A new species of cloud fish of the genus Hypsolebias from Northeast Brazil (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae)

Abstract

A new species of cloud fish of the genus Hypsolebias is described from a temporary pool in the rio Trairi basin, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. It is the first record of the genus Hypsolebias for the basin. The new speciesbelongs to the H. flammeus species-group, which is composed of the species H. alternatus, H. brunoi, H. delucai, H. fasciatus, H. longignatus, H. marginatus, H. multiradiatus, and H. flammeus. The new species differs from all other species of the group, except H. flammeus, H. multiradiatus,and H. brunoi, by male color pattern and the presence of a metallic blue sheen surrounding the black spots of females. It differs from H. flammeus, H. multiradiatus and H. brunoi by dorsal and anal fin shape (both rounded vs. pointed) and by the orientation of the reddish-brown bars on the body and anal fin of males (diagonal vs. vertical). The new species differs from its congeners of Northeast Brazil mainly by the higher number of dorsal fin rays in males and the higher number of scales in the longitudinal series.