Pimelodus navarroi Schultz, 1944

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 : 340-343

Pimelodus navarroi Schultz, 1944

Pimelodus grosskopfii navarroi Schultz, 1944: 207 , pl. 1 (fig. c). Type locality: Río Palmar at bridge, 70 km southwest of Maracaibo, Venezuela. Holotype: USNM 121174 . Paratypes: MBUCV-V 10934 [ex USNM 121172] (1), MCZ [ex USNM 121173] (1), UMMZ 142489 [ex USNM 121172] (1), USNM 101614 (1), 12 1172 (17, now 16), 121173 (4, now 3).

Diagnosis. Pimelodus navarroi differs from P. coprophagus in having a shorter predorsal distance (37.2–40.6% SL vs. 39.0–42.7% SL), a shorter head (24.4–27.8% SL vs. 27.1–30.7% SL), and a longer adipose fin (18.1–22.5% SL vs. 14.1–19.4% SL); it differs from P. yuma n. sp. in having a narrower interorbital width (28.9–35.9% HL vs. 36.2–42.8% HL) and a wider mouth (36.4–44.7% HL vs. 27.7–34.9% HL); it differs from P. grosskopfii and P. crypticus n. sp. in having a shorter adipose fin (18.1–22.5% SL vs. 23.4–28.8% SL) and a shorter distance between the urogenital papilla and the anal-fin base (11.8–14.6% SL vs. 14.6–18.7% SL); it differs from P. punctatus in its distribution (Lake Maracaibo Basin vs. Atrato, Baudó, and Tuyra River Basins). Additionally, it differs from P. blochii , P. crypticus n. sp. and P. yuma n. sp. in having dark spots on the body (vs. body without dark spots or stripes).

Description. N=34. Morphometric data presented in Table 1. Body as deep as wide; roof of cranium ornamented with smooth but visible striations. Eye diameter less than interorbital width. Snout slightly convex, projecting beyond mandibular symphysis. Mouth subterminal, when closed more than half of premaxillary tooth patch exposed, those teeth small, conical and narrow. Fontanel open from mesethmoids to frontals, ending at vertical through posterior margin of eye. Maxillary barbels reach caudal-fin base; inner mental barbels reach pectoral-fin bases; outer mental barbels reach pelvic-fin base.

Dorsal fin lepidotrichia II,6; the first a spinelet narrow and angular, spine strong, straight and pointed. Adipose fin long, its margin rectangular, anterior apex at vertical through middle of anal-fin base. Pectoral fin I,10; spine strong, sharp, pointed, forming slight arc. Pelvic fin i,5; with first branched ray longest, inserted at vertical through penultimate dorsal-fin ray. Anal fin iv,7–8; first branched ray longest. Caudal fin i,15,i; forked, its lobes pointed, dorsal lobe slightly longer than ventral.

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

Color in alcohol. ( Fig. 5 ) Body light tan, covered with dark spots uniformly distributed along the sides of body and the head, including cheeks and snout. Lateral line and ventral region whitish. Base of dorsal spine dark. All fins yellow, turning hyaline distally; ventral caudal-fin lobe without dark diffuse band; upper margin of adipose fin hyaline; dorsal surface of maxillary barbels tan.

Distribution. Maracaibo Lake Basin in Colombia and Venezuela ( Fig. 4 ).

TABLE I. Morphometric đata for Pimelodus blochii , P. coprophagus , anđ P. navarroi expresseđ (except for whole-fish stanđarđ length, mm) in percent stanđarđ length (%SL) or heađ length (%HL).

Pimelodus blochii Pimelodus coprophagus Pimelodus navarroi

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 5. Pimelodus navarroi USNM 121172 Paratype, 172.0 mm SL, Rio Socuy 3 km. above mouth, Maracaibo Basin, Venezuela. Photo by F. Villa-Navarro.