Phalloceros pellos, Lucinda, 2008

Lucinda, Paulo Henrique Franco, 2008, Systematics and biogeography of the genus Phalloceros Eigenmann, 1907 (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae: Poeciliinae), with the description of twenty-one new species, Neotropical Ichthyology 6 (2), pp. 113-158 : 149-150

Phalloceros pellos , new species

Figs. 46 , 47

Phalloceros sp. n. Q Lucinda & Reis (2005).

Holotype. MCP 31142, Antonina, lateral pond on road near rio Nunes, Paraná, Brazil, 25 º 20’29"S 48 º 46’29"W, 23 Sep 2002, L.R. Malabarba et al.

Paratypes. Brazil. Paraná. MCP 31138, 2, Guaraqueçaba, creek along road PR 404, affluent to rio Tagaçaba, 25 º 12’33"S 48 º 26’1"W, 22 Sep 2002, L.R. Malabarba et al. MCP 31141, 121, collected with the holotype. MHNCI 6151, 8/2*, creek at Praia do Forte, Ilha do Mel, Paranaguá, 18 Jun 1991, E. Grando Jr. & W.B. Wosiacki. MHNCI 6262, 4/2*, Pontal do Paraná, Balneário de Shangri-lá, 8 Aug 1990, E. Grando Jr. MHNCI 6237, 3, Pontal do Paraná, estrada do Lixão, 13 Nov 1991, E. Grando Jr. et al. MHNCI 9068, 1, Guaraqueçaba, creek at Vila do Superagui, Ilha do Superagui, 28 Aug 1991, E. Grando Jr. & W.B. Wosiacki.

Diagnosis. Phalloceros pellos can be distinguished from its congeners but P. megapolos , P. spiloura , P. malabarbai , P. alessandrae , P. buckupi , P. uai , P. lucenorum , P. anisophallos , and P. reisi by (1) the female urogenital papilla curved to the right, located laterally (vs. slightly left turned and with a lateral ramus or straight located along midventral line); and (2) border of the anal aperture in contact with the first anal-fin ray or very close to it (vs. separated from first anal-fin ray by the female urogenital papilla).

Phalloceros pellos can be distinguished from its congeners but P. spiloura , P. uai , P. lucenorum , P. anisophallos , and P. reisi by (1) the absence of the right hook and presence of the left one (vs. absence or presence of left and right hooks); and (2) gonopodial appendix asymmetrical; its halves different from each other; right half wider than left one (vs. gonopodial appendix symmetrical; its halves similar to each other) ( Fig. 47 ).

Phalloceros pellos can be distinguished from P. spiloura by the absence of a caudal peduncle spot (vs. presence of caudal peduncle spot); from P. uai by the presence of a wide and square-shaped lateral spot in large specimens (vs. absence of such spot); from P. anisophallos by the lateral spot in adult females elliptical to roundish, but never forming a vertical bar (vs. lateral spot very narrow, forming a vertically elongated bar covering up to the length corresponding to two scales length in horizontal direction and 2-4 scales in vertical direction); from P. lucenorum by a rounded tip of the hook on left half of gonopodial appendix (vs. rectangular tip).

Phalloceros pellos can be distinguished from P. reisi by (1) hook on left appendix very small (vs. larger), (2) lateral spot always present and evident not covering more than the length corresponding to two scales length in horizontal or vertical directions (vs. absent or small and discrete not covering one or two scales in horizontal or vertical directions).

Description. Morphometric data in Tables 11 and 12 . Range of SL: 23.3 to 33.2 mm (females), 21.5 to 24.1 mm (males). Dorsal-fin rays: 8* [15]. Branched pectoral-fin rays: 5 [1], 6 [6], 7* [7]. Pelvic-fin rays: 5* [7] (males), 5 [9] (females). Anal-fin rays of females: 10 [9]. Anal-fin rays of males: 8* [1], 9 [6]. Branched caudal-fin rays: 11 [1], 12* [11]. Predorsal scales: 14* [13]. Longitudinal series of scales: 28 [7], 29 [7], 30* [1]. Series of scales around caudal peduncle: 16* [15]. Transverse series of scales: 7* [15]. Serrae on R4p: 10* [1], 11 [6]. Epipleural ribs: 12 [2], 13 [1]. Pleural ribs: 13 [1], 14 [2], 15 [1]. Vertebrae: 31 [2], 32 [2]. Female urogenital papilla right curved, located laterally. Border of anal aperture in contact with first anal-fin ray or very close to it. Halves of gonopodial paired appendix sickle like. Medial corner absent. Hook on left half of gonopodial paired appendix. Right hook absent. Hook on left appendix very small ( Fig. 47 )

Color in alcohol. Eye black with greenish brown pupil. Background coloration dark brown, darker in upper half. Overall appearance dark. Border of scales and subjacent skin replete with brown chromatophores, more concentrated at short distance from scale border, conferring reticulate pattern to whole flanks. Brown chromatophores scattered through whole body, more concentrated on dorsal portion, mainly on head, snout, opercle, and ventral surface of mandible. Margin of scales on prepelvic region clearly defined bordered by dark chromatophores. Lateral dark brown spot located over 15 th and 16 th or 16 th and 17 th scale of longitudinal series. Lateral spot covering approximately two scales on horizontal direction, and two to four scales on vertical, sometimes reaching dorsal and ventral profiles. Inconspicuous vertical bars present in some individuals. Dorsal-fin membrane dusky, bearing dark band of chromatophores on distal border and dark band of chromatophores near dorsal-fin base. Pectoral-, pelvic- and caudal-fin rays dusky replete of brown chromatophores distributed along fin rays. First three anal-fin rays of females sometimes spotted with black. Dark brown line along R3.

Etymology. From the Greek πελλος, −η, −ον [ = pellos , adj. m. nom. sg.] meaning dark-colored, dusky, alluding to the background color.

Distribution. Small coastal drainages flowing into Baía de Paranaguá in Paraná State of Brazil ( Fig. 4 ).

Figures

Fig. 46. Phalloceros pellos. (A) Holotype, male, 26.4 mm SL, MCP 31142, Antonina, lateral pond on road near rio Nunes, Paraná, Brazil; (B) paratype, female, MCP 31141, 29.9 mm SL, collected with the holotype.

Fig. 47. Gonopodium tip of Phalloceros pellos, MHNCI 9068. R3, R4a, R4p, R5a, R5p indicate gonopodial rays. Scale bar 1 mm.

Fig. 4. Collection localities of Phalloceros mikrommatos (triangle, 1), P. enneaktinos (circle, 2), P. pellos (square, 3), P. malabarbai (five-pointed star, 4), and P. heptaktinos (eightpointed star, 5). Some symbols represent more than one lot or locality. Numbers represent type localities. The inset is the range of the genus.