Leporinus brinco, Birindelli & Britski & Garavello, 2013

Birindelli, José L. O., Britski, Heraldo A. & Garavello, Julio C., 2013, Two new species of Leporinus Agassiz (Characiformes: Anostomidae) from eastern basins of Brazil, and redescription of L. melanopleura Günther, Neotropical Ichthyology 11 (1), pp. 9-23 : 16-20

Leporinus brinco , new species

Figs. 10 and 11

Holotype. MZUSP 105166, 128.5 mm SL, Brazil, Bahia, Itajibá, rio Gongogi , tributary of rio de Contas, 14°21’16.5”S 39°46’23.9”W, 13 Aug 2012, J. L. Birindelli, F. C. Dagosta & M. V. Loeb.

Paratypes. All from Brazil, Bahia, rio de Contas basin . ANSP 199123 , 2 , 144.9 -154.0 mm SL ; MZUSP 110617 , 2 , 134.2 - 173.8 mm SL, 1 SK, 139.0 mm SL ; UFBA 4843 , 12 , 132.9 - 187.2 mm SL, Ipiaú, rio de Contas , approximately 14°9’S 39°44’W, 27 Jan 2009, F . T. F. Aleluia . MCP 36978 , 2 , 99.3-173.8 mm SL, Aureliano Leal, rio Gongogi, tributary of rio de Contas , 14°17’09”S 39°12’09”W, 11 Oct 2004, J. F. Pezzi da Silva . MCP 43664 , 1, 126.5 mm SL ; MZUSP 111257 , 4 , 74.4 -157.0 mm SL, collected with holotype . MZUSP 100989 , 1 , 73.3 mm SL, Dário Meira, rio do Ouro, tributary of rio Gongogi , between Dário Meira and Gongogi, 14°23’2”S 39°42’2”W, 10 Jul 2008, Consultoria Mineraduto Caetité-Ilhéus . MZUSP 102526 , 1 , 44.3 mm SL, Caetanos, rio Gavião, at confluence with rio Gado Bravo , 14°15’01”S 41°03’01”W, 8 Feb 2009, P. Hollanda Carvalho, S. M. Q. Lima & D. F. Almeida . MZUSP 102552 , 1 , 28.8 mm SL, Dário Meira, rio Gongogi, downstream of confluence with rio Novo , 14°26’06”S 39°49’54”W, 11 Feb 2009, P. Hollanda Carvalho, S. M. Q. Lima & D. F. Almeida . MZUSP 102583 , 1 , 27.4 mm SL, Gongogi, rio do Ouro , between Dário Meira and Gongogi, 14°23’2”S 39°42’11”W, 11 Feb 2009, P. Hollanda Carvalho, S. M. Q. Lima & D. F. Almeida . MZUSP 102596 , 1, 124.8 mm SL, Gongogi, rio Pontal do Sul, tributary of rio Gongogi , 14°21’3”S 39°31’46”W, 11 Feb 2009, P. Hollanda Carvalho, S. M. Q. Lima & D. F. Almeida . MZUSP 109762 , 1 , 38.6 mm SL, Piatã, rio de Contas , on road between Cabralia and Piatã, 13°6’33”S 41°’46’53”W, 8 Jul 2011, A. M. Zanata, J. L. Birindelli, P. Camelier , R. Burger and B. Sardeiro . MZUSP 111261 , 1 SK, 177.0 mm SL, Ipiaú, rio de Contas , approximately 14°8’S 39°44’W, 14 Aug 2012, J. L. Birindelli, F. C. Dagosta & M . V. Loeb . UNT 9292 , 1 , 98.2 mm SL, Umburana, rio Brumado , at bridge between Umburana and Cristalândia, ca. 14°10’S 41°36’W, 17 Jan 2009, A. Akama & A. B. Soares .

Diagnosis. Leporinus brinco is distinguished from all congeners by having a bright red blotch immediately dorsal to pectoral-fin origin in live specimens (vs. absent), three dark blotches along the lateral line that distinctly increase in size posteriorly (vs. three dark blotches absent or, when present, decreasing in size posteriorly, as in Leporinus friderici (Bloch) , and dark longitudinal lines between the scale rows on the side of body (vs. longitudinal lines absent in all congeners except L. cylindriformis Borodin , L. macrocephalus Garavello & Britski , and L. nattereri Steindachner.

Description. Morphometric data in Table 3. Moderate in size, relative to congeners. Largest examined specimen 187.2 mm SL. Head and body elongate and moderately compressed. Dorsal profile of head and body straight from snout tip to tip of supraoccipital, and gently convex from latter point to dorsal-fin insertion, somewhat straight along dorsal-fin base, straight from terminus of dorsal-fin base to adipose-fin origin, and distinctly concave from adipose-fin origin to base of anteriormost procurrent ray of caudal fin. Ventral profile straight to slightly concave from lower jaw to vertical through posterior margin of opercle, gently convex from latter point to pelvic-fin origin, straight or slightly convex from pelvic-fin origin to anal-fin origin, somewhat straight along anal-fin base, and concave from terminus of anal-fin base to base of anteriormost procurrent ray of caudal fin. Greatest body depth at dorsal-fin origin.

Mouth subinferior, and horizontally aligned with ventral margin of infraorbitals, in specimens around 50 mm SL or longer ( Fig. 10 a-b). Mouth subterminal in specimens around 40 mm SL ( Fig. 10c ) and slightly upturned in specimens around 25 mm SL ( Fig. 10d ). Snout round, anteriorly blunt. Premaxilla with three incisiform teeth gradually decreasing in size from the symphyseal tooth; symphyseal tooth bicuspid with median cusp moderately smaller than lateral cusp in all examined specimens. Dentary with three incisiform teeth also gradually decreasing in size posterolaterally ( Fig. 12 ).

Scales cycloid, with 3 (1), 4 (1), or 5 (1) radii. Lateral line complete, extending from supracleithrum to base of median caudal-fin rays, with 36 (8), 37* (20), or 38 (1) perforated scales. Longitudinal scale rows between dorsal-fin origin and lateral line 4 (29). Longitudinal scale rows between lateral line and pelvic-fin origin 4 (29). Longitudinal scale rows around caudal peduncle 12 (29). Predorsal scales 9 (1), 10 (17), or 11* (2).

Dorsal-fin rays ii,9 (1), ii,10 *(18). Dorsal-fin origin slightly anterior to midpoint of standard length and to vertical through pelvic-fin origin; distal margin of dorsal fin straight or slightly convex. Adipose fin small, teardrop-shaped with origin approximately at vertical through middle of anal-fin base. Adipose fin lacking in a single specimen. Pectoral-fin rays i,14 (1), i,15 (2), i,16* (15) or i,17 (1). Tip of pectoral fin extending slightly beyond midpoint between origins of pectoral and pelvic fins; distal margin of pectoral fin rounded. Pelvic-fin rays i,8 (19). Distal margin of pelvic fin slightly convex. Anal-fin rays ii,8 (19). Anal-fin origin approximately at vertical through posterior margin of fourth scale anterior to adipose-fin origin. Tip of adpressed fin almost reaching base of caudal-fin rays; distal margin of anal fin slightly concave. Principal caudal-fin rays i,8,9,i (19). Caudal fin forked, lobes rounded, upper lobe slightly longer than lower lobe. Vertebrae 35 (1) or 36 (2).

Color in alcohol. Ground coloration of head and body tan; weakly countershaded. Body with two or three round dark midlateral blotches, first usually absent but sometimes present as small blotch (smaller than individual scale) along vertical through base of third or second posteriormost rays of dorsal fin; second blotch small (encompassing three scale rows of length and one of depth), at vertical through anal-fin origin; third blotch large (encompassing approximately five scale rows of length and two of depth) on end on caudal peduncle. Body with dark longitudinal lines between scale rows. Ventral surfaces of head and belly pale to cream.All fins hyaline overall. Specimens up to 25 mm SL with dark stripe from lower jaw to opercle, with eight dark bars on body, and dark spot on median caudal-fin rays ( Fig. 10d ). Specimens of approximately 40 mm SL with 14 or 15 dark bars on dorsum and lateral surface of body and two or three midlateral blotches, as described above. Color in life. Life coloration similar to that of preserved specimens, except head and body greenish silver, bright red blotch immediately dorsal to pectoral-fin origin, and small dusky red pigmentation on dorsal and distalmost portions of upper lip ( Fig. 11 ).

Distribution. Leporinus brinco is known from the rio de Contas and its tributaries ( Fig. 13 ), a medium size coastal river in the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia, Brazil ( Fig. 4 ).

Etymology. The specific name brinco is in reference to the vernacular name of the species, “piau-brinco”, which means a species of Leporinus ( “piau ”) with an earring ( “brinco ” in Portuguese) in allusion to the red blotch behind the head, immediately dorsal to pectoral-fin origin. A noun in apposition.

Figures

Fig. 10. Leporinus brinco: (a) holotype, MZUSP 105166, 128.5, rio Gongogi, tributary of rio de Contas; (b) paratype, UFBA 4843, 174.9 mm SL, rio de Contas; (c) paratype, MZUSP 102526, 44.3 mm SL, rio Gavião, tributary of rio de Contas; (d) paratype, MZUSP 102552, 28.8 mm SL, rio Gongogi, tributary of rio de Contas. Scale bars = 10 mm.

Fig. 11. Leporinus brinco, paratype, MZUSP 111257, 74.4 mm SL, rio Gongogi, tributary of rio de Contas, photographed live. Scale bar = 10 mm.

Fig. 12. Image of the upper and lower jaws, in lateral view, of Leporinus brinco, in lateral view, MZUSP 110617, paratype, 139.0mmSL.

Fig. 13. Rio Gongogi, tributary of rio de Contas, Bahia, Itajibáat 14°21’16.5”S 39°46’23.9”W, type locality of Leporinus brinco.

Fig. 4. Distribution of Leporinus melanopleura (triangles), L. melanopleurodes (square), and L. brinco (circles); type localities indicates by white symbols. River basins: (1) rio Jequitinhonha, (2) rio Pardo, (3) rio Una, (4) rio de Contas, (5) rio das Almas, (6) rio Jiquiriçá, (7) rio Paraguaçu, (8) rio Itapecuru, and (9) rio São Francisco.