A new pimelodid catfish has been described from the Araguaia River drainage in Brazil.
The description of Propimelodus araguayae new species, by Marcelo Rocha, Renildo de Oliveira and Lcia Rapp Py-Daniel is published in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology.
Propimelodus araguayae can be distinguished from other members of the genus in having a black spot on the dorsal fin, large eyes, an anal-fin lobe,the anterior processes of the basipterygia at the same level, three rows of teeth on the premaxilla, fewer vertebrae, and more gill rakers on the first branchial arch.
There are two other species of Propimelodus: P. eigenmanni from rivers in Guyana and the Amazon River drainage between the lower Madeira River and Belm, and P. caesius from the Amazon mainstream and the lower reaches of its principal tributaries between Peru and Belm.
Propimelodus araguayae is restricted to the middle Araguaia River (after which the species is named).
The authors write: Since its discovery in river channels, Propimelodus species was thought to be restricted to this peculiar environment and it has been usually captured with bottom trawl nets. However, the Araguaia species was captured by hook and line, at the banks of the rio Araguaia, near marginal macrophytes...
For more information, see the paper: Rocha, MS, RR de Oliveira and L H Rapp Py-Daniel (2007) A new species of Propimelodus Lundberg & Parisi, 2002 (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) from rio Araguaia, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyology 5, pp. 279"284.