A new species of Cichlasoma has been described from the Maranhão River drainage in northern Brazil.
Felipe Ottoni named the new species Cichlasoma zarskei in the latest issue of the journal Vertebrate Zoology.
The new species differs from congeners in having a combination of: a conspicuous posterior band of the longitudinal stripe, faintly spotted dorsal, anal and caudal fins, predorsal scales in three series, four anal-fin spines, reduction of the squamation between dorsal and anal-fins rays, presence of a hole between infraorbital plate 3+4 and plate 5 smaller, deeper entopterygoid, premaxilla with teeth on its entire tooth-bearing surface, simple spot on the caudal-fin base, fewer pleural ribs, more scales on the E1 series, shorter last dorsal-fin spine, shorter last anal-fin spine, longer snout, wider head and shorter lower jaw.
For more information, see the paper: Ottoni, FP (2011) Cichlasoma zarskei, a new cichlid fish from northern Brazil (Teleostei: Labroidei: Cichlidae). Vertebrate Zoology 61, pp. 335–342.