Aphyocharax avary Fowler, 1913

de Brito, Pamella Silva, Guimaraes, Erick Cristofore, Katz, Axel Makay, Piorski, Nivaldo Magalhaes & Ottoni, Felipe Polivanov, 2018, Taxonomic status of Aphyocharaxavary Fowler, 1913, Aphyocharaxpusillus Guenther, 1868 and Chirodonalburnus Guenther, 1869 (Characiformes, Characidae), Zoosystematics and Evolution 94 (2), pp. 393-399 : 393

Aphyocharax avary Fowler, 1913

Aphyocharax avary Fowler, 1913:532. Type locality: Madeira River, about 200 miles east of Long. 62°20'W., Brazil. Holotype: ANSP 39217.

Material examined.

ANSP 39217, 41.7, 1 (Holotype), Madeira River, about 200 miles east of 62°20'W, Brazil, Sept 1912, Edgar A. Smith.

Diagnosis.

Aphyocharax avary differs from all of its congeners, except A. pusillus , by having black or dark brown middle caudal-fin rays (Fig. 5; Fowler, 1913, fig. 8). It can be distinguished from A. pusillus by having more teeth on the maxillary, spread along 2/3 of the bone’s extension (Fig. 4A) [vs. fewer teeth on the maxillary, spread along only the proximal half of the bone (Fig. 4 B–G)].

Morphological notes.

Meristic data of the holotype are presented in Table 2.

Body slightly compressed. Dorsal profile slightly convex in the snout region, somewhat flat in the anterior limit of the nasal bone to the extremity of the supraoccipital spine; convex from that point to the dorsal-fin origin; straight through dorsal-fin base; slightly convex after dorsal fin; slightly concave through caudal peduncle. Ventral profile slightly convex from snout to pelvic-fin insertion; straight from this point to the anal-fin origin and through that fin base; slightly concave through caudal peduncle. Snout rounded; eye large compared to the head and snout length; mouth terminal; lower maxilla slightly shorter than upper one. Lateral line interrupted; last scale on caudal-fin base.

Humeral spot conspicuous and middle caudal-fin rays black or dark brown (Fig. 5; Fowler 1913, fig. 8).

Remarks.

Aphyocharax avary was described by Fowler (1913) based on a single specimen collected by Edgar A. Smith in September 1912 in the Madeira River, approximately 200 miles East of 62°20'W. This collection site is located between the municipalities of Novo Aripuanã-AM and Borba-AM, in the lower Madeira River Basin. The number of maxillary teeth was cited as 4 in the original inscription, although our examination of the holotype counted 14.

Based on the information presented here, we conclude that A. avary is a valid species, distinguishable from A. pusillus mainly by the number of teeth on the maxillary and their different distributions along that bone (14 maxillary teeth spread along 2/3 of the bone extension vs. 7-8 maxillary teeth spread along the proximal half of the bone) (Fig. 4).

Comparative material

Aphyocharax anisitsi : CICCAA 00867, 14, 25.1-27.9 mm SL, Brazil, Mato Grosso do Sul state, Rio Verde municipality. CICCAA 01267, 6 C&S, 22-26.9 mm SL, Brazil, Mato Grosso do Sul state, Rio Verde municipality. CAS 59697, 1, 41.0 mm SL, Paraguay, Asuncion municipality (Radiograph and photograph of Holotype. Aphyocharax dentatus : ANSP 128718, 21, 25.4-34.9 mm SL, Colombia, Lake Mozambique; UFRJ 5571, 2, 23.3-26.0 mm SL, Brazil, Mato Grosso state, Poconé municipality. CAS 59722, 1, 71.0 mm SL, Paraguay, Asuncion municipality, Laguna del Río Paraguay (Radiograph and photograph of Holotype). Aphyocharax erythrurus Eigenmann, 1912: FMNH 53406, 1, Guyana: Rockstone sandbank (Photograph of paratype). Aphyocharax nattereri : UFRJ 5783, 2, Brazil, Mato Grosso State, Poconé municipality. Aphyocharax pusillus : ANSP 178013, 4, 33.1-54.8 mm SL (photographs of recently preserved specimens), Peru, Loreto, Rio Napo (Amazon river basin), right bank just upstream from mouth of Mazan river, near town of Mazan (3°29'10"S, 73°6'24 ’’ W). Aphyocharax rathbuni : CAS 76467, 1, 26.0 mm SL, Paraguay, Arroyo Chagalalina, Paraguay basin. Paraguay (Radiograph and photograph of a Holotype). Aphyocharax yekwanae : FMNH 109278, 1, Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of (Radiograph of paratype). Aphyocharax sp.: CICCAA 00865, 11, 29.9-36.2 mm SL, Brazil, Mato Grosso State, Pontes e Lacerda municipality. CICCAA 2330, 4 C&S, 27.3-32.4, Brazil, Mato Grosso State, Pontes e Lacerda municipality.