Scientists from Brazil have described three new species of the loricariid catfish genus Neoplecostomus from the upper Paran River drainage in southern Brazil.
Prior to this study by Cludio Zawadzki, Carla Pavanelli and Francisco Langeani published in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa, only one species of Neoplecostomus, N. paranensis, was known from upper Paran River drainage.
The three new species described here differ from N. paranensis in having a well-developed adipose fin (an adipose fin is highly reduced or absent in N. paranensis).
The three new species, named N. corumba, N. selenae and N. yapo respectively, can be further distinguished from other members by additional characters mentioned below.
Neoplecostomus corumbaNeoplecostomus corumba can be distinguished from other members of the genus in having a combination of: enlarged odontodes and distinctly swollen skin along the lateral margins of the snout and along the ridges before the eyes in mature males absent; dorsal-fin spinelet well-developed and wider than the base of the dorsal-fin spine; adipose fin well-developed; 27"29 lateral-line plates; 15"24 premaxillary teeth; 10"18 dentary teeth; interdorsal length 18.4"20.5 % standard length; cleithral width 24.9"27.6 % standard length; caudal peduncle depth 6.0"6.5 % standard length; mandibular width 16.3"18.1 % head length; orbital diameter 12.2"13.0 % head length.
This species is named after its type locality, the Corumb River.
Neoplecostomus selenaeThis species is named after Selena Zawadzki, the first author s daughter, and is only known from its type locality on the Paranapanema River drainage.
Neoplecostomus selenae can be distinguished from other members of the genus in having a combination of: enlarged odontodes and distinctly swollen skin along the lateral margins of the snout and along the ridges before the eyes in mature males; dorsal-fin spinelet well-developed and wider than the base of the dorsal-fin spine; adipose fin well-developed; 28"30 lateral line plates; 17"24 premaxillary teeth; 15"24 dentary teeth; caudal peduncle depth 6.7"7.7 % standard length; snout length 57.4"65.0 % head length; mandibular width 19.9"21.8 % head length; orbital diameter 12.1"12.7 % head length.
Neoplecostomus yapoNeoplecostomus yapo can be distinguished from other members of the genus in having a combination of: enlarged odontodes and distinctly swollen skin along the lateral margins of the snout but not on the ridges before the eyes in mature males; dorsal-fin spinelet well-developed and wider than the base of the dorsal-fin spine; adipose fin well-developed; 29 lateral line plates; 10"15 premaxillary teeth; 8"12 dentary teeth; thoracic length 15.8"17.4 % standard length; caudal peduncle depth 6.0"6.3 % standard length; head length 28.7"31.9 % standard length; cleithral width 24.1"27.2 % standard length; snout length 59.3"65.0 % haed length; mandibular width 14.1"15.2 % head length; orbital diameter 11.9"12.9 % head length.
This species is named after the river drainage (Yap) along which the type locality is situated.
No images of the new species were available for publication.
For more information, see the paper: Zawadzki, CH, CS Pavanelli and F Langeani (2008) Neoplecostomus (Teleostei: Loricariidae) from the upper Rio Paran basin, Brazil, with description of three new species. Zootaxa 1757, pp. 31"48.