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| Satanoperca curupira |
Abstract
Satanoperca curupira, new species, is described from the rio Madeira basin in the State of Rondônia, Brazil. It is distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: 3–7 dark-brown oblique stripes on the lachrymal (vs. 2 well-defined dark-brown stripes, or dark-brown stripes absent) and an irregular pattern of dark-brown stripes on cheek and opercular series (vs. cheek without dark-brown markings or with light-beige rounded spots). According to meristic and color pattern characters, the new species is considered a member of the S. jurupari species group, and is syntopic with S. jurupari, which is widespread in the Amazon basin. The restricted geographical range of the new species is congruent to that observed for some other Satanoperca species.
Keywords: Pisces, Geophaginae, Neotropical region, Satanoperca jurupari species-group, taxonomy
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| FIGURE 4. Satanoperca curupira, living specimen photographed just after capture in the rio Jaru, rio Madeira basin in Brazil (photo by U. Werner). |
Satanoperca curupira, new species
Satanoperca sp. “Jaru” —. Weidner 2000: 243 (photograph of living specimen).
Satanoperca jurupari —. Stawikowski & Werner 2004: 404 (photograph of living specimen) —. Graça et al. 2013: 373 (in part; lots UFRO-I 7869 and UFRO-I 11589).
Distribution. Satanoperca curupira is known from the rio Madeira basin in Brazil, occurring in the main channel of the rio Madeira and in several tributaries draining the Brazilian shield (rio Jaciparaná, rio Jamari, rio Jaru and rio Machado), and also at the rio Roosevelt (a tributary of the rio Aripuanã), and at the rio São Luis (a tributary of the rio Guaporé) (Fig. 5).
Etymology. The specific name curupira refers to a mythological creature of Brazilian folklore that protects the forest and its inhabitants, punishing those who hunt for pleasure or who kill breeding females or defenseless juveniles (Pereira 1994). The Curupira legend reveals the relationship between the indigenous people and the forest: it is not about exploration and indiscriminate use, but respect for life. A noun in apposition.
Renata R. Ota, Sven O. Kullander, Gabriel C. Deprá, Weferson J. da Graça and Carla S. Pavanelli. 2018. Satanoperca curupira, A New Cichlid Species from the rio Madeira basin in Brazil (Teleostei: Cichlidae). Zootaxa. 4379(1);103–112. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4379.1.6
