A new species of Apistogramma has been described today from the Rio Itaya drainage in Peru.
The new dwarf cichlid, named Apistogramma eremnopyge, was described by Jonathan Ready and Sven Kullander of the Swedish Museum of Natural History in the ichthyological journal Zootaxa.
The holotype was discovered by well-known fish hunter and wholesaler Oliver Lucanus.
The fish, which is most similar to A. bitaeniata, was found in the Rio Pintuyacu, a river in the Rio Itaya drainge in Peru, and is unique among apistos in having a dark blotch on the ventral side of the caudal peduncle.
This blotch is present in both males and females, and occurs with a narrow longitudinal stripe running the length of the fish. However, unlike many species, there is no mid-lateral blotch.
Like A. bitaeniata, male eremnopyge also have elongated dorsal and caudal fin rays, and extended dorsal lappets.
The new fish brings the total number of described species of Apistogramma to 52, and is one of 11 known from Peru.
For more details see: Ready, J and Kullander, S. (2004) - Apistogramma eremnopyge a new species of cichlid fish (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from Peru. Zootaxa. 564: 1-10.