69 (1): 103 –110 © Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 2019. 27.2.2019 Apistogramma psammophila – a new geophagine dwarf cichlid (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the Rio Atabapo drainage in Colombia and Venezuela Wolfgang Staeck 1 & Ingo Schindler 2 1 [email protected] — 2 [email protected] Submitted June 29, 2018. Accepted January 10, 2019. Published online at www.senckenberg.de/vertebrate-zoology on February 15, 2019. Published in print on February 27, 2019. Editor in charge: Uwe Fritz Abstract Apistogramma psammophila sp. n. is described from the lower Rio Atabapo drainage in Colombia (Departamento Guainía) and Venezuela (Estado Amazonas). It can be distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: Two dark horizontal stripes on ERG\VLGHWZRSHFWRUDOVSRWVVXERUELWDOVWULSHEHFRPLQJPXFKZLGHUYHQWUDOO\DQGQRFDXGDOVSRW,QDGXOWPDOHVVRIWGRUVDODQGDQDO¿QV HDFKZLWKORQJ¿ODPHQWRXVSURORQJDWLRQDOPRVWUHDFKLQJSRVWHULRUPDUJLQRIFDXGDO¿QDQGSHOYLF¿QVZLWK¿ODPHQWRXVH[WHQVLRQQHDUO\ UHDFKLQJPLGGOHRIDQDO¿QEDVH It is most similar to Apistogramma diplotaenia Kullander, 1987, but differs from this species by an irregular pattern of 6 – 8 short verti- cal dark bar-like markings below the lower lateral stripe, and adult males with reddish area on cheek and chest between eye and pectoral D[LOODDQGGLVWLQFWO\ODQFHRODWHFDXGDO¿Q. Resumen Apistogramma psammophila sp. n. se describe a partir de la cuenca del río Atabapo bajo en Colombia (Departamento Guainía) y Venezuela (Estado Amazonas). La nueva especie se distingue de todas las demás especies descritas del género Apistogramma por la siguiente com- binación de carácteres diagnosticos: dos bandas laterales oscuras horizontales en el lado del cuerpo, dos manchas pectorales, una banda suborbital que se vuelve ventralmente mucho más ancha, no hay una mancha caudal. En varones adultos aleta dorsal y anal blanda con SURORQJDFLyQ¿ODPHQWRVDODUJDTXHOOHJDKDVWDFDVLHOERUGHSRVWHULRUGHODDOHWDFDXGDO\XQDH[WHQVLyQ¿ODPHQWRVDGHODVDOHWDVSpOYLFDV TXHVHH[WLHQGHKDVWDFDVLODPLWDGGHODEDVHGHODDOHWDDQDO La nueva especie es más similar a Apistogramma diplotaenia Kullander, 1987, pero se difíere de esta especie por un patrón irregular de 6 – OtQHDVRVFXUDVYHUWLFDOHVFRUWDVGHEDMRGHODEDQGDODWHUDOLQIHULRUXQiUHDURML]DHQODPHMLOOD\HOWyUD[HQWUHHORMR\ODD[LODSHFWRUDO en machos adultos y su aleta caudal claramente lanceolada. Kurzfassung Apistogramma psammophila sp. n. wird aus dem Einzugsbereich des unteren Rio Atabapo in Kolumbien (Departamento Guainía) und Ve- nezuela (Estado Amazonas) beschrieben. Die Art lässt sich von allen anderen beschriebenen Apistogramma-Arten durch die Kombination IROJHQGHUGLDJQRVWLVFKHU0HUNPDOHQXQWHUVFKHLGHQ=ZHLKRUL]RQWDOHGXQNOH6HLWHQElQGHUDXIGHU.|USHUVHLWH]ZHL%UXVWÀHFNHQHLQ VXERUELWDOHU6WUHLIHQGHUYHQWUDOYLHOEUHLWHUZLUGNHLQ6FKZDQ]ZXU]HOÀHFN%HLHUZDFKVHQHQ0lQQFKHQ5FNHQÀRVVHXQG$IWHUÀRVVH EHLQDKHELV]XPKLQWHUHQ(QGHGHU6FKZDQ]ÀRVVHYHUOlQJHUW %DXFKÀRVVHQPLWHLQHUIDGHQI|UPLJHQ(UZHLWHUXQJGLHELVIDVW]XU0LWWH GHU$IWHUÀRVVHQEDVLVUHLFKW Die neue Art ist Apistogramma diplotaenia Kullander, 1987 am ähnlichsten, unterscheidet sich jedoch von dieser durch ein unre- gelmäßiges Muster von 6 – 8 kurzen vertikalen dunklen balkenähnlichen Markierungen unter dem unteren Längsband, einen rötlichen %HUHLFK]ZLVFKHQ$XJHXQGGHP$QVDW]GHU%UXVWÀRVVHQDXI:DQJHXQG%UXVWHUZDFKVHQHU0lQQFKHQXQGGHUHQGHXWOLFKODQ]HWWI|UPLJH 6FKZDQ]ÀRVVH. Key words Apistogramma diplotaenia, Cichlinae, Departamento Guainía, Estado Amazonas, Geophagini, ichthyology, new species, Orinoco basin, WD[RQRP\. ISSN 1864-5755 | eISSN 2625-8498 | DOI: 10.26049/VZ69-1-2019-05 103 Staeck, W. & Schindler, I.: Apistogramma psammophila – a new geophagine dwarf cichlid from the Rio Atabapo Introduction QRO7KHW\SHVDUHGHSRVLWHGLQWKH¿VKFROOHFWLRQVRIWKH Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Museo de Historia Natu- ral, Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá (ICN- In 1981 Schmettkamp, a German aquarist, found a single MHN) and in the Senckenberg Naturhistorische Samm- male specimen of an unknown Apistogramma species in OXQJHQ0XVHXPIU7LHUNXQGH'UHVGHQ 07') a shipment of the Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelro- The techniques for taking measurements and meristic di). He called it Doppelband Apistogramma (= Double data follow those described in KULLANDER (1980, 1986). Band Apistogramma) with reference to its unusual color Measurements were made with electronic digital cali- pattern and informally described it as new in the aquari- per to the nearest 0.1 mm. Specimen lengths are given um literature (SCHMETTKAMP, 2QHRIXV :6 FRO- as standard length (SL). Scale rows are numbered as de- lected this species in 1981 and a second time 1986 in the scribed in KULLANDER (1990). Numbers in parentheses Anavilhanas archipelago (lower Rio Negro, Brazil) and DIWHUFRXQWVLQGLFDWHWKHQXPEHURIVSHFLPHQVH[DPLQHG SXEOLVKHGWKH¿UVWGHWDLOVRILWVHFRORJ\ LINKE & STAECK, with that condition. Meristic data are given for eight type 1984, 1994). In 1987, KULLANDER described the species specimens with SL > 20 mm. as Apistogramma diplotaenia from collecting sites in the In the following, we use a pragmatic approach for upper and middle Rio Negro. species recognition (KOTTELAT, 1995). In accordance RÖMER (1992a, b) described reproduction under aqua- ZLWKFXUUHQWWD[RQRPLFSXEOLFDWLRQVRQWKHJHQXVApisto- rium conditions and provided information on the ecologi- gramma (e.g., MESA & LASSO, 2011; VARELLA & SABAJ, FDOFRQGLWLRQVLQWKH¿HOG/DWHUKHGRFXPHQWHGVHYHUDO WKH QHZ VSHFLHV LV GLDJQRVHG E\ H[WHUQDO FKDU- mood-dependent variations in its live coloration, pub- acters. This procedure is consistent with the diagnostic lished further details of its ecology and characterized it variant of the phylogenetic species concept (cf. NIXON & as a sand-dwelling species with a habitat preference of WHEELER, 1990). beaches and sand banks (RÖMER, 1998). Sand-dwelling Comparisons were made with three specimens of contrasts the majority of other members of the genus, Apistogramma diplotaenia (SL 24.5 – 30.5 mm) in the which generally inhabit aggregations of dead leaves. collections of the authors and by consulting published ANDERSON SUREDEO\ZDVWKH¿UVWWRPHQWLRQD sources (KULLANDER, 1987; RÖMER, 1992a, b, 1998). population of A. diplotaenia in the Rio Atabapo (form- ing the border between Columbia and Venezuela). One year later GOTTWALD and KOSLOWSKI (in STAWIKOWSKI et Apistogramma psammophila n. sp. , al. 1995: 62 – 63) published color photos of specimens XUQOVLG]RREDQNRUJDFW$))))'%($ collected in this river. They designated them as Apisto- 49C331082C8C gramma cf. diplotaenia „Orinoco“, based on hybridiza- WLRQH[SHULPHQWVLQGLFDWLQJWKDWSRSXODWLRQVLQWKH5LR )LJV±7DEOH Negro and the Rio Atabapo drainages were probably dif- Holotype. ICN-MHN 24052, male 27.5 mm SL. Colombia (Depar- ferent species. In the following years, a few specimens tamento Guainía), lower Rio Atabapo, close to the mouth of Caño RIWKH$WDEDSRGZDUIFLFKOLGZHUHH[SRUWHGDVDTXDULXP &KDPXFKLQD DSSUR[ƍƍƍ1ƍƍƍ: DOHIWEDQNWULEX- ¿VKIURPERWK&RORPELDDQG9HQH]XHODWR*HUPDQ\ WDU\LPSRUWRIDTXDULXP¿VKWUDGHleg. Javier León Barreto, don. 8QWLOUHFHQWO\H[SRUWVDQGUHSRUWVZHUHUDUHUHQGHU- R. Grossklaus 2018. ing available information about Apistogramma cf. diplo- Paratypes.07')±H[±PP6/9HQH taenia³2ULQRFR´H[WUHPHO\SDWFK\$OWKRXJKWKHGZDUI zuela (Estado Amazonas), lower Rio Atabapo, mouth of an unamed ULJKWEDQN WULEXWDU\ DSSUR[ ƍƍƍ1 ƍƍƍ: VLWXDWHG cichlid from the Rio Atabapo is relatively well known between Isla Zapo and Isla Guaimara (Isla Guanare), import of in the aquarium hobby, it has been neglected by the sci- DTXDULXP¿VKWUDGHleg. and don55LHWVFK07')± HQWL¿FOLWHUDWXUHSXEOLVKHGRQWKH¿VKIDXQDRIWKH2UL- H[±PP6/6DPHGDWDDVLQKRORW\SH noco drainage (KULLANDER, 2003; MESA & LASSO, 2011; ORTEGA-LARA, 7KHRQO\H[FHSWLRQLVLASSO et al. Diagnosis. A slender geophagine dwarf cichlid with (2004). Recent collections and observations at collecting GLVWLQFW VH[XDO GLPRUSKLVP EXW RQO\ VOLJKW VH[XDO GL- sites in the Rio Atabapo revealed previously unknown chromatism. Males grow larger than females and have GHWDLOVRIWKHHFRORJ\RIWKLVVSHFLHVDQGFRQ¿UPHGWKH SURORQJHGUD\VLQWKHLUVRIWGRUVDODQGDQDO¿QDQGD¿OD- hypothesis that it is distinct from the Rio Negro popula- PHQWRXVH[WHQVLRQRIWKH¿UVWSHOYLF¿QUD\ tion. The objective of this paper is to formally describe It can be distinguished from all the other described this dwarf cichlid, distinguish it from A. diplotaenia, and species of Apistogramma by the following combination provide new information on its ecology. of characters: (1) two dark horizontal bands on side of body; (2) two pectoral spots; (3) suborbital stripe becom- ing much wider ventrally; (4) no caudal spot; (5) adult Material and methods PDOHVZLWKVKDOORZGRUVDO¿Q VRIWSDUWRIGRUVDODQG DQDO¿QVHDFKZLWKORQJ¿ODPHQWRXVSURORQJDWLRQDOPRVW UHDFKLQJ SRVWHULRU PDUJLQ RI FDXGDO ¿Q SHOYLF ¿Q 7KHW\SHVSHFLPHQVZHUH¿[HGHLWKHULQHWKDQRORU ZLWK ¿ODPHQWRXV H[WHQVLRQ QHDUO\ UHDFKLQJ PLGGOH RI IRUPDOLQWKHODWWHUVSHFLPHQVWUDQVIHUUHGWRHWKD- DQDO¿QEDVH 104 VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY — 69 (1) 2019 Fig. 1. Apistogramma psammophila (male, SL 27.5 mm), holotype (ICN-MHN 24052) from Rio Atabapo (Caño Chamuchina, Departa- PHQWR*XDLQtD&ROXPELD RQHGD\DIWHU¿[DWLRQ Fig. 2. Male of Apistogramma psammophila PP6/ SDUDW\SH 07') IURPORZHU5LR$WDEDSR PRXWKRIDQXQQDPHG ULJKWEDQNWULEXWDU\(VWDGR$PD]RQDV9HQH]XHOD WKUHHZHHNVDIWHU¿[DWLRQ In general appearance this species is most similar to Table 1. Morphometric data of holotype (ICN-MHN 24052) and Apistogramma diplotaenia Kullander, 1987, but differs ¿YHSDUDW\SHV 07') RIApistogramma psam mo- from this species by 6