25 September 1990 PROC. BIOL. SOC. WASH. 103(3), 1990, pp. 550-557 CYPHOCHARAX PANTOSTICTOS, A NEW SPECIES (PISCES: OSTARIOPHYSI: CHARACIFORMES: CURIMATIDAE) FROM THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AMAZON BASIN Richard P. Vari and Ramiro Barriga S. Abstract. — Cyphocharax pantostictos, a species of curimatid characiform with a distinctive pattern of dark spots arranged in longitudinal series along the sides of the body, is described as new from the Rio Napo, Rio Putumayo, Rio Ucayali, and Rio Nanay in Ecuador and northern Peru. Cyphocharax multi- lineatus (Myers), the only other species in that questionably monophyletic genus with a similar pigmentation pattern has dark wavy horizontal lines, rather than discrete spots arranged in horizontal patterns. The dark body pigmentation in the two species also differs in its relative position on the scales. The pigmen- tation pattern and overall external appearance of C. pantostictos are nearly identical to that of Steindachnerina fasciata (Vari & Gery) a species endemic to the upper Rio Madeira system in Brazil. The two species can be readily distinguished on the basis of a series of meristic and morphometric features, and in differences in the portion of buccopharyngeal complex on the roof of the oral cavity. A series of polarized characters indicate furthermore that the two species are not closely related. The myriad drainage systems, range of azonian endemic area" based on distribu- stream gradients, and complexity of aquatic tional data from various neotropical genera habitats found in the drainage basins of the of the perciform family Cichlidae. In the western portions of the Amazon basin are course of investigations of the fish fauna of reflected in the remarkable diversity of the eastern Ecuador and northern Peru we in- fish fauna in that region (Ortega & Vari 1986, dependently collected a distinctive species Stewart et al. 1987). This region is also one of curimatid with an unusual pigmentation of the areas of greatest diversity for the fam- pattern consisting of seven or eight longi- ily Curimatidae, involving both species tudinal series of dark spots along the sides widely distributed within the Amazon basin of the body. This material first appeared to (e.g., Curimata aspera Gunther (Vari 1988: represent a major extension in the known fig.8) and C. vittata Kner (Vari 1989b:42)), distribution of Curimata fasciata which Vari or ranging north and south of that system & Gery (1985) described from the Rio Ma- into the Rio Orinoco or Rio de La Plata deira system in Brazil, a considerable dis- systems (e.g., Steindachnerina guentheri tance southeast of the region from which (Eigenmann & Eigenmann) (Vari 1990)). the Ecuadorian and Peruvian specimens Other curimatids in this area of high species originated. More recently Vari (1989a:ta- diversity have much more restricted ranges bles 2, 3), in an analysis of intrafamilial phy- (e.g., Steindachnerina quasimodoi Vari & logenetic relationships, restricted Curimata Vari (see Vari & Vari 1989:477)) and are to a single lineage within the family and known only to occur in the region that Kul- reassignedfasciata to Steindachnerina Fow- lander (1986:40) termed the "Western Am- ler (1906) on the basis of a series of derived VOLUME 103, NUMBER 3 551 characters. Further examination of our 58-59) noted was not defined on the basis specimens surprisingly showed that they of known derived features. Cyphocharax of neither constitute a major range extension that classification was rather an assemblage for Steindachnerina fasciata, nor do they of species lacking the derived features di- even represent a species of Steindachnerina. agnostic of the three other genera (Stein- Rather they are a species of Cyphocharax dachnerina, Curimatella Eigenmann & Ei- Fowler (1906) previously unknown to sci- genmann, and Pseudocurimata Fernandez- ence. This new curimatid is described herein Yepez) which together with Cyphocharax and is yet another fish species with a known form an unresolved terminal polytomy in range limited to the Western Amazonian Vari's hypothesis of intrafamilial relation- endemic area identified by Kullander. ships within the Curimatidae. The absence Materials and methods. —Counts and of identified synapomorphies for Cypho- measurements were made following meth- charax increases the likelihood that the ge- ods outlined in Van (1989b, 1989c, 1990). nus may not be monophyletic. Ongoing Ranges for meristic and morphometric fea- studies by the senior author focus on the tures include values of all examined speci- question of the monophyly of Cyphocharax mens. The values in square brackets are and its subunits. In the interim we assign those of the holotype. Subunits of the head the new species to Cyphocharax given that are presented as proportions of head length C. pantostictos shares the synapomorphies (HL). Head length itself and measurements for the clade formed by Cyphocharax, of body parts are presented as proportions Steindachnerina, Curimatella, and Pseu- of standard length (SL). docurimata, but lacks the derived features The following abbreviations for institu- that diagnose each of Steindachnerina, Cu- tions are used: Academy of Natural Sciences rimatella, and Pseudocurimata. The strik- of Philadelphia (ANSP); British Museum ing pattern of seven or eight horizontal se- (Natural History), London (BMNH); Cali- ries of prominent dark spots aligned along fornia Academy of Sciences, San Francisco the center of the body scales is unique to (CAS); Stanford University, collections now the Cyphocharax pantostictos within the ge- deposited at CAS (CAS-SU); Instituto Na- nus (Fig. 1). Only one other Cyphocharax cional de Pesquisas da Amazonia, Manaus species, C. multilineatus (Myers 1927) of (INPA); Indiana University, collections now the Rio Negro system in Venezuela and Bra- deposited at various repositories (IU); Mu- zil, has a pattern of horizontal dark body seo de Biologia, Universidad Central de pigmentation reminiscent of that in C. pan- Venezuela, Caracas (MBUCV); Museo de tostictos. The pattern of dark body pigmen- Biologia de la Escuela Politecnica Nacional, tation in C. multilineatus (Fig. 2) differs from Quito (MEPN); Museum d'Histoire Natu- that in C. pantostictos in forming solid wavy relle, Geneva (MHNG); Museu Nacional, horizontal lines rather than a series of dis- Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ); Museu de Zoolo- crete rotund spots (compare Figs. 1 and 2). gia, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo Furthermore, the dark stripes in C. multi- (MZUSP); Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, lineatus are positioned along the area of Stockholm (NRM); and National Museum overlap of horizontal rows of scales along of Natural History, Smithsonian Institu- the body, rather than being aligned along tion, Washington, D.C. (USNM). the center of the scale rows as are the spots in C. pantostictos. Thus the patterns of lon- Cyphocharax pantostictos, new species gitudinal dark pigmentation on the bodies Figs. 1, 4 in the two species are apparently non-ho- Diagnosis. —The new species is assigned mologous. Cyphocharax multilineatus also to Cyphocharax, a genus that Van (1989a: has a discrete dark band across the mid- 552 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON • kf■Atirtri.,•-!.• .4$ 4 • 6 •• • • 4••••••••••• 10.1616•••601601011011006•- • ••■P "- 000 ••,•••••• -." • •• 0 0000000 • •• se 0000 00000 • ...................... o • Fig. 1. Cyphocharax pantostictos, new species, holotype, USNM 306594, 72.4 mm SL; Ecuador, Napo, Laguna de Jatuncocha. lateral surface of the head anterior and pos- rina fasciata (Fig. 3), an endemic of the Rio terior to the orbit, a pigmentation pattern Madeira basin, and have lead to misiden- lacking in C. pantostictos. Cyphocharax tifications of the two species. Cyphocharax pantostictos, in turn, is characterized by a pantostictos lacks the derived features that well-developed, mid-lateral, horizontally diagnose Steindachnerina (see Vari 1989a: elongate patch of dark pigmentation on the 58, 1990), and lacks the intrageneric syn- caudal peduncle that is absent in C. multi- apomorphies for the clades that include S. lineatus. It is likely that various meristic and fasciata (see Vari 1990 for details). One of morphometric features further distinguish the most obvious differences between the C. pantostictos within Cyphocharax. Iden- two species involves the form of the buc- tification of those characters must await the copharyngeal complex on the roof of the completion of revisionary studies within that oral cavity. Cyphocharax pantostictos has speciose genus. three simple longitudinal fleshy folds in that The overall pigmentation pattern and region. Steindachnerina fasciata, in con- overall external appearance of C. pantostic- trast, has a mass of lobulate fleshy bodies tos are strikingly similar to that of one other that extend ventrally into the oral cavity, a member of the Curimatidae, Steindachne- hypothesized derived condition unique to a Fig. 2. Cyphocharax multilineatus, USNM 269987, 111.8 mm SL; Venezuela, Territorio Federal Amazonas, Departamento Rio Negro, Caiio Tremblador where crossed by road from San Carlos de Rio Negro to Solano. VOLUME 103, NUMBER 3 553 1. iS • 44,44 4"4 4 4 , *. tit$44•••• 4 *10 4s al■••• • i• ' lk " 41 61 VC, •• " • • t e Fig. 3. Steindachnerina fasciata, MNRJ 11208, 89.6 mm SL, holotype of Curimata fasciata Vani and Gery; Brazil, Territorio de Rond6nia, Municipio de Ouro Preto do Oeste, Rio Roman (or Sao Domingo) near Nova Unido. subunit of Steindachnerina (see Van 1989a: larged relative to those on lateral