Crenicichla hadrostigma, de Lucena, 2007

de Lucena, Carlos A. S., 2007, Two new species of the genus Crenicichla Heckel, 1840 from the upper rio Uruguay drainage (Perciformes: Cichlidae), Neotropical Ichthyology 5 (4), pp. 449-456 : 450-453

Crenicichla hadrostigma , new species

( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Holotype. MCP 40959. Male, 100.1mm SL. Brazil, state of Santa Catarina, rio Chapecó, on the old road Coronel de Freitas-Quilombo , Vila São Miguel , Coronel de Freitas , (26º51’26”S, 52º44’29”W), 23 Jan 2006, C. Lucena, V. Bertaco, E. Pereira & J. da Silva.

Paratypes. 31 specimens, 79.7-113.5 mm SL, all from Brazil. Santa Catarina: MCP 40051 (86,3-91,2mm CP, females), MCP 40079 (3, 79.7-100.8 mm SL, females), MCP 40082 (16, 36.1-93.3 mm SL, measured only 3 larger males), MCP 40110 (2, 100.0-113.0 mm SL, males), and MCP 40134 (1, 94.6 mm SL, female), same data as holotype; MCP 19037 (2, 95.6-98.4 mm SL, males), rio Uruguay, Pedra da Fortaleza, Itapiranga, 31 May 1997, L. Hahn, et al.; MCP 22035 (5, 98.9-111.0 mm SL), rio Uruguay, near Pedra da Fortaleza , Itapiranga , 27 o 11’42”S 53 o 38’34”W, 14 Jan 1999, L. Hahn et. al.; MCP 22036 (1, 92.5 mm SL, female), same data as MCP 22035; MCP 33936 (4, 101.5- 113.5 mm SL, males), rio Chapecó , Coronel de Freitas , 26 o 54’S 52 o 42’W, Feb 2003, Leandro Baucke. Rio Grande do Sul : MCP 40067 (7, 80.1-92.3mm SL), rio Uruguay, farm on the road Barra do Guarita-Palmitinho , Barra do Guarita , 27º11’47”S, 53º39’07”W, 26 Jan 2006, C. Lucena & V. Bertaco, E. Pereira & J. da Silva .

Non-types: Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul: MCP 40874 (1, 106.3 mm SL), rio Uruguay, farm on the road Barra do Guarita-Palmitinho, Barra do Guarita , 27º11’47”S 053º39’07” W, 26 Jan 2006, C. Lucena et. al . Argentina: AI 220 (1, 72.8 mm SL, photo examined), rio Uruguay, 22 Km to south of San Javier , Itacaruare, Misiones .

Diagnosis. Crenicichla hadrostigma is readily distinguished from all other species of Crenicichla by having a conspicuous ocellated posttemporal spot, always greater than half orbital diameter, frequently equal or larger than orbital diameter (vs smaller or absent). From the C. missioneira species group it also differs from C. igara and C. jurubi , by the absence, in both sexes, of numerous spots scattered over the back and sides and by the presence, in males, of 11 to 16 narrow vertical single or double-bars across the sides from just below the first spine of dorsal-fin to the first and second or fourth and fifth soft ray of the same fin vs five to seven elongate dark blotches varying in appearance. The narrow vertical bars can occur in C. tendybaguassu , C. minuano and C. missioneira . It is distinguished from C. tendybaguassu by the normal vs greatly thickened lips. The isognathous mouth distinguishes C. hadrostigma from C. missioneira which has the lower jaw longer than the upper jaw, and it can be distinguished from C. minuano and C. celidochilus by the absence of a lateral band (vs presence).

Description. Measurements in Table 1 . Meristic data in Table 2 .

Body relatively deep, body depth 21.9-27.0% SL. Head deeper than wide. Caudal peduncle longer than deep. Snout short, rounded from above, blunt in lateral view. Jaws isognathous. Ascending premaxillary processes reaching to or almost to vertical through middle of orbit. Maxilla reaching to vertical through anterior margin of orbit. Upper lip thick and wide, folds not continuous but interrupted at the wide symphyseal region. Postlabial skin fold margin rounded. Orbit supralateral, not visible from below, chiefly in anterior half of head. Nostrils dorsolateral, about halfway between orbit and margin of postlabial skin fold, low tubular margin but no anterior marginal skin flap. Posterior margin of preopercle smooth or with a few irregularly distributed projections.

Flank scales strongly ctenoid. Scales on head, anteriorly on back (above about anterior ¼ of lateral line), along dorsal fin base, on chest and belly, and near anal-fin base cycloid. Predorsal scales small, superficially embedded in skin, extending forward almost to transverse frontal lateralis canal. Prepelvic scales very small, superficially embedded in skin. Cheek fully scaled; 6-11 scale rows below eye, embedded in skin. Interopercle naked. Circumpeduncular scale rows 11-13 dorsally, 12-14 ventrally (total 24-27).

Scales between upper lateral line and dorsal-fin base 11- 16 anteriorly, 4-5 posteriorly; 2-3 scale rows between lateral lines.Anterior upper lateral-line scales slightly larger and more elongate than adjacent scales, remaining lateral-line scales nearly the same size as adjacent scales. Dorsal, anal, pectoral, and pelvic fins without scales. Caudal-fin squamation marginally extending to near middle of fin.

First dorsal-fin spine about 1/4-1/5 length of last; spines increasing in length to last but subequal from about 10th. Distal margin of dorsal fin rounded in both sexes, 7th-8th rays reaching slightly to first 1/3 of caudal fin. Soft anal fin with pointed tip, in both sexes reaching to base of caudal fin. Caudal fin rounded. Pectoral fin rounded, reaching about halfway to anal fin. Pelvic fin inserted well posterior to vertical through pectoral axilla, with acuminate tip, second ray longest, reaching about halfway to spinous anal fin or slightly beyond.

All teeth pointed, erect or slightly recurved. Teeth of outer row distinctly larger than teeth of inner row and larger anteriorly than posteriorly. Upper jaw with 5-6 inner tooth rows anteriorly; outer row teeth slightly movable or fixed, ¾ length of dentigerous arm of premaxilla, one inner row almost as long; inner teeth fully depressible. Lower jaw with 3-4 inner tooth rows anteriorly; outer row teeth fixed, inner teeth depressible.

Microbranchiospines present on both sides of all gill arches.

Lower pharyngeal tooth plate in specimen 92.5 mm SL ( Fig. 3 ), strongly depressed dorsoventrally, stout, length of dentigerous area 64% of its width. Medial and posteromedial teeth, strong, enlarged but not molariform. All other teeth conical, without retrorse cusp. 15-16 teeth in posterior row, 6 in median row.

Coloration in alcohol. Usually dark spot at tip of lower jaw. Upper lip gray. Dark brown preorbital stripe from orbit across upper lip and around tip of lower jaw. Dark brown postorbital stripe running straight from orbit to dorsal end of gill cleft, sometimes interrupted or reduced to a blackish spot immediately posterior to orbit. In a few specimens preorbital stripe curved along ventral border of orbit. Suborbital stripe absent or reduced to a spot at margin of orbit. One specimen (MCP 22035) with three or four spots just below orbit. Nuchal markings other than posttemporal spot faint. Posttemporal spot prominently ocellated; always greater than half orbital diam- eter, frequently equal or larger than orbital diameter; in some specimens posttemporal spot extending to anterior lateral line. A blackish, prominent blotch just above pectoral axilla, sometimes subdivided and with a dorsal extension.

Prominent ocellated anterior spot may be present, in both sexes, on first vertical bar in females, or on first stripe-pair in males. Ocellated caudal spot present in both sexes; sometimes fragmented into smaller spots.

Males ( Fig. 1 ) with 11 to 16 narrow vertical single or doublebars across sides from below first dorsal-fin spine to first and second or fourth and fifth dorsal-fin ray. Some specimens with a blackish area sometimes extending to dorsum, between each stripe-pair, just below the anterior lateral line. Two blackish blotches on dorsal margin of caudal peduncle. Numerous scattered dark brown spots on caudal peduncle.

Dorsal fin grayish with 3-4 irregular rows dark spots on the spinous portion and several additional rows of dark spots on the soft portion. Anal fin blackish with few dark spots on final portion. Caudal fin vividly patterned with dark spots except posterodorsally and posteroventrally. Some specimens collected in rio Uruguay ( MCP 40067), both males and females, show basic pattern of coloration darker compared to specimens from rio Chapecó. One male, MCP 40874, from rio

Uruguay, has the body coloration so dark that it is difficult to recognize the posttemporal spot and therefore it is not included among the type-material.

Females ( Fig. 2 ) have nine to ten vertical dark bars, alternating with light areas, along the side from below first spines of dorsal fin to fourth and fifth soft rays of dorsal fin. Last four bars may be joined pair to pair just below anterior lateral line. Two additional bars on dorsal margin of caudal peduncle. Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins smoky. One female (MCP 22036) with ocellated dark spot between dorsal spines 13-15. Pectoral and pelvic fins whitish in both sexes.

Color in life. Males grayish. Vertical bars dark with a blackish area, between each bar-pair, just below the anterior lateral line or bars slightly darker near the dorsum without blackish median area. Dorsal, anal, caudal and pelvic fins yellow. Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins with scattered black spots forming rows on their surfaces. Pectoral fin whitish. Females alternating dark bars and whitish areas.All fins white or yellow. Dorsal fin with a red bar on the spinous portion and middle base of soft-ray portion; not reaching to its tip. A red or orange horizontal bar from pectoral-fin axilla to vertical across anus. Ventral border of opercle red or yellow. Both sexes with posttemporal spot and anterior ocellated spot, when present, margined by a yellow ring. Caudal spot dark margined by a yellow ring.

Stomach contents. One female, 92.5 mm SL (MCP 22036), with mollusk shells.

Distribution. Rio Uruguay ( Fig. 4 ) and rio Chapecó, rio Uruguay drainage ( Fig. 5 ).

Etymology. The epithet hadrostigma from Greek, hadros = well-developed and stigma = spot, mark, in reference to the prominent posttemporal spot diagnostic of the species. An adjective.

Comments. The specimen MCP 22036 (1, 92.5mm SL, female) was removed from the stomach of a specimen of Salminus brasiliensis .

Figures

Fig. 1. Crenicichla hadrostigma, holotype, rio Chapecó, Coronel de Freitas, Santa Catarina, MCP 40959 (100.1 mm SL, male).

Fig. 2. Crenicichla hadrostigma, paratype, rio Chapecó, Coronel de Freitas, Santa Catarina, MCP 40079 (100.8 mm SL, female).

Fig. 3. Crenicichla hadrostigma, lower pharyngeal tooth plate in occlusal view, MCP 22036 (92.5 mm SL, female).Scale bar:1mm.

Fig. 4. Rio Uruguay, on the road Barra do Guarita-Palmitinho, Barra do Guarita, Rio Grande do Sul. General view of the explored riffle stretch where were captured specimens of C. hadrostigma.

Fig. 5. Collecting localities of Crenicichla hadrostigma (triangles) and Crenicichla empheres (black dot).

Tables

Table 2. Frequency counts of meristic characters of Crenicichla hadrostigma. MCP 40959, *=Holotype.

Dorsalfin spines soft rays	XX 11 2	XXI 11 11	XXI 12 4	XXII 11 11	XXII 12 1*	XXIII 10 1	XXIII 11 1
Analfin
soft rays	8	9	10
Petoral fin	13	14	15	16
Gill rakers	7 1	10* 8 7	9 5	10 14*	11 3
Laterallines upper lower	24 9 1	24 10 4	25 9 3	25 10 3*	26 8 2	26 9 1	26 10 4	27 8 3	27 9 1	27 10 2	27 11 1	28 8 1	28 9 1	28 10 1	28 11 1
E1 scales	50 2	52 1	53 2	54 4	55 1	56 4	57 1	58 5	59 1	60 3*	61 2	62 4	65 1