Pimelodus crypticus, Villa-Navarro & Acero & Cala, 2017

Villa-Navarro, Francisco Antonio, Acero, Arturo & Cala, Plutarco Cala, 2017, Taxonomic review of Trans-Andean species of Pimelodus (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae), with the descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 4299 (3), pp. 337-360 : 354-356

Pimelodus crypticus , new species, Villa-Navarro & Cala

Holotype: CZUT-IC 1986, 209.3 mm SL (XR), Colombia, Departament of Cauca, Timba, Cauca River, La Balastrera sector, 03° 03’ 03’’N, 76° 39’ 56’’W, 1 Sep 2000, F. A. Villa-Navarro.

Paratypes: CZUT-IC 1983 (4, 138.0–246.0 mm LS) collected with holotype ; CZUT-IC 1991 (5 XR, 119.89– 246.04 mm SL) collected with holotype ; CZUT-IC 1992 (2 XR, 194.8– 185.8 mm SL) collected with holotype ; CZUT-IC 1992 (1 C&S, 65 mm SL) collected with holotype ; CZUT-IC 2011 (1, 237.6 mm SL) collected with holotype ; IAvH 10807 (1, 128.93 mm SL) collected with holotype ; CZUT-IC 1818 (1 SK, 135.1 mm SL), Colombia, Valle del Cauca, Cauca River , El Hormiguero sector, 03° 18’ 53’’ N, 76° 28’ 37” W ; CZUT-IC 1819 (1 SK, 157.5 mm SL), Colombia, Valle del Cauca, Cauca River , El Hormiguero sector, 03° 18’ 53’’ N, 76° 28’ 37” W ; CZUT-IC 1820 (1 SK, 120.0 mm SL), Colombia, Valle del Cauca, Cauca River , El Hormiguero sector, 03° 18’ 53’’ N, 76° 28’ 37” W ; CZUT-IC 1821 (1 SK, 125.5 mm SL), Colombia, Valle del Cauca, Cauca River , El Hormiguero sector, 03° 18’ 53’’ N, 76° 28’ 37” W ; ICNMHN 16391 (1, 181.21 mm SL); IMCN 286 (6, 163.01 - 200.76 mm SL), Colombia, Cauca, Suarez, Ovejas River , Nov 1995, S. Usma ; IMCN 3555 (1, 164.21 mm SL), Colombia, Valle del Cauca, El Hormiguero sector, Cauca River , 12 Oct 2002, A. Ortega-Lara.

Diagnosis. Pimelodus crypticus differs from all trans-Andean Pimelodus species except P. grosskopfii , in having a long adipose fin (23.4–28.8% SL vs. 14.1–22.5% SL); and differs from all trans-Andean Pimelodus species except P. yuma n. sp., in having a uniform color pattern, without spots or stripes on the body, fins, the dorsal surface of the head and supraoccipital process (vs. dark spots present). Pimelodus crypticus differs from P. grosskopfii in having a longer predorsal distance (37.5–40.7% SL vs. 33.0–37.3% SL) ( Fig. 15 ) and a longer head (26.4–30.4% SL vs. 22.8–25.9% SL); and from P. blochii in having a longer adipose fin (23.4–28.8% SL vs. 17.0– 22.6% SL) and a smaller eye (14.8–21.6% HL vs. 22.1–27.5% HL).

Description. N=13. Morphometric data presented in Table 2. Body deeper than wide; roof of cranium ornamented with small (but visible) smooth granules. Eye diameter less than interorbital width. Snout convex, projected beyond mandibular symphysis. Mouth subterminal, when closed leaving more than one half of premaxillary tooth patch exposed; those teeth conical, small and narrow. Fontanel opened from mesethmoids to frontals, ending at vertical through posterior third of eye. Maxillary barbels reach base of anal fin, sometimes surpassing base of last anal-fin ray; inner mental barbels reaching pectoral-fin bases; external mental barbels reaching pelvic-fin bases.

Dorsal fin lepidotrichia II,6; the first a spinelet narrow and angular, spine strong, slightly curved and sharply pointed. Adipose fin long, its margin rectangular, its anterior apex at vertical through base of first or second branched anal-fin ray. Pectoral fins (I,8); spine strong sharply pointed and forming slight arc. Pelvic fins i,5; first branched ray longest, fins inserted at vertical through base of penultimate dorsal-fin ray. Anal fin iii,7-9 with first branched ray longest. Caudal fin i,15,i; forked, lobes pointed, dorsal lobe equal or slightly longer than ventral.

Lateral line complete, extending beyond base of caudal fin for half-length of middle caudal-fin rays. Cleithral process extensive, strong, triangular, posterodorsal margin concave, ventral margin straight. Apparently without sexual dimorphism.

Color in alcohol. ( Fig. 14 ) Body and head, including cheeks, snout and cleithral process dark tan, posterior third of sides of body above lateral line gray. Lateral line tan or white, ventral region light tan or whitish, without stripes or spots. Base of dorsal-fin spine dark. Fins yellow, lighter distally; margins of dorsal and adipose fins black; ventral lobe without dark diffuse stripe. Dorsal surface of maxillary barbels tan.

Distribution. Cauca River from La Virginia (Risaralda Department) to La Salvajina reservoir (Cauca Department) ( Fig. 4 ).

Etymology. The name crypticus is Greek for hidden, this species having been hidden as consequence of the prior confusion between this new species in the Cauca river and P. yuma new species.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Distributions of trans-Andean Pimelodus. Symbols may represent more than one collection. Yellow symbols indicate type localities. Pimelodus coprophagus (cross), Pimelodus navarroi (diamond), Pimelodus grosskopfii (pentagon), Pimelodus punctatus (star), Pimelodus crypticus n. sp. (triangle), and Pimelodus yuma n. sp. (circle).

FIGURE 14. Pimelodus crypticus CZUT-IC 1986 Holotype, 209.3 mm SL, Cauca River, La Balastrera sector, Timba, Departament of Cauca, Colombia. Photo by J. E. García-Melo

FIGURE 15. Scatter plot illustrating percent predorsal length (% LPD) vs. standard length (% SL) in P. crypticus (squares) compared to P. grosskopfii (diamond).