Austrofundulus myersi Dahl 1958

Tomas Hrbek, Donald C. Taphorn & Jamie E. Thomerson, 2005, Molecular phylogeny of Austrofundulus Myers (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae), with revision of the genus and the description of four new species., Zootaxa 825, pp. 1-39 : 31-34

Austrofundulus myersi Dahl 1958

Figure 16

Austrofundulus myersi Dahl 1958a : 1-58 (original description). Dahl 1958b: 42-44 (English translation of description). Weitzman and Wourms 1967: 96, fig 4 (photo). Wourms 1972: 142-168 (embryology).

Austrofundulus limnaeus Taphorn and Thomerson 1978: (proposed synonymy with A. limnaeus , description and morphometrics).

Austrofundulus transilis Turner 1967: 843-846 (reference to Colombian populations).

Holotype. CAS 149513 (original SU 49513). Adult male collected in a seasonal pond near Sincelejo, Colombia on 31 July 1950 by G. Dahl.

Paratypes. CAS 149513 (original SU 49513). Additional 7 specimens collected together with the holotype.

Diagnosis. This species is most similar to the Austrofundulus leoni . However, it is distinguished from all species of Austrofundulus by strong dark yellowish background body color in sexually mature males, and a robust body similar to A. guajira . Austrofundulus myersi has a short caudal peduncle, and a stocky caudal fin with medium sized extensions.

Description. The males have a dirty brown-yellowish colored background in the dorsal fin with several curved rows of dark brown spots. The dorsal can has long extensions. The dorsal fin of females is unpatterned, with clear or light gray background. The background color of the males’ caudal fin is yellowish, with grayish overtones towards the posterior section of the fin. There are numerous indistinct dull brown spots randomly interspersed throughout the caudal fin. The distal edge has a weak blackish-brown terminal edge. Both the dorsal and the ventral edge of the caudal fin extend to form a long “lyretail ”. Females have a light grayish caudal fin. The anal fin of males is patterned similarly to the dorsal fin. The background color is brown-yellowish with a few large indistinct brown flecks in the basal one half of the anal fin. The large brown flecks transition into a blackish-brown terminal margin. The base of the anal fin is light, and transitions into the light colored belly. The anal fin often has a long extension. The anal fin of females is clear, with a few faint basal spots. The pectoral fins of males are uniformly translucent brownish-yellow. The pelvic fins of males are similar to the pattern found on the anal fin. The background color is dirty brownish-yellow. Few males have indistinct brown spots near the basal portion of the fin. The base of the pelvic fin is almost white, and blends with the color of the belly. Females have translucent, light gray pectoral and pelvic fins. The basic background color is dirty brownish-yellow with gray overtones. Few dull light blue to almost white spots are present in the posterior two thirds of the body, while the anterior one third of the body has several light brown colored spots. Above the opercle, the spots are arranged into a diagonal pattern. The ventrum is light gray to almost white, without spots, while the dorsum is darker than the rest of the body. In females, the sides are light brown colored. The body is not spotted. As in males, the abdomen of females is lighter than the rest of the body, while the dorsum is darker. An indistinct black bar passes obliquely through the eye of both sexes, onto the head posteriorly above and anteriorly below the eye. The iris is silver. The upper portion of the head is dark gray, the lower light gray to cream. In females the head is predominantly gray or olive dorsally, and lighter ventrally. A few iridescent golden scales are present on the males’ opercle, which has an overall yellow tone. For meristics see Dahl (1958b), and Table 9.

Etymology. Dahl named this species to honor Dr. George Sprague Meyer, an eminent ichthyologist from Stanford University.

Distribution. A. myersi is known from the floodplain savannahs of the lower Río Magdalena between Cartagena and Barranquilla Colombia. Its distribution extents inland up the Río Magdalena valley (Fig. 1), however, the extent of its distribution is poorly known.