On Some Freshwater Fish Species Reported by Perugia (1891) from Argentina
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aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology On some freshwater fish species reported by Perugia (1891) from Argentina María de las Mercedes Azpelicueta1 and Stefan Koerber2 1) Conicet-División Zoología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Argentina. E-mail: [email protected] 2) Friesenstr. 11, 45476 Muelheim, Germany. E-mail: [email protected] Received 23 June 2014 – Accepted 02 January 2015 Abstract Perugia (1891) aus Argentinien beschrieben hat, waren Perugia (1891) described and recorded many fish species fehlbestimmt, was über ein Jahrhundert lang zur irrtüm- from Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, whose voucher speci- lichen Anführung von Arten für das Rio-de-la-Plata-Becken mens were deposited at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale führte, die in Wirklichkeit auf Einzugsgebiete im nördlichen di Genova (MSNG). Several species recorded by Perugia Südamerika beschränkt sind. Die Neubewertung der Exem- (1891) from Argentina were misidentified, which lead to er- plare, die Perugia (1891) als Pimelodus cristatus Müller & roneous citations of species for the Rio de la Plata basin dur- Troschel, Ramphichtys brevirostris Steindachner und Myletes ing more than one century, species which in fact are restrict- asterias Müller & Troschel bestimmt hatte, und die Nach- ed to river drainages from northern South America. The re- weise von Serrasalmo humeralis Valenciennes und Serrasalmo evaluation of the specimens identified by Perugia (1891) as gymnogenys Günther ermöglichten uns die damaligen Aufze- Pimelodus cristatus Müller & Troschel, Ramphichtys brevi- ichnungen zu berichtigen und die Arten von den Fischfau- rostris Steindachner, and Myletes asterias Müller & Troschel, na-Listen des Rio-de-la-Plata-Beckens sowie Argentiniens zu and the records of Serrasalmo humeralis Valenciennes, and streichen. Serrasalmo gymnogenys Günther allowed us to rectify these records and exclude these species from the fish fauna lists of Résumé both the Rio de la Plata basin and Argentina. Pérugia (1891) a décrit et enregistré beaucoup d’espèces de poissons d’Argentine, du Paraguay et du Brésil dont les Resumen spé cimens conservés ont été déposés au Museo Civico di Perugia (1891) describió y registró muchas especies de Storia Na turale di Genova (MSNG). Plusieurs espèces col- peces de Argentina, Paraguay y Brasil, cuyos ejemplares es- lectées en Argentine par Pérugia (1891) ont été mal iden- tán depositados en el Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di tifiées, ce qui a conduit à l’affectation erronée d’espèces Genova (MSNG). Varias especies registradas por Perugia dans le bassin du Rio de la Plata pendant plus d’un siècle, (1891) de Argentina, fueron erróneamente identificadas, des espèces qui, en fait, sont limitées à des bassins de cours hecho que condujo a citaciones incorrectas de especies para d’eau du nord de l’Amérique du Sud. La réévaluation des la cuenca del Río de la Plata durante mas de un siglo; algu- espèces identifiées par Pérugia (1891) comme Pimelodus nas especies están restringidas a drenajes de ríos del norte cristatus Müller et Tro schel, Rhamphichtys brévirostris Stein- de Sudamérica. La re-evaluación de los ejemplares identifi- dachner et Myletes aste rias Müller et Troschel, et les men- cados por Perugia (1891) como Pimelodus cristatus Müller tions de Serrasalmo hu me ra lis Valenciennes et Serrasalmo & Troschel, Ramphichtys brevirostris Steindachner y Myletes gymnogenys Günther nous ont permis de corriger ces men- asterias Müller & Troschel, y los registros de Serrasalmo tions et d’exclure ces espèces des listes de la faune piscicole humeralis Valenciennes y Serrasalmo gymnogenys Günther, du Rio de la Plata et d’Argentine. nos permitió rectificarlos y excluirlos de las listas de ictio- fauna de ambos, cuenca del Rio de la Plata y Argentina. Sommario Perugia (1891) ha descritto e registrato molte specie di Zusammenfassung pe sci provenienti da Argentina, Paraguay e Brasile, i cui Perugia (1891) hat viele Fischarten aus Argentinien, esemplari sono stati depositati presso il Museo Civico di Paraguay und Brasilien beschrieben und aufgezeichnet, Storia Naturale di Genova (MSNG). Diverse specie regi - deren Belegexemplare im Museo Civico di Storia Naturale strate dall’Argentina sono state erroneamente identificate di Genova (MSNG) hinterlegt wurden. Einige Arten, die dal Perugia (1891), causando per oltre un secolo citazioni 39 aqua vol. 21 no. 1 - 15 January 2015 On some freshwater fish species reported by Perugia (1891) from Argentina erronee di presenza nel bacino del Rio de la Plata di specie available list on freshwater fishes from Argentina, che in realtà sono confinate in bacini idrogeografici della López et al. (2003) listed the species based on the in- parte settentrionale del Sudamerica. La rivalutazione degli formation provided by Ringuelet et al. (1967). Sub- esemplari identificati dal Perugia (1891) come Pimelodus sequently, Liotta (2005) provided Ringuelet et al. cristatus Müller & Troschel, Ramphichtys brevirostris Stein- dachner, e Myletes asterias Müller & Troschel, e le regis- (1967) as the only known Argentinean record. trazioni di Serrasalmo humeralis Valenciennes, e Serrasalmo The fish fauna of the rivers of Tucumán has been gymnogenys Günther ci ha permesso di correggere queste recently investigated by several authors who did segnalazioni e di escludere queste specie dalla lista dei pesci not confirmed the presence of this species in that presenti nel bacino del Rio de la Plata e in Argentina area. Mirande & Aguilera (2010) only reported Pimelodella gracilis (Valenciennes 1835), P. griffini INTRODUCTION Eigenmann, 1917, and P. laticeps Eigenmann, The Rio de la Plata basin drains large portions of 1917 in the Northwest of Argentina (NOA). Bock- Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, mann & Guazzelli (2003) considered P. cristata as being the second largest drainage system in South a valid species, but restricted its distribution to America and the fourth largest in the world. The Guyana and French Guiana. Paraná River flows 4.000 km southwards from its Perugia’s specimens are still extant and belong to sources in the Precambrian Brazilian Shield to its two lots (MSNG 8133, MSNG 14543, Figs 1, 2), mouth in the Pampa Plain (Quirós, 2003). both examined by the authors. Both specimens Perugia (1891) published a list of South Ameri- (87.19-101.69 mm SL) correspond to Pimelodella can fishes housed at the Museo Civico di Storia gracilis (Valenciennes, 1835) which is indeed simi- Naturale di Genova (MSNG), based on specimens lar to P. cristata. Pimelodella gracilis has the upper from Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. Several caudal-fin lobe much longer and with similar species described as new in that paper are still con- width than the lower one, whereas P. cristata has a sidered valid, among others, Trigonectes balzanii, narrower upper caudal-fin lobe, which is scarcely Pseudocorynopoma doriae, and Gymnogeophagus longer than the lower lobe. In addition, some mea- balzanii, and he provided the first record from Ar- surements taken from six specimens of P. gracilis gentina for several other species. from Rio Paraná in Corrientes (Argentina) and six Although dating back from 120 years ago, most of specimens of P. cristata from the Corantijn River, the specimens reported by Perugia are still extant Nickerie District (Suriname), differ respectively in and available at the ichthyological collection of the following measurement ratios: eye diameter MSNG, which enabled us to re-examine it and 20.08-23.25 % of head length (vs. 23.07-26.31 % amend some identifications when necessary. Re- of head length), eye diameter in percentage of cently, Koerber & Azpelicueta (2009) presented ev- snout 77.77-93.33 % (vs. 100.0-125.0 %) and a idence that Weyenbergh’s Xiphophorus obscurus is a relatively shorter length of the adipose fin 35.63- senior synonym of Jenynsia pygogramma and Koer- 40.68 % of standard length (vs. 38.92-48.78 % of ber & Casciotta (2012) identified Perugia’s Crenici- standard length). chla lacustris as C. scottii, finally excluding the first As no other record for the species other than the from the list of Argentinean freshwater fishes. one from Perugia (1891) is known in Argentina, This contribution attempts to clarify the system- we consider that P. cristata does not occur either in atic status of five additional species of freshwater the Rio de la Plata basin and the Argentinean fresh- fishes, which have been erroneously included in waters. the lists of Argentinean ichthyofauna and from the Rio de la Plata basin through the last century. Ramphichtys brevirostris Steindachner, 1868 The specimens examined by Perugia (1891) and RESULTS listed as Ramphichtys brevirostris were collected by Pimelodus cristatus Müller & Troschel, 1849 Spegazzini in Resistencia, capital of the Argentinean Weyenbergh sent two specimens from Tucumán province of Chaco. Ringuelet et al. (1967) listed Pe- (Argentina) to Perugia who recorded them as rugia s record (as Hypopomus brevirostris) as the first Pimelodus cristatus Müller & Troschel 1849. The record for Argentina. López et al. (2003) repeated species was cited by Ringuelet et al. (1967) (as the information from Ringuelet et al. (1967), list- Pimelodella cristata), citing Perugia (1891) as the ing the species as Brachyhypopomus brevirostris (a source for the sole record from Argentina. In the last combination proposed by Mago-Leccia, 1994). aqua vol. 21 no. 1 - 15 January 2015 40 María de las Mercedes Azpelicueta and Stefan Koerber Albert & Crampton (2003) ambiguously cited nia trilineata López & Castello 1966 (128.66 mm the species as distributed at ’South America: East- SL, Fig. 3). As for the remaining specimens, one be- ern South America from Orinoco to la Plata River’ long to Brachyhypopomus bombilla (97.8 from tip of but occurring exclusively in the countries ‘Bolivia, snout to last anal fin ray insertion), while the other Brazil, Suriname, Venezuela’. Albert (2001) as- is a damaged Brachyhypopomus specimen, probably signed lots from Guyana, Venezuela, and the Ama- belonging to the same species (102.0 mm from zonian basin in Bolivia and Brazil to Brachyhypopo- snout tip to last anal fin ray insertion).