which the name M. pentophthalmos Gronow is available. Macrognathus pentophthalmos is distinguished from its closest congener, M. aral, by having 14–16 dorsal spines and a pre-dorsal length of 43.3–46.8% of standard length (SL) (vs. dorsal spines 18–22 and pre-dorsal length 35.5–40.8% SL in M. aral). Macrognathus pentophthalmos differs from its only other Indian congener, M. guentheri Day, among other characters, by having 24 pairs of rostral tooth plates (vs. rostral tooth plates absent). With the present designation of a neotype, Rhynchobdella orientalis Bloch & Schneider (type locality East Indies to Sri Lanka) becomes an objective junior synonym of M. aculeatus Bloch. Although assessed as ‘common’ in 1980, the population of M. pentophthalmos suffered a precipitous decline in the following decade, the causes of which are unknown. The species may now be extinct.
The genus Cephaloscyllium Gill 1862 (Chondrichthyes, Carcharhiniformes, Scyliorhinidae) until recently had only two species recognized, C. isabellum [= C. umbratile (Jordan & Fowler 1903)] and C. fasciatum Chan 1966, from the western North Pacific (WNP), with one dubious species, C. formosanum, having been described by Teng in 1962. Recently, three additional species were described, C. circulopullum Yano et al. 2005, C. sarawakensis Yano et al. 2005, and C. parvum Inoue & Nakaya 2006 from this region. Here we present a revision of this genus for the WNP, including redescriptions of C. fasciatum and C. umbratile based on the holotypes, a re-examination of the recently described species, and descriptions of two new species from Taiwan. Cephaloscyllium umbratile can be distinguished from its congeners based on maximum size, length of first dorsal-fin base, anal–caudal space, and dorsal–caudal space. We conclude, based on a comparison of C. parvum and C. sarawakensis, that the former is a junior synonym of the latter species. The two new Taiwanese species can be separated from other WNP species by color pattern, shape of the anterior nasal flap, anal and dorsal-fin size, internarial width, and mouth size. Finally, we present a revised dichotomous key to the WNP Cephaloscyllium recognizing six contemporary taxa: C. circulopullum, C. fasciatum, C. sarawakensis, C. umbratile, C. pardelotum sp. nov. and C. maculatum sp. nov.
Galeus priapus sp. nov. is described from specimens collected on the slopes of the seamounts and ridges of southern New Caledonia and Vanuatu. It is the first Galeus species recorded in these areas. G. priapus is characterised by the presence of a conspicuous crest of enlarged denticles on the dorsal caudal margin, the absence of similar crest on ventral caudal margin, and extremely long and slender claspers in adult males that extend posteriorly to the anal-fin origin. The body coloration, which is plain greyish brown with large dark blotches on dorsal and caudal fins and their bases, closely resembles its sibling G. gracilis, a northern Australian and Indonesian species. An identification key to Indo-Pacific Galeus species is provided.
Rhamdella cainguae, a new species of the family Heptapteridae is described from the Arroyo Cuña-Pirú, a tributary of the Río Paraná, in the subtropical forest of Misiones, northeastern Argentina. The presence of a large differentiated ovoid area on the supraorbital laterosensory canal along the frontal-sphenotic boundary, delimited by the slender dorsal walls of the bones, and with no foramen for a laterosensory branch, is an autapomorphy for R. cainguae. A detailed description of the skeleton and laterosensory system of R. cainguae is provided. The genus Rhamdella is rediagnosed on the basis of three autapomorphies: a very large opening in the frontal for the exit of the s6 (epiphyseal) branch of the supraorbital laterosensory canal (reversed in R. rusbyi), a large optic foramen, and a dark stripe along the lateral surface of the body (reversed in R. rusbyi). Rhamdella is considered to be the sister group of a large heptapterid clade composed of the Nemuroglanis sub-clade plus the genera Brachyglanis, Gladioglanis, Leptorhamdia, and Myoglanis. Rhamdella is herein restricted to five valid species: R. aymarae, R. cainguae, R. eriarcha, R. longiuscula, and R. rusbyi. A sister group relationship between R. aymarae and R. rusbyi is supported by three synapomorphies. Rhamdella cainguae shares 12 apomorphic features with R. eriarcha and R. longiuscula.
Kali Lloyd is a very distinctive group of bathypelagic fishes with fragile bones in the cranium and recurved teeth, which are remarkably enlarged in some species. The genus has a worldwide distribution, being found in the subtropical to equatorial regions of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific; one species is also found in the Southern Ocean. In this taxonomic revision, seven species are considered valid, two of them described herein: K. indica; K. kerberti; K. macrodon; K. macrurus; K. parri; K. colubrina, new species; and K. falx, new species. Kali kerberti is re-evaluated as valid and the senior synonym of K. normani. A key for the species with updated maps of distribution are also given.
Gorogobius stevcici sp. nov. is described from the São Tomé Islands, Gulf of Guinea. Although it exhibits the unique combination of characters of Gorogobius Miller, it differs from present generic diagnosis of that genus. Therefore, a revised generic diagnosis and description of Gorogobius is provided. The new species differs from its only congener, G. nigricintus, by (1) presence of pore β; (2) row g anteriorly ends more or less in front of row o; (3) transverse interorbital row p present; (4) snout with four median preorbital rows; (5) 37–41 vs. 29–33 longitudinal scale rows; (6) 22–24 vs. 18 predorsal scales; (7) 9 vs. 10–11 anal fin rays; (8) 17 vs. 18–20 pectoral fin rays; (9) coloration.
Two species of Eviota with red or orange bars crossing the body, a bifurcated 4th pelvic-fin ray with two long branches,and lacking many or all cephalic sensory-canal pores are described from Palau, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Eviotajewettae has a dorsal/anal fin-ray formula of 8/8, 98% of the specimens lack all cephalic sensory-canal pores, 2–4 lowerpectoral-fin rays branched; non-filamentous dorsal-fin spines; short tubular anterior nares that are not black and are lessthan ½ pupil diameter in length, and five wide bars across the body. Eviota pinocchioi has a dorsal/anal fin-ray formulaof 9/8, always lacks the POP and IT pores and the PITO and AITO pores are fused in about 50% of the specimens, un-branched pectoral-fin rays, males with filamentous dorsal-fin spines, tubular anterior nares black and very long, almost equal to the pupil diameter, and six narrow bars across body.