Thursday, May 17, 2012

[Ichthyology • 2011] Australoheros perdi • new species (Teleostei: Labroidei: Cichlidae) from the lacustrine region of the Doce River Valley, southeastern Brazil, with biological information


Australoheros perdi 2011

Abstract
Australoheros perdi is a new species herein described from the lacustrine region of the middle Doce River basin, Doce River Valley, southeastern Brazil. The new species is distinguished from all its congeners by having only 25 vertebrae and by a combination of characters states listed below: three abdominal bars in all stages of life, a conspicuous, rounded caudal-fin base spot, a conspicuous wide longitudinal stripe, head with depression in the region above the eyes, tip of pelvic fin reaching vertical through third to sixth anal fin spine base, fewer dorsal-fin spines, fewer pectoral-fi n rays, fewer caudal vertebrae, fewer proximal radials on dorsal-fin base, more proximal radials on anal-fi n base, more pleural ribs, a longer caudal peduncle, a deeper caudal peduncle, a wide ectopterygoid, a longer last anal-fi n spine and a longer lower jaw. The available phylogenetic tree of the genus does not include the species from southeastern Brazil, thus impeding any discussion of the phylogeny of these species. 

Key words: Cichlinae, Heroini, middle Doce River basin, Minas Gerais state, Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, Pisces, South-American cichlids, Taxonomy, biology, diet.

Ottoni, F.P., Lezama, A.Q., Triques, M.L., Fragoso-Moura, E.N., Lucas, C.C.T., and Barbosa, F.A.R. 2011. Australoheros perdi, new species (Teleostei: Labroidei: Cichlidae) from the lacustrine region of the Doce River Valley, southeastern Brazil, with biological information. Vertebrate Zoology, 61 (1): 137-145 .