Ichthyologists from Brazil have described a new species of Jupiaba tetra from the Xingu River drainage.
Publishing the description of Jupiaba kurua in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology, Jos Birindelli and coauthors distinguish it from congeners in having a combination of teeth cusps of similar size, lower jaw teeth gradually decreasing in size posteriorly, a colour pattern of dark spots on most of the scales on the sides of the body, a faint dark, elongate humeral blotch and a distinct dark spot on the caudal peduncle, and 21 to 24 branched anal-fin rays.
Picture of Juipaba kurua by Leandro Sousa.
The name of the new comes from the tupi language kurua, in allusion to the type locality (Curu River, itself part of the Xingu River drainage).
An analysis of the gut contents suggests that this clearwater species is omnivorous species that feeds along the entire length of the water column.
For more information, see the paper: Birindelli, JLO, AM Zanata, LM Sousa and AL Netto-Ferreira (2009) New species of Jupiaba Zanata (Characiformes: Characidae) from Serra do Cachimbo, with comments on the endemism of upper rio Curu, rio Xingu basin, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyology 7, pp. 11"18.