New Species of Leporinus from the Rio Tapajos Basin, Brazil, and Redescription of L-moralesi (Characiformes: Anostomidae)

Author(s)

Birindelli, Jose L. O. ; Britski, Heraldo A. ; Lima, Flavio C. T.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Copeia; v. N/A, n. 2, p. 10-pg., 2013-07-03.

Abstract

Leporinus moralesi is a poorly known species from central Amazon basin, Brazil, which is redescribed based on examination of type specimens and additional material. The species is diagnosed by having a dark midlateral stripe running from the vertical through the dorsal fin to the end of the middle caudal-fin rays, 35 to 38 lateral-line scales, five scale rows between the dorsal fin and the lateral line, four or five scale rows between the lateral line and the pelvic fin, 16 scale rows around the caudal peduncle, three teeth on the premaxilla and four on the dentary. Leporinus uatumaensis, described from the Rio Uatuma, a tributary of the Rio Amazonas immediately downstream from Manaus, is a junior synonym of L. moralesi. A lectotype is designated herein for Leporinus muelleri (=L. moralesi). In addition, a new species of Leporinus from the Rio Tapajos, Para, Brazil, is described. The new species shares with Leporinus moralesi the presence of symphyseal tooth of the premaxilla with two cusps of similar size in all examined specimens, and middle caudal-fin rays dark, but differs by the dark midlateral stripe beginning at the snout to the end of the middle caudal-fin rays. (AU)