Herichthys pame, Maza-Benignos, Mauricio De La & Lozano-Vilano, Ma. De Lourdes, 2013

Maza-Benignos, Mauricio De La & Lozano-Vilano, Ma. De Lourdes, 2013, Description of three new species of the genus Herichthys (Perciformes: Cichlidae) from eastern Mexico, with redescription of H. labridens, H. steindachneri, and H. pantostictus, Zootaxa 3734 (2), pp. 101-129 : 112-114

Herichthys pame n. sp.

Figures 8 , 9 , and 15; Tables 4 and 5

Holotype. UANL 19213 (93.2 mm SL, adult male), Río Tamasopo, San Luis Potosí, México. Lat. 22.51666667, Long. −99.65, 393 masl, M. De la Maza-Benignos, March 0 8, 2006;

Paratypes. Twenty-eight specimens, 71.5–112.3 mm SL. San Luis Potosí: UANL 17436 (13: 71.5–112.3 mm SL), same data as holotype; UANL 17506 (14: 76.8–93.2 mm SL), Tamasopo, Lat. 21.94605, Long. −99.40056667, 388 masl, M. De la Maza-Benignos, June 28, 2006

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by its predorsal contour being gradual and acute, not concave before eye; dorsal and ventral contours straight to moderately convex, sloping slowly; intersection with caudal peduncle inconspicuous; mouth slightly angled downward. Ground color khaki when alive; snout, head, and opercles heavily dotted with tiny speckles, extending posteriorly onto nuchal area and base of dorsal fin. Eye diameter small (mean 23%, SD 1%), snout long (mean 39%, SD 2%), and cheeks shallow (mean 29%, SD 2%) (all in HL). Lower pharyngeal plate stout and much broader than long; horns short with lightly pigmented stout molars, 2 central rows of 6–7 molars flank the midline, posterior-most 3 big and stout. The peritoneum uniformly very dark.

Description. Description is based on sexually mature specimens> 71.5 mm SL. Morphometric and meristic data are summarized in Tables 4 and 5. Body elongated, depth, 37%–43% (mean 39%, SD 1%); head long, 35%– 41% (mean 37%, SD 1%), caudal peduncle shallow, 13%–15% (mean 14%, SD 1%) [all in SL]. Predorsal contour gradual and acute, not concave before the eye; forehead inconspicuous and nuchal hump absent. Dorsal and ventral contours straight to moderately convex with a moderate slope; intersection with caudal peduncle inconspicuous; mouth slightly angled downward. Jaws of equal size, or upper jaw slightly protruding (retrognathous) in some individuals. Pectoral fins asymmetric and rounded; caudal fin round. Dorsal fin XVI–XVII (mode XVI, freq 90%), 10–11 (mode 11, freq 35%), set forward of the opercle (intersects between 1st and 3rd rays), depressed fin short, point rarely expands beyond the anterior 3rd of the caudal fin. Anal fin V (mode V, freq 100%), 8–9 (mode 8, freq 80%). Scales in longitudinal series, 30–33 (mode 30, freq 40%). Anterior teeth regularly set, well-spaced, conic, unicuspid, rounded, strongly recurved, and acutely pointed with erect implantation; a pair of nosferatuform teeth, reddish in color, in upper jaw; a 2nd less-developed pair in lower jaw; 19 teeth in outer series of the premaxillae; 6– 8 frontal teeth regularly set and acutely pointed, caniniform, and with moderately stout necks; lateral and posterior teeth small, non-caniniform, and irregularly set. Two to 3 rows of teeth in lower jaw and 2–3 rows in upper jaw; posterior rows diminutive and irregularly set teeth that are hardly visible. Lower pharyngeal plate stout, much broader than long; horns short with lightly pigmented stout molars, 2 central rows of 6–7 molars flank midline, posterior-most 3 teeth large and stout. 19 conic-flattened and enlarged teeth along the posterior margin. Robustwalled, moderately saccular stomach (19.8% of SL), with rugged longitudinal folds, adhered at its anterodorsal section with elongated, elastic, and smooth caecum (32.6% of SL). Gut-coiling pattern forming a double medial loop; secondary loop projecting away and passing under the gut. Peritoneum uniformly very-dark.

Coloration in preservative. Dorsum and head light brown. Dark tiny speckles present on head, snout, and opercles at regular intervals; speckles extending onto nuchal area and to the XVIII or XIX spine of dorsal fin. Some specimens with widely spaced dots on flanks at irregular intervals. Markings and patterns on flanks vary. Most specimens have 6–9 conspicuous markings on flanks below lateral line, including a conspicuous dark spot at base of caudal fin. Fins same color as body and opaque. Dorsal fin with a blotch that follows dorsal contour; blotch formed from a series of inter-radial spots arranged in horizontal lines on the soft dorsal fin.

Live colors. Basic color khaki. Snout and head, including opercles, heavily dotted with tiny speckles extending posteriorly onto nuchal area and base of dorsal fin; red marking at axil of pectoral fin. Dorsal, caudal, and anal fins red on margin of spiny section and onto the soft sections; dark markings, blotches, dots, and patterns vary and are circumscribed by the 6 partial vertical bands, which may or may not be visible.

Breeding pigmentation. Breeding pigmentation includes darkening over the posterior and anteroventral halves dorsally from snout tip, including upper lip, passing through the ventral edge of orbit, over opercles and chest. Anterior dark portion fuses with dark caudal area at midflank. Caudal dark area follows dorsal contour and starts at the vertical with the midpoint of the base of the dorsal fin, interrupted by a pale triangular area beginning at the midpoint between ventral and anal fin origins, up side at 75° with horizontal and with hypural fan, and down side at 45° to the posterior end of the base of the anal fin.

Geographical distribution. Herichthys pame occurs in the main stem and tributaries of the Rio Gallinas, including Rio Tamasopo, Ojo Frío, and Agua Buena, upriver from the Tamul cascade.

Habitat and associates. Habitat characterized by clear water over a rocky substrate with hardness above 100° dH and pH between 7.8 and 8.3. Other species sampled include Herichthys tamasopoensis , H. steindachneri , Xiphophorus montezumae , and Gambusia panuco , among other species of fishes (Artigas-Azas 1993). Stomach contents of three specimens examined with detritus (5%), filamentous algae (20%), snails (70%), and unidentified materials (5%).

Vernacular names. Mojarra caracolera blanca

Conservation status. Currently considered as C. labridens , threatened according to NOM-059-ECOL-2010 and endangered according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2009.

Etymology. The name refers to the Pame people, who call themselves xi úi (or their local variants) meaning indigenous. The xi´úi territory includes 5 municipalities in the state of San Luis Potosí: Ciudad del Maíz, Alaquines, Rayón, Santa Catarina, and Tamasopo where the species is endemic.

Remarks. Taylor & Miller (1983) considered H. pame sp. nov. to be a geographic variant of H. labridens . Their figure 4, illustrates H. pame in a drawing with C. labridens from Río Tamasopo just north of Tamasopo. Hulsey et al. (2003) placed a clade comprising H. pame sp. nov. of Rio Tamasopo and H. steindachneri and H pantostictus of Rio Tamesí and Rio Tigre, as a clade inclusive of H. labridens and H. bartoni , both from Media Luna.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Herichthys pame sp. nov. collected from Tamasopo, San Luis Potosí (~ 100 mm TL).

FIGURE 9. UANL 19213 Herichthys pame sp. nov. Holotype (93.2 mm SL). Mauricio De la Maza-Benignos, Figures 10 – 11.