A new species of Guianacara cichlid has been described from the tributaries of the Essequibo River and the Branco River in Guyana and northern Brazil.
Jessica Arbour and Hernán Lopez-Fernández name the new cichlid Guianacara dacrya in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology.
Guianacara dacrya is a member of the subgenus Guianacara, and is distinguished from other members of this subgenus in having a dark stripe below the eye that fades across the cheek, but remains dark as it approaches the throat.
The lower pharyngeal jaw of the new species also posses a bony flange on its sides that is not present in congeners.
Guianacara dacrya further differs from congeners in the presence of white spots on the spiny portion of the dorsal fin, the position of the midlateral spot, the presence of filaments on the dorsal, anal and in rare cases the caudal-fin, and other details of the colour pattern.
Its specific epithet comes from the Greek dakryo, meaning to shed tears, in reference to the tear-streaked appearance the dark stripe below the eye imparts.
According to the authors, this species is found in both clear water streams with a moderate current and seasonally flooded lagoons with no current. The substrate is usually sandy, with water temperatures of 25–29°C, high dissolved oxygen and very low conductivity.
For more information, see the paper: Arbour, JH and H Lopez Fernandez (2011) Guianacara dacrya, a new species from the rio Branco and Essequibo River drainages of the Guiana Shield (Perciformes: Cichlidae). Neotropical Ichthyology 9, pp. 87–96.