Two new species of Moenkhausia Eigenmann (Characiformes: Characidae) from Serra do Cachimbo, Pará, Northern Brazil

Abstract

Two new species of Moenkhausia, one from the rio Tapajós and the other from the rio Xingu basins are described as apparently endemics of the Serra do Cachimbo. Both species, along with M. petymbuaba, share a distinct color pattern composed of large conspicuous dark blotches on the base of the body scales. Moenkhausia chlorophthalma, from rio Treze de Maio, a tributary to rio Curuá (rio Xingu basin), is distinguished by the presence of a proximal well delimited black area on the adipose fin and a green eye in life. Moenkhausia plumbea of the headwaters of tributaries of the rio Braço Norte, rio Tapajós basin is diagnosed by the presence of a dark longitudinal stripe across the eye and six branched pelvic-fin rays (vs. seven). Relationships of the new species with other Moenkhausia are discussed.Duas espécies novas de Moenkhausia, uma da bacia do rio Tapajós e outra da bacia do rio Xingu, são descritas como aparentemente endêmicas da Serra do Cachimbo. Ambas, juntamente com M. petymbuaba, compartilham um padrão de colorido exclusivo de grandes manchas escuras conspícuas na base das escamas do corpo. Moenkhausia chlorophthalma, do rio Treze de Maio, um afluente do rio Curuá (bacia do rio Xingu), é facilmente reconhecida pela presença de uma área preta bem delimitada na região anterior da nadadeira adiposa e possuir olhos verdes em vida. Moenkhausia plumbea ocorre nas cabeceiras dos afluentes do rio Braço Norte, bacia do rio Tapajós, e pode ser diagnosticada pela presença de uma faixa longitudinal escura no olho e seis raios ramificados na nadadeira pélvica (vs. sete). As relações entre as novas espécies com as demais Moenkhausia são discutidas.

Moenkhausia rubra, a new species from rio Juruena, upper rio Tapajós basin, Brazil (Characiformes: Characidae)

“…The description of M. rubra and many other species in the last decade (e.g., Britski & Garavello, 2005;Bertaco & Carvalho, 2005a;2005b;Fisch-Muller et al, 2005;Vari et al, 2005;Carvalho & Bertaco, 2006;Menezes, 2006;Bertaco & Garutti, 2007;Bertaco & Malabarba, 2007;Britski & Garavello, 2007;Britski & Lima, 2008;Scharcansky & Lucena, 2007;Sousa et al, 2010;Carvalho & Datovo, 2012;Varella et al, 2012), all restricted to the upper rio Tapajós, confirm both facts. …”

“…The genus Moenkhausia Eigenmann currently comprises over seventy valid species (Bertaco et al, 2011a(Bertaco et al, , 2011bMariguela et al, 2013) presenting a wide variation in overall shape and pigmentation patterns (Benine et al, 2004), many of which have been described recently (e.g., Benine et al, 2009;Zanata et al, 2009;Marinho, 2010;Marinho & Langeani, 2010;Sousa et al, 2010;Bertaco et al, 2011aBertaco et al, , 2011b. The genus is widely distributed in South America, being present in coastal drainages of the Guyanas, as well as in the río Orinoco, rio Amazonas, rio Tocantins and Araguaia, rio São Francisco, rio Paraná-Paraguay, and Brazilian eastern drainages (Lima et al, 2003).…”

New species of Moenkhausia Eigenmann (Ostariophysi: Characidae) from the upper rio Tocantins basin in Central Brazil

“…The new species, Moenkhausia dasalmas, is herein assigned to Moenkhausia according to the traditional definition of the genus given by Eigenmann (1917Eigenmann ( , 1918 and followed by Géry (1977), which is still in use (Bertaco & Lucinda, 2006;Lucinda et al, 2007;Marinho, 2010;Sousa et al, 2010) due to the lack of a cladistic definition of the genus. Among the subdivisions based on body depth and number of scales above and below the lateral line that Géry (1977) assigned to the genus, Moenkhausia dasalmas is included in the M. chrysargyrea species-group, whose species possess seven or more scales above, and five or more scales below the lateral line, and a relatively deeper body.…”

“…These two characters are color based diagnostic features for the M. oligolepis species complex (Costa, 1994;Lima & ToledoPiza, 2001;Benine, 2002;Lima et al, 2007;Benine et al, 2009;Sousa et al, 2010) when associated with the presence of a conspicuous and broad caudal peduncle spot preceded by a pale light area (except M. diktyota), and frequently, reddish eyes on live specimens. This group consists of M. oligolepis Günther, M. sanctaefilomenae Steindachner, M. cotinho Eigenmann, M. pyrophthalma Costa, M. diktyota, and M. forestii Benine, Mariguela & Oliveira.…”

Hemigrammus ataktos: a new species from the rio Tocantins basin, central Brazil (Characiformes: Characidae)

“…This is the case for the most diverse characid genera, such as Hemigrammus (54 species), Hyphessobrycon (130 species) and Moenkhausia (76 species) (Weitzman & Fink, 1983;Lima et al, 2003;Eschmeyer, 2013). According to this classification, which is still being used to classify species (e.g., Carvalho et al, 2010;Marinho, 2010;Sousa et al, 2010;Bertaco et al, 2011aBertaco et al, , 2011bIngenito et al, 2013), the genus Hemigrammus is diagnosed from Hyphessobrycon uniquely by the presence of small scales covering the proximal portion of the caudal-fin lobes (vs. absence), and from Moenkhausia by having an incompletely pored lateral line (vs. completely pored lateral line). Based on this system, part of the specimens of the new species would fit into Hemigrammus, whereas part would be best identified as Moenkhausia.…”