Brazilian scientists have described a new species of tetra in the genus Jupiaba from the Tocantins River drainage.
The description of Jupiaba elassonaktis by Thiago Pereia and Paulo Lucinda is published in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa.
The new species is distinguished from other members of the genus in having medial cusps of the premaxillary teeth much larger than the remaining cuss, the dentary teeth decreasing abruptly in size from the fifth tooth backwards, the first dorsal- and anal-fin rays not prolonged into an elongate filament, a vertically elongate humeral spot, 33"39 scales on the lateral line, 5"7 scale ows above the lateral line, 9"11 pectoral-fin rays, and an incomplete series of median predorsal scales.
The new species is known from the upper and middle portions of the Tocantins River drainage in Brazil, and is named after the low number of anal-fin rays (Greek elasson = few and aktis = rays).
For more information, see the paper: Pereira, TNA and PHF Lucinda (2007) A new species of Jupiaba Zanata, 1997 (Ostariophysi, Characiformes, Characidae) from the rio Tocantins drainage, Brazil. Zootaxa 1614, pp. 53"60.