Simpsonichthys de Carvalho

Wilson J. E. M. Costa, 2006, Three new species of seasonal killifishes of the Simpsonichthys antenori species group (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae) from the rio São Francisco basin, Brazil., Zootaxa 1306, pp. 25-39 : 26

[[ Genus Simpsonichthys de Carvalho ]]

Simpsonichthys de Carvalho comprises 50 valid species, occurring in temporary pools formed during the rainy season, in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay (Costa, 2005; 2006; Costa & Brasil, in press; the present paper). It has been divided into five subgenera: Xenurolebias Costa , Ophthalmolebias Costa , Simpsonichthys de Carvalho , Spectrolebias Costa & Nielsen , and Hypsolebias Costa (Costa, 2006).

Hypsolebias is endemic to an area including the Tocantins, São Francisco, Jequitinhonha, and Jaguaribe river basins, and smaller isolated basins of northeastern Brazil (Costa, 2006). Among species of Hypsolebias , Costa (2006) recognized a clade he termed the S. antenori species group , which contains five species revised by Costa (2003): S. antenori (Tulipano) from the rio Jaguaribe basin and adjacent coastal basins of northeastern Brazil; and S. flavicaudatus (Costa & Brasil) , S. flagellatus Costa , S. igneus Costa , and S. ghisolfii Costa, Cyrino & Nielsen , all from the rio São Francisco basin. New collections and more intensive morphological studies of material previously identified as S. flagellatus and S. ghisolfli revealed three new species, which are herein described. This group of species occurs in hills of the eastern portion of the middle São Francisco basin (Serra do Espinhaço), at altitudes between 550 and 680 m.