The descriptions of two new species of pike cichlid have been published in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology.
Carlos de Lucena has named the two new species from the upper Uruguay River drainage Crenicichla hadrostigma and C. empheres; both species are considered to belong to the C. missioneira species-group.
Crenicichla hadrostigma can be distinguished from other members of the genus in having a conspicuous ocellated posttemporal spot that is always greater than half the orbital diameter.
It is further distinguished from congeners in lacking a humeral spot, lateral band and numerous spots scattered over the back and sides in both sexes, and the presence in males of nine to 16 narrow vertical bars extending from the dorsum to a horizontal line that passes through the lower edge of pectoral axilla.
Crenicichla hadrostigma is named after the promininet posttemporal spot (from the Greek hadros, meaning well-developed and stigma, meaning spot).
Crenicichla empheres is distinguished from other members of the C. missioneira species-group in having six to eight slightly elongate blotches along the middle portion of the body flank below the upper lateral line scale row, the absence of a lateral band, numerous spots scattered over the back, sometimes forming a reticulated pattern, and sides in males, and the jaws of equal length.
Crenicichla empheres is named after its similarity to C. jurubi, a congener that is also found in the Uruguay River drainage (the Greek empheres means similar).
For more information, see the paper: de Lucena, CAS (2007) Two new species of the genus Crenicichla Heckel, 1840 from the upper rio Uruguay drainage (Perciformes: Cichlidae). Neotropical Ichthyology 5, pp. 449"456.