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| Pterobunocephalus carvalhoi Crispim, Argüello, Silva, Oliveira, Luckenbill & Sabaj, 2026 . |
Abstract
Pterobunocephalus currently comprises two valid species: P. depressus described from the Guaporé River basin and P. dolichurus from the Trombetas River at its confluence with the Amazon River. A third nominal species, Bunocephalus albofasciatus, described from the upper Mamoré River basin, is presently considered a junior synonym of P. depressus. Based on a morphological approach, we describe here a new species of Pterobunocephalus from the upper Amazon basin (Napo, Pastaza, and Putumayo rivers) in Ecuador. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) large eyes; (2) anterior margin of the mesethmoid relatively wide, shallowly concave, and sunken between anterior margins of premaxillae; (3) total number of anal-fin rays 10–11; and (4) in dorsal view, parapophysis of the fifth vertebra shaped like the blade of a shepherd’s axe with distal portion conspicuously and abruptly expanded.
Keywords: Banjo catfish; CT Scan; Morphology; Taxonomy
Pterobunocephalus carvalhoi, new species
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| Holotype, MEPN-I 20199, 69.9 mm SL (left), and paratype, ANSP 130605, 64.1 mm SL (right) of Pterobunocephalus carvalhoi showing variation in color pattern. |
Jefferson Luan Crispim, Pablo Argüello,Gabriel de Souza da Costa e Silva, Claudio Oliveira,Kyle R. Luckenbill and Mark H. Sabaj. 2026. After Eight decades: A New Species of Pterobunocephalus (Siluriformes: Aspredinidae) from the upper Putumayo, Napo and Pastaza rivers, Ecuador. Neotrop. ichthyol. 24(1):e250162. DOI: doi.org/10.1590/1982-0224-2025-0162 [17 Apr 2026]
