A new species of pencilfish has been described from aquarium imports from Belém in northern Brazil.
Axel Zarske describes Nannostomus grandis in the latest issue of the journal Vertebrate Zoology, distinguishing it from the very similar Beckford's pencilfish (N. beckfordi) by its more elongate body, shorter head, larger maximum size and clear pelvic fins.
At 5cm/2" in length, the new species is the largest pencilfish species known to date.
The new species has been imported and bred in captivity in the 1920s, when it was incorrectly identified as N. anomalus (this name is now considered a junior synonym of N. beckfordi).
For more information, see the paper: Zarske, A (2011) Nannostomus grandis spec. nov. – ein neuer Ziersalmleraus Brasilien mit Bemerkungen zu N. beckfordi Günther, 1872, N. anomalus Steindachner, 1876 und N. aripirangensis Meinken, 1931 (Teleostei: Characiformes: Lebiasinidae). Vertebrate Zoology 61, pp. 283–298.
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