Systematics of the Neotropical Characiform Genus Cyphocharax Fowler (Pisces: Ostariophysi) RICHARD P. VARI m SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY • NUMBER 529 SERIES PUBLICATIONS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Emphasis upon publication as a means of "diffusing knowledge" was expressed by the first Secretary of the Smithsonian. In his formal plan for the Institution, Joseph Henry outlined a program that included the following statement: "It is proposed to publish a series of reports, giving an account of the new discoveries in science, and of the changes made from year to year in all branches of knowledge." This theme of basic research has been adhered to through the years by thousands of titles issued in series publications under the Smithsonian imprint, commencing with Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge in 1848 and continuing with the following active series: Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology Smithsonian Contributions to Astrophysics Smithsonian Contributions to Botany Smithsonian Contributions to the Earth Sciences Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine Sciences Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology Smithsonian Folklife Studies Smithsonian Studies in Air and Space Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology In these series, the Institution publishes small papers and full-scale monographs that report the research and collections of its various museums and bureaux or of professional colleagues in the world of science and scholarship. The publications are distributed by mailing lists to libraries, universities, and similar institutions throughout the world. Papers or monographs submitted for series publication are received by the Smithsonian Institution Press, subject to its own review for format and style, only through departments of the various Smithsonian museums or bureaux, where the manuscripts are given substantive review. Press requirements for manuscript and art preparation are outlined on the inside back cover. Robert McC. Adams Secretary Smithsonian Institution SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY • NUMBER 52 Systematics of the Neotropical Characiform Genus Cyphocharax Fowler (Pisces: Ostariophysi) Richard P. Vari SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION PRESS Washington, D.C. 1992 ABSTRACT Van, Richard P., Systematics of the Neotropical Characiform Genus Cyphocharax Fowler (Pisces: Ostariophysi). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 529, 137 pages, 93 figures, 15 tables, 1992.—The curimatid characiform genus Cyphocharax Fowler (1906) is revised. Cyphocharax has three synonyms: Xyrocharax Fowler (1913), Hemicurimata Myers (1929), and Curimatoides Fowler (1940a). Thirty-three species are recognized in Cyphocharax: C. abramoides (Kner, 1859a) of the northern Amazon and southern Orinoco basins; C. aspilos, new species, a Lago Maracaibo basin endemic; C. festivus, new species, of the Amazon basin, Guyana, and eastern Venezuela; C. gangamon, new species, of the Rio Tapajos; C. gilbert (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824) of coastal Brazil from Rio de Janeiro to Bahia; C. gillii (Eigenmann and Kennedy, 1903) of the Rio de La Plata; C. gouldingi, new species, of Amapa\ the Rio Capim, Rio Tocantins, and Rio Xingu; C. heHeri (Steindachner, 1910) of eastern Venezuela, the Guianas, and Amapa, Brazil; C. leucostictus (Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 1889) of the Amazon and Amapa, Brazil; C. magdalenae (Steindachner, 1879a) ranging from Costa Rica to Colombia; C. meniscaprorus, new species, of the Rio Orinoco; C. mestomyllon, new species, of the Rio Negro in Brazil; C. microcephalus (Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 1889) of Surinam and Guyana; C. modest us (Femandez-Yepez, 1948) of the upper Rio Parana; C. multilineatus (Myers, 1927) of the central Amazon; C. nagelii (Steindachner, 1882) endemic to the upper Rio Parana; C. nigripinnis, new species, from the central Amazon; C. notatus (Steindachner, 1908) widely distributed in the Amazon; C. oenas, new species, of the Rio Orinoco; C. pantostictos Van and Barriga (1990) of the western Amazon; C.platanus (Giinther, 1880) of most of the Rio de La Plata basin; C. plumbeus (Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 1889) widely distributed in the Amazon; C. punctatus (Van and Nijssen, 1986) of the Marowijne River; C. saladensis (Meinken, 1933) of southeastern Brazil and part of the Rio de La Plata basin; C. santacatarinae (Fernandez-Yepez, 1948) of the coastal rivers of Santa Catarina, Parana, and Sao Paulo, Brazil; C. signatus, new species, of the Rio Araguaia; C. spilotus (Vari, 1987) of the Rio de La Plata basin; C. spiluropsis (Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 1889) of the central and western Amazon; C. spilurus (Giinther, 1864) of southeastern Venezuela, the Guianas, the upper Rio Branco in Brazil, and perhaps the Rio Orinoco; C. stilbolepis, new species, of the Rio Xingu and Rio Tocantins; C. vanderi (Britski, 1980) of the upper Rio Parana^ C. vexillapinnus, new species, of the central and western Amazon; and C. voga (Hensel, 1869) of Uruguay, southeastern Brazil and portions of the Rio de La Plata basin. Keys to the species of Cyphocharax are provided. Fourteen species and subspecies are synonymized. Pseudocurimata steindachneri Fema"ndez- Y6pez (1948) described from the Rio Magdalena is a synonym of Cyphocharax magdalenae. Curimatus albula Liitken (1874) from the Rio Sao Francisco, and Pseudocurimata grandocule Fem&idez-Ye'pez (1948) from Espfrito Santo, Brazil, are considered synonyms of Cyphocharax gilbert. Curimata gnaca Azpelicueta and Braga (1988) from Resistencia, Argentina is tentatively synonymized into Cyphocharax spilotus. Curimatus Vandeli Puyo (1943) from French Guiana and Curimatus (Hemicurimata) esperanzae pijperzi Gery (1965) of Surinam are synonyms of Cyphocharax helleri. Curimatopsis maculatus Ahl (1934) described from Argentina is a juvenile Cyphocharax voga. Curimatus hermanni Ahl (1931) described from the Rio Capim is a synonym of Cyphocharax notatus. Curimatus (Curimatella) xinguensis Steindachner (1908), based on a specimen from the Rio Xingu, is a synonym of Cyphocharax leucostictus. Curimatella rehni Fowler (1932) from the Mato Grosso is synonymized in Cyphocharax gillii. Curimatus surinamensis Steindachner (1910) from Surinam is a synonym of Cyphocharax spilurus. Curimatus stigmaturus Fowler (1913) from the Rio Maranon, Curimatoides ucayalensis Fowler (1940a) from the Rio Ucayali, and Curimata esperanzae Myers (1929) based on juveniles that originated in the Rio Madeira basin are all synonyms of Cyphocharax spiluropsis. Lectotypes are designated for Curimatus albula Liitken, Curimatus (Hemicurimata) esperanzae Myers, Curimatus leucostictus Eigenmann and Eigenmann, Curimatus Magdalenae Steindachner, Curimatus microcephalus Eigenmann and Eigenmann, Curimatus platanus (Giinther), Curimatus plumbeus Eigenmann and Eigenmann, Curimatus spiluropsis Eigenmann and Eigenmann, Curimatus spilurus Giinther, and Curimatus voga Hensel. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION DATE is handstamped in a limited number of initial copies and is recorded in the Institution's annual report, Smithsonian Year. SERIES COVER DESIGN: The coral Montastrea cavernosa (Linnaeus). Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Vari, Richard P. Systematics of the Neotropical characiform genus Cyphocharax Fowler (Pisces: Ostariophysi) / Richard P. Vari. p. cm. - (Smithsonian contributions to zoology ; no. 529.) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Cyphocharax. 2. Cyphocharax-Classification. I. Title. II. Series. QL1.S54 no. 529 [QL638.C89] 591 s-dc20 [597\52] 91-45327 ® The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.48—1984. Contents Page Introduction 1 Institutional Abbreviations 2 Acknowledgments 2 Methods and Materials 3 Genus Cyphocharax Fowler 4 Comments on "Keys" to the Species of Cyphocharax 6 Key to the Species of Cyphocharax 8 Keys to the Species of Cyphocharax within Areas of Endemism 13 Orinoco Endemic Region 13 Western Endemic Region 14 Guianas Endemic Region 14 Amazon Endemic Region 14 S3o Francisco and Coastal Endemic Regions 16 Upper Rio Parana" Endemic Region 16 Rio Paraguay Endemic Region 16 Cyphocharax abramoides (Kner) 17 Cyphocharax stilbolepis, new species 20 Cyphocharax platanus (Giinther) 22 Cyphocharax nagelii (Steindachner) 23 Cyphocharax leucostictus (Eigenmann and Eigenmann) 26 Cyphocharax pantostictos Vari and Barriga 30 Cyphocharax helleri (Steindachner) 32 Cyphocharax multilineatus (Myers) 38 Cyphocharax vexillapinnus, new species 39 Cyphocharax notatus (Steindachner) 42 Cyphocharax festivus, new species 45 Cyphocharax nigripinnis, new species 49 Cyphocharax plumbeus (Eigenmann and Eigenmann) 51 Cyphocharax microcephalus (Eigenmann and Eigenmann) 54 Cyphocharax magdalenae (Steindachner) 56 Cyphocharax aspilos, new species 61 Cyphocharax punctatus (Vari and Nijssen) 63 Cyphocharax vanderi (Britski) 65 Cyphocharax si gnat us, new species 67 Cyphocharax saladensis (Meinken) 69 Cyphocharax spilotus (Vari) 72 Cyphocharax mestomyllon, new species 77 Cyphocharax voga (Hensel) 78 Cyphocharax modestus (Fernandez-Y6pez) 82 Cyphocharax gilbert (Quoy and Gaimard) 86 Cyphocharax santacatarinae (Fem&ndez-Yepez) 93 Cyphocharax gangamon, new species 96 Cyphocharax spilurus (Gunther) 100 Cyphocharax meniscaprorus, new species 105 Cyphocharax gouldingi, new species 107 Cyphocharax gillii (Eigenmann and Kennedy) 109 in iv SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY Cyphocharax spiluropsis (Eigenmann and Eigenmann) 114 Cyphocharax oenas, new species 121 Phylogenetic Comments