Amphilophus labiatus (Günther, 1864)

Angulo, Arturo, 2021, New records and range extensions to the Costa Rican freshwater fish fauna, with an updated checklist, Zootaxa 5083 (1), pp. 1-72 : 7

1) Amphilophus labiatus (Günther, 1864) ;

Cichlidae .

Red Devil; Mojarra Picuda, Diablo Rojo ( Figs. 2A–B ).

Diagnosis: This species differs from the other species of the family occurring in the freshwaters of the country by the following combination of characters: teeth pointed, conical, without second cusp on premaxillary and mandibular teeth of the 1st series; lips thick and large, the lower lip continuous, without a frenum (see Bussing 1998); cheek scale series 4–5 (see Říčan et al. 2016); dorsal fin spines 16–17; and anal fin spines 6–7. Furthermore, A. labiatus differs from the closely related Amphilophus citrinellus (Günther, 1864) by having a larger (37.8–39.5% of Standard Length – SL; vs. 35.0–35.6% of SL) and thinner (Head Depth – HD = 79.9–90.9% of Head Length – HL; vs. HD = 111.5–118.9 of HL) head and a larger (42.8–43.4% of HL; vs. 40.4–41.9% of HL) snout. See Stauffer & McKaye (2002) for a detailed comparative analysis.

Basis of the record: A single specimen was captured in the río San Juan, San Carlos, Alajuela (ca 10.89057, -84.26540), at ca 26 m. a.s.l., in November 2020, by an anonymous angler. Additional specimens, identified as A. labiatus , are deposited at the fish collection of the UCR (0122-014, 0240-001, 0429-002 and 0804-005).

Remarks: Previous records in the country of this species have been assigned to the closely related A. citrinellus . This species prefers lacustrine environments, being more abundant in the Lake Nicaragua; it has rarely been captured in lotic environments ( Bussing 1998). As in A. citrinellus , a polychromatism has been described for this species; with a cryptic form (grey or brown with dark bars or spots; i.e., the normal morph) and a conspicuous form (which lacks melanophores, resulting in brightly red, orange, or yellowish colored fish; i.e., the gold morph), both occurring naturally ( Barluenga & Meyer 2004).

Figures

FIG. 2. New country records. (A) Amphilophus labiatus, specimen captured in the Río San Juan, San Carlos, Alajuela (ca 10.89057, -84.26540), at ca 26 m.a.s.l., in November 2020, by an anonymous angler. (B) Amphilophus labiatus, specimen captured in the Río Sapoá, La Cruz, Guanacaste (11.21815, -85.60819), at 8 m.a.s.l., on January 19, 1967, by William Bussing and Myrna López (UCR 0122-014). (C) Anchovia clupeoides, specimen captured in the Río Pacuare, near the mouth of the river, Siquirres, Limón (10.21952, -83.28254), at 8 m.a.s.l., on November 17, 2004, by Jorge Picado (UCR 2840-005). (D) Colossoma macropomum, specimen captured in the Río Bebedero, Portones de Taboga, Bebedero, Cañas, Guanacaste, Costa Rica (10.36978, -85.19772), at 10 m.a.s.l., on March 27, 2020, by Javier Blandon. (E) Colossoma macropomum, specimen captured in the Río Bebedero, Altamira, Cañas, Guanacaste, Costa Rica (10.35378, -85.20408), at 18 m.a.s.l., on April 30, 2021, by Agustin Guzman. (F) Gobioides peruanus being depredated by the Bare-throated Tiger Heron (Trigrisoma mexicanum Swainson, 1834), photo captured in the Quebrada Bomba Vieja (Barranca river basin), near the mouth of the Río Barranca, El Roble, Puntarenas (9.96228, -84.73493), at 6 m.a.s.l., on January 6, 2021, by Beto Guido Méndez (Bird watcher guide/Naturalist). (G) Hypostomus cf. niceforoi, specimens captured in the Humedal Caño Negro, Los Chiles, Alajuela (ca 10.89081, -84.79415), at ca 33 m.a.s.l., on May 11-16, 2016, by Didiher Chacón-Chaverri. (H) Lutjanus purpureus, specimen captured in the Quebrada Hone Creek/Río Carbón, Talamanca, Limón (9.67153, -82.79047), at 12 m.a.s.l., on October 6, 2007, by Maribel Mafla et al. (UCR 2751-001). (I) Lutjanus purpureus, specimen captured in the Río Moín, at the Puerto Fluvial JAPDEVA, Limón (09.99745, -83.08077), at 7 m.a.s.l., on December 14, 2006, by Karina Rodríguez (UCR 2761-003).