Cetopsis varii, a new species of whale catfish (Siluriformes: Cetopsidae) from the Meta Basin, Colombia

Abstract

Cetopsis varii sp. nov. Cetopsidae (Cetopsinae) is described from the Río Meta basin in eastern Colombia, at middle portions of the Río Orinoco basin. The new species differs from congeners by a combination of features: the absence of a humeral spot, presence of eye, conical teeth on vomer and dentary and rounded posterior nares, along with details of body, dorsal and caudal-fin pigmentation. The osteology of the new species is investigated through high-resolution X-ray computed tomography and cleared and stained specimens. Data thus obtained are used to code the new species for character states utilized in a previous phylogenetic analysis of Cetopsidae. Analysis of the expanded matrix shows that C. varii is the sister group to C. orinoco.