Editorial Type:
Article Category: Research Article
 | 
Online Publication Date: 01 May 2004

Callichthys serralabium: A New Species of Neotropical Catfish from the Upper Orinoco and Negro Rivers (Siluriformes: Callichthyidae)

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Page Range: 336 – 343
DOI: 10.1643/CI-03-129R
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Abstract

Callichthys serralabium, a new callichthyid catfish species, is described from drainages in the upper Orinoco River, near La Esmeralda, Venezuela and the headwaters of the Negro River, tributary of the Amazon River, both in Brazil and Venezuela. This species is readily distinguished from other Callichthys by possessing a serrated lower lip, 8–9 branched rays in the pectoral fin, an irregular color pattern of dark, diffuse blotches on flanks of adults, a longer anal-fin spine, and absence of the prenasal central plate. A key for the species of Callichthys is provided and some characters incongruent with the current phylogenetic hypothesis for the callichthyids are discussed.

Resumen

Se describe una nueva especie de Callichthyidae, Callichthys serralabium, de los drenajes de la parte alta del Río Orinoco, en Venezuela y de la parte alta del Río Negro, en Brazil y Venezuela. Esta especie se diferencia de las otras dos especies del género por tener el labio inferior aserrado, presentar 8–9 radios ramificados en la aleta pectoral, por tener manchas oscuras difusas a los lados del cuerpo, por tener la espina de la aleta anal mas larga, y por la ausencia de la placa central nasal. Se incluye una clave para las especies de Callichthys y se discute algunos caracteres incongruentes con la actual hipotesis de relaciones filogenéticas de la família.

Copyright: The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
 Fig. 1. 
 Fig. 1. 

Callichthys serralabium n. sp., holotype, MBUCV-V 25829, male, 87.5 mm SL; Venezuela: Amazonas: La Esmeralda: Laguna Tonina 1 km upstream La Esmeralda, upper Río Orinoco

 Fig. 2. 
 Fig. 2. 

Lower lip of Callichthys species, ventral view. (A) Callichthys fabricioi, paratype, MCP 21174, 100.6 mm SL. (B) Callichthys serralabium, holotype, MBUCV- V 30980, 87.5 mm SL. (C) Callichthys callichthys, FMNH 105295, 85.9 mm SL

 Fig. 3. 
 Fig. 3. 

Disposition and shape of nasal plates in (A) Callichthys serralabium, paratype, MCP 30693, 83.5 mm SL; and (B) Callichthys fabricioi MCP 30690, 102.3 mm SL, male. LNP: Lateral Nasal Plate; PnC: Prenasal Central Plate. Scale bar: 5 mm

 Fig. 4. 
 Fig. 4. 

Ontogenetic variation of color pattern in Callichthys serralabium. (A) AMNH 74817, 17.3 mm SL. (B) MZUSP 64367, 39.1 mm SL

 Fig. 5. 
 Fig. 5. 

Geographic distribution of Callichthys serralabium (dots), Callichthys fabricioi (triangles) and Callichthys callichthys (squares). Black squares for specimens used in morphometric comparisons

 Fig. 6. 
 Fig. 6. 

Scatter plot of Callichthys species for second and third PCA axes. Callichthys serralabium (dots), Callichthys fabricioi (triangles) and Callichthys callichthys (squares)

Contributor Notes

(PLA, RER) Laboratório de Ictiologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; P.O. Box 1429, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil and (PLA) Museo de Historia Natural-Universidad del Cauca (MHNUC), Popayán, Colombia. (RER) reis@pucrs.br Send reprint requests to RER.

Accepted: 22 Oct 2003
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