Megaleporinus macrocephalus ( Garavello, Britski, 1988 )

Ota, Renata Rúbia, Deprá, Gabriel de Carvalho, Graça, Weferson Júnio da & Pavanelli, Carla Simone, 2018, Peixes da planície de inundação do alto rio Paraná e áreas adjacentes: revised, annotated and updated, Neotropical Ichthyology 16 (2), pp. 1-111 : 21

Megaleporinus macrocephalus ( Garavello, Britski, 1988)

Fig. 5

Body deep; greatest depth contained 3.0 to 3.5, caudal peduncle depth 8.1 to 8.9 times in SL; head length 2.5 to 3.0, predorsal distance 2.0, caudal peduncle length 4.9 to 6.6 in SL; snout length 2.2 to 2.5, horizontal orbital diameter 2.9 to 3.7 and least interorbital width 1.7 to 1.9 in HL. Mouth terminal; premaxilla and dentary with 3 teeth, no maxillary teeth. Lateral line with 42 or 43 pored scales; transverse series above lateral line with 5½ or 6 scale rows and below with 5 or 5½ scale rows. Dorsal fin with 12, pectoral fin with 16 or 17, pelvic fin with 9, anal fin with 10 and caudal fin with 19 rays ( Garavello, Britski, 1988). Ground color dark-grey; isthmus and abdomen yellowish; scales with dark-brown border, conferring reticulated pattern to body; three dark-brown blotches over lateral line (first vertically enlongated, second and third rounded), more visible in young specimens, inconspicuous or absent in large specimens. Dorsal, anal and caudal fin darker, pectoral and pelvic fins lighter ( Graça, Pavanelli, 2007).

Maximum standard length. 500.0 mm ( Graça, Pavanelli, 2007).

Distribution. Río Paraguay and upper rio Paraná basin.

Remarks. Megaleporinus macrocephalus was identified as Leporinus macrocephalus by Graça, Pavanelli (2007). Ramirez et al. (2016) described the new genus, Megaleporinus , and proposed the new combination. Megaleporinus macrocephalus is a non-native species from the upper rio Paraná and its occurrence in the region can be associated with fish-farming and escapes from recreational angling ponds.

Figures

Fig. 5. a. Megaleporinus macrocephalus, NUP 1838, 470.0 mm SL, rio Chopim, Cruzeiro do Iguaçu, State of Paraná. b. Megaleporinus obtusidens, 190.8 mm SL, fresh specimen, uncat. c. Megaleporinus piavussu, 148.9 mm SL, fresh specimen, uncat. d. Schizodon altoparanae, MZUSP 41102, holotype, 282.2 mm SL, rio Paraná, in front of Jupiá, Três Lagoas, State of Mato Grosso do Sul. e. Schizodon borellii, 207.5 mm SL, fresh specimen, uncat. f. Schizodon nasutus, NUP 2495, 160.0 mm SL, Itaipu Reservoir, Santa Helena, State of Paraná.