Scientists from Brazil have described nine new species of Australoheros cichlids from southern Brazil.
The Australoheros descriptions by Felipe Ottoni and Wilson Costa are published in the latest issue of the journal Vertebrate Zoology.
The new species are named Australoheros autrani from the So Joo River drainage, A. barbosae from the Preto River drainage, A. ipatinguensis from the Doce River drainage, A. macacuensis from the Macacu River drainage, A. macaensis from the Maca River drainage, A. muriae from the Muria River drainage, A. paraibae from do Peixe River drainage, A. robustus from the crrego da Areia drainage, and A. saquarema from the lagoa de Saquarema system.
Australoheros autraniAustraloheros autrani is distinguished from congeners by a combination of: 12 caudal vertebrae, lacking markings on the sides of the head, 9"10 anal-fin rays, 10 pairs of ribs, 25"26 proximal radials on the dorsal-fin base, caudal peduncle length 10.2"11.9 % standard length, 15"16 dorsal-fin spines, 10"12 dorsal-fin rays 13"14 proximal radials on the anal-fin base, lacking a depression on the head, a wide ectopterygoid, arms of the second epibranchial with two long tubular processes, and the arms of the the seventh vertical trunk bar of the same width. This species is named after Felipe Autran.
Australoheros barbosaeAustraloheros barbosae is distinguished from congeners by a combination of: 9"10 anal-fin rays, 12 caudal vertebrae, lacking markings on the sides of the head, 16 dorsal-fin spines, 10"11 dorsal-fin rays, 14"15 pectoral-fin rays, 11 pairs of ribs, lacking a depression on the head, 15"17 scales on the upper lateral line row, and 13"14 proximal radials on the anal-fin base. This species is named after Maria Anais Barbosa.
Australoheros ipatinguensisAustraloheros ipatinguensis is distinguished from congeners by a combination of: 12 caudal vertebrae, lacking markings on the sides of the head, 15 dorsal-fin spines, 10"11 dorsal-fin rays, 9 anal-fin rays, 24"25 proximal radials on the dorsal-fin base, a narrow ectopterygoid, lacking a depression on the head, 13 proximal radials on the anal-fin base, a long arm of the first epibranchial, arms of the second epibranchial with two short tubular processes, 10 pairs of ribs, 25"26 scales in the longitudinal series, body depth 47.3"51.2 % standard length, length of the last dorsal-fin spine 14.2"16.6 % standard length, length of the last anal-fin spine 14.3"15.6 % standard length, and the arms of the the seventh vertical trunk bar of the same width. This species is named after the city where this species was collected (Ipatinga).
Australoheros macacuensisAustraloheros macacuensis is distinguished from congeners by a combination of: 12 caudal vertebrae, lacking markings on the sides of the head, the posterior arm of trunk vertical bar 7 wider than the anterior one, 16 dorsal-fin spines, 10"11 dorsal-fin rays, 10"11 pairs of ribs, 8"9 anal-fin rays, 24"25 proximal radials on the dorsal-fin base, lacking a depression on the head, 13 proximal radial on the anal-fin base, preorbital depth 62.2"65.3 % head length, interorbital width 37.2"41.1 % head length, a wide ectopterygoid, arms of the second epibranchial with two long tubular processes, long arm of the first epibranchial long, body depth 46.6"49.8 % standard length, and length of the last anal-fin spine 13.8"16.5 % standard length. This species is named after the river drainage in which it was collected.
Australoheros macaensisAustraloheros macaensis is distinguished from congeners by a combination of: 12 caudal vertebrae, lacking markings on the sides of the head, head with a depression near the snout in individuals above 30 mm standard length, a wide ectopterygoid, the arms of the second epibranchial with two long tubular processes, a long arm of the first epibranchial, 13"14 proximal radials on the anal-fin base, preorbital depth 55.8"58.8 % head length, interorbital width 43.9"47.9 % head length, the arms of the seventh vertical trunk bar of the same width, 16 dorsal-fin spines, 10"11 dorsal-fin rays, 25 proximal radials on the dorsal-fin base, 8"10 scales on the lower lateral line row, 8"9 anal-fin rays, 11 pairs of ribs, and preorbital depth 55.8"58.8 % head length. This species is named after the river drainage in which it was collected.
Australoheros muriaeAustraloheros muriae is distinguished from congeners by a combination of: 12 caudal vertebrae, lacking markings on the sides of the head, 15 dorsal-fin spines, 14"15 pectoral-fin rays, 11"12 dorsal-fin rays, 9"10 anal-fin rays, 24"25 proximal radials on the dorsal-fin base, caudal peduncle length 10.2"11.9 % standard length, 27"29 scales in the longitudinal series, a wide ectopterygoid, the arms of the second epibranchial with two long tubular processes, a long arm of the first epibranchial, the arms of the seventh vertical trunk bar of the same width, and lacking a depression on the head. This species is named after the river drainage in which it was collected.
Australoheros paraibaeAustraloheros paraibae is distinguished from congeners by a combination of: 12 caudal vertebrae, lacking markings on the sides of the head, the arms of the seventh vertical trunk bar of the same width, 8"9 anal-fin rays, 10 dorsal-fin rays, 15"16 dorsal-fin spines, 25 proximal radials on the dorsal-fin base, 13"14 pectoral-fin rays, 10 pairs of ribs, 26"28 scales in the longitudinal series, a wide ectopterygoid, a long arm of the first epibranchial, the arms of the second epibranchial with two short tubular processes, preorbital length 60.4 " 65.2 % head length, lacking a depression on the head, 13"14 proximal radials on the anal-fin base, 16"17 scales on the upper lateral line row, body depth 42.6"46.1 % standard length, length of the last dorsal-fin spine 11.9"13.5 % standard length, length of the last anal-fin spine 12.2"13.3 % standard length, caudal peduncle length 6.4"8.1 % standard length, 7"8 anal-fin spines, and 10 pairs of ribs. This species is named after the river drainage in which it was collected.
Australoheros robustusAustraloheros robustus is distinguished from congeners by a combination of: 12 caudal vertebrae, lacking markings on the sides of the head, 17 dorsal-fin spines, 8"9 dorsal-fin rays, a robust snout, 7"8 anal-fin rays, a wide ectopterygoid, a long arm of the first epibranchial, the arms of the second epibranchial with two short tubular processes, lacking a depression on the head, and the arms of the seventh vertical trunk bar of the same width.
This species is named after its robust snout.
Australoheros saquaremaAustraloheros saquarema is distinguished from congeners by a combination of: 12 caudal vertebrae, lacking markings on the sides of the head, 14"15 proximal radials on the anal-fin base, the head with a depression near the snout in individuals above 30 mm standard length, 10 pairs of ribs, 17"18 scales on the upper lateral line row, a wide ectopterygoid, the arms of the second epibranchial with two long tubular processes, a long arm of the first epibranchial, and the arms of the seventh vertical trunk bar of the same width.
This species is named after the lagoon system to which it is endemic.
For more information, see the paper: Ottoni, FP and WJEM Costa (2008) Taxonomic revision of the genus Australoheros Rcan & Kullander, 2006 (Teleostei: Cichlidae) with descriptions of nine new species from southeastern Brazil. Vertebrate Zoology 58, pp. 207"232.