Archocentrus Gill

Juan J. Schmitter-Soto, 2007, A systematic revision of the genus Archocentrus (Perciformes: Cichlidae), with the description of two new genera and six new species., Zootaxa 1603, pp. 1-78 : 4-6

publication ID

z01603p001

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AFFCB590-1FC7-4CD0-950C-D1D1A6E59F6C

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6248732

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/616F6076-9F86-6FBA-A81A-072270CAA8D8

treatment provided by

Thomas

scientific name

Archocentrus Gill
status

 

[[ Genus Archocentrus Gill View in CoL View at ENA ]]

The cichlid fish genus Archocentrus was originally proposed as a subgenus of Heros Heckel   ZBK by Gill (in Gill & Bransford 1877), and later treated as an informal “section” of Cichlasoma Swainson   ZBK in Regan’s (1905) revision of the genus. The generic status of Cichlasoma   ZBK sensu Regan (1905), encompassing more than 100 species, has been in a state of uncertainty since Kullander’s (1983) restriction of Cichlasoma   ZBK sensu stricto to 12 South American species. Of the many remaining groups of species formerly referred to Cichlasoma   ZBK , those referred to Archocentrus have been among the strongest candidates for recognition as a monophyletic group (e.g. Miller 1993, Miller et al. 2005). Species assigned to Archocentrus are major components of the neotropical Central American ichthyofauna from southern Mexico to Panama, occurring across all the ichthyolimnological provinces of Bussing (1976), but the monophyly of the genus has not been explicitly demonstrated and its species composition has been far from clear.

Since a comprehensive analysis of Cichlasoma   ZBK sensu lato appeared unlikely, Kullander (1996) advocated the provisional use of available generic names, a procedure that some workers had already adopted. Kullander himself (1983), Stiassny (1991), and Miller (1993) had earlier recommended that the use of ‘ Cichlasoma   ZBK ’- with the quotation marks indicating its informality - would prevent further confusion. Because the systematics of all species previously referred to Cichlasoma   ZBK had not yet been completely resolved, Nelson et al. (2004: 151-153) chose the conservative approach and tentatively referred all species to Cichlasoma   ZBK in the most recent checklist of fishes for the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Several species have been assigned to Archocentrus more or less consistently in the literature (Table 1). Allgayer (2001) restricted Archocentrus to include the two largest species ( Ar. centrarchus and Ar. spinosissimus ), and referred six others to a new genus, Cryptoheros   ZBK (type species, Cr. spilurus ), which also included the new species Cr. altoflavus   ZBK . Other species that have sometimes been assigned to Archocentrus (Table 1) include: Heros octofasciatus   ZBK , though more frequently placed in incertae sedis; H. citrinellus   ZBK , albeit demonstrated by Roe et al. (1997) to be an Amphilophus   ZBK ; H. multispinosus   ZBK , generally considered in the monotypic genus Herotilapia   ZBK ; and Neetroplus panamensis   ZBK , variously included in Archocentrus (in Kullander 2003), Theraps   ZBK (in Eschmeyer 2001), or Hypsophrys   ZBK (in Bussing 1998).

To complicate things further, variation within some Archocentrus species has not been evaluated before. Hubbs (1936) observed tantalizing meristic and morphometric differences among populations of Cichlasoma octofasciatum , but he chose not to describe any subspecies because, in his material, geographic differences were confounded with differences in body size.

Considering the potential for undetected biodiversity within presently recognized species, especially those more widely distributed, lectotypes are designated in the present work: Amatitlania nigrofasciata , Archocentrus spinosissimus , Cryptoheros septemfasciatus , Cr. spilurus , and Rocio octofasciata . Cichlasoma immaculatum is shown to be a synonym of Cryptoheros spilurus and not of Archocentrus spinosissimus , although it was first described as a “variety” of the latter.

The present revision treats all nominal species ever assigned to the genus Archocentrus , as well as species that have appeared in the same clade as (or as sister group to) Archocentrus centrarchus in relevant phylogenetic analyses ( Roe et al. 1997, Martin & Bermingham 1998, Farias et al. 2000). Six new species are described and a seventh is resurrected from synonymy. Archocentrus , Cryptoheros   ZBK , and Hypsophrys   ZBK are redefined, and two new genera ( Amatitlania and Rocio ) are diagnosed.

Genus-level decisions in this work are supported by a phylogeny (Schmitter-Soto, in press), published separately, which includes most character illustrations and analysis.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Order

Perciformes

Family

Cichlidae

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