Harttia intermontana, De Oliveira & Oyakawa, 2019

De Oliveira, José C. & Oyakawa, Osvaldo T., 2019, New loricariid fishes from headwaters on Serra da Mantiqueira and Complexo do Espinhaço, Minas Gerais State, Brazil (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Loricariidae), Zootaxa 4586 (3), pp. 401-424 : 404-407

Harttia intermontana , new species

( Figs. 1 , 7 ; table 1)

Holotype. MZUSP 109337 , 71.9 mm SL, male, córrego Bananeiras , tributary of Rio Gualaxo do Norte , Rio Doce basin, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, 20˚14’20”S 43˚28’40”W, 794m asl, April 2010, B. Maia.

Paratypes. All from Brazil, Minas Gerais State, Rio Doce basin. MZUSP 119727 , 1 , 67.2 mm SL; ANSP 179800 , 1 , 67.2 mm SL; and MCP 34857, 1 , 62.8 mm SL, same locality of holotype. MZUSP 120733, 3, 60.1–61.7 mm SL, headwaters of Rio Piranga, at the summit of Serra do Bom Jardim , near the railroad Central do Brasil, Carandaí , 21˚00’39”S 43˚42’59”W, 1072m asl, 31 July 2016, J.C. Oliveira, O.T. Oyakawa, F.M.S.R. Pedro & V.C.M. Souza. MZUSP 94703 , 3 (1 c&s), 53.3–80.3 mm SL, headwater of Rio Piranga , Carandaí , 20°59’31”S 43°43’28”W, 875m asl, 19 February 2004, J.C. Oliveira & O.T. Oyakawa. UFJF 3748 , 3 , 59.8–63.6 mm SL, headwater of Rio Piranga , limit of municipalities of Carandaí and Senhora dos Remédios, 20°59’34”S 43°43’30”W, 1008m asl, 13 December 2015, J.C. Oliveira, F.M.J.R. Pedro & V.C.M. Souza. MZUSP 103086, 2, 46.1–51.9 mm SL, Córrego São João, near Córrego do Faio , Conceição do Mato Dentro , 19˚02'30"S 43˚20'34"W, 682m asl, 19 March 2009, I. Fichberg & M.V. Loeb. MZUSP 110934, 2, 43.1–65.0 mm SL, Rio Gualaxo do Sul , Mariana, 20˚25’59”S 43˚ 23’47”W, 718m asl, 5 June 2012, L.F. Salvador, L.A.C. Missiaggia. MZUSP 110930, 1, 68.0 mm SL, Córrego da Vargem , tributary of Rio Gualaxo do Sul , Mariana, 20˚30’17”S 43˚24’39”W, 755m asl, 5 July 2012, L.F. Salvador Jr., L.A.C. Missiaggia. MZUSP 109396 , 3 , 55.6–62.4 mm SL, Córrego Maria Casemira, tributary of Rio Piracicaba , Santa Bárbara, 19˚59’34”S 43˚38’16”W, 1085m asl, 2 August 2008, B.P. Maia. MZUSP 109312 , 1 , 57.8 mm SL, stream tributary of Rio do Peixe , itself tributary of Rio Santo Antônio , Conceição do Mato Dentro , 18˚48’16”S 43˚26’16”W, 1014m asl, December 2010, T.C. Pessali. MZUSP 103251 , 3 , 22.8–64.1 mm SL, Rio Santa Bárbara , tributary of Rio Piracicaba , Bela Vista de Minas , 19˚47’12”S 43˚13’05”W, 702m asl, 5 December 2008, C.C. Chamon, A. Zeinad. MZUSP 110659, 1, 69.2 mm SL, Rio Santa Bárbara , downstream of Cachoeira do Taquari , João Monlevade, 19˚46’27”S 43˚7’48”W, 619m asl, 5 December 2008, C.C. Chamon & A. Zeinad. UFJF 1430 , 4 , 40.6–55.4 mm SL, Rio Papagaio , tributary of Rio Piranga , Caranaíba, 20°51’07" S, 43°42'37" W, 893m asl, 17 September 2000, J.C. Oliveira, E.S. Togoro & A.K.G. Lacerda. MNRJ 42066 , 9 , 43.8– 68.5 mm SL, Rio Conceição , tributary of Rio Piracicaba , on the road Mina to Córrego do Sítio , Catas Altas, 19˚59’20”S 43˚29’43”W, 1102m asl, 13 June 2013, M.R. Britto, D. Moraes & D. Almeida. UFJF 1164 , 6 , 38.9– 61.9 mm SL, Rio Xopotó , bacia do Rio Doce , Desterro do Melo , 21˚09’28”S 43˚33’34”W, 822m asl, 18 April 1999, J.C. Oliveira, E.S. Togoro & A.K.G. Lacerda. UFJF 1177 , 2 , 43.7 –51.0 mm SL, same locality and collectors as UFJF 1164 , 17 October 1999. UFJF 1203 , 1 , 66.6 mm SL, same locality and collectors as UFJF 1164 , 4 March 2000. UFJF 1228 , 3 , 47.3–61.1 mm SL, same locality as UFJF 1164 , E.S. Togoro, A.K.G. Lacerda & P.M. Cyranka, 9 July 2000. UFJF 3610 , 7 , 48.2–59.2 mm SL, same locality as UFJF 1164 , 29 July 2016, J.C. Oliveira, O.T. Oyakawa, F.M.S.R. Pedro & V.C.M. Souza .

Diagnosis. Harttia intermontana can be separated from species of the H. rhombocephala group and H. fowleri group by having the abdomen completely lacking plates (vs. partially covered by plates in the H. rhombocephala group and completely covered by plates in the H. fowleri group). H. intermontana can be separated from the other species of H. loricariformis group by the absence of preanal plates, except for H. carvalhoi , H. garavelloi , H. kronei and H. novalimensis . Harttia intermontana can be readily distinguished from H. carvalhoi by the absence of a dorsal-fin spinelet (vs. presence in H. carvalhoi ). Harttia intermontana can be readily distinguished from H. garavelloi by its lower orbital diameter 11.2–20.5% (15.8%) of HL vs. 23.4–26% (24.6%) of HL, and by its greater interorbital distance 26.5–34.9% (30.4%) of HL vs. 22.6–26.5% (24.5%) of HL. Harttia intermontana can be readily distinguished from H. kronei by having the canal plate covered by odontodes only in its external margin, whereas in H. kronei the canal plate is entirely covered by odontodes. The presence of hypertrophied odontodes on the dorsal, lateral and ventral region of caudal peduncle of mature males is also helpful to distinguish H. intermontana from H. kronei . Finally, Harttia intermontana can be readily distinguished from H. leiopleura and H. novalimensis by having the canal plate (vs. absence in these last species).

Description. Morphometric and meristic data in Table 1 . Standard length of measured specimens: 40.6–80.3 mm SL. See fig. 1 for general body aspect. Body dorsoventrally depressed and elongated, widest at cleithrum. Dorsal profile of body slightly concave from tip of snout to dorsal-fin origin and gently descending from this point to end of caudal peduncle. Ventral profile of body straight from tip of snout to origin of anal fin and gently ascending from this point to caudal peduncle.

Anterior profile of head rounded in dorsal view. Posterior margin of parieto-supraoccipital bordered by five plates. Eye small and rounded. Dorsal flap of iris present. Interorbital flat, parieto-supraoccipital slightly concave. Tip of snout with small, oval naked area, laterally circumscribed by rostral plates. Naked area of snout extending backward and joined with naked region of external area of upper lip. Mouth roughly oval. Lips with numerous marginal fringe and simple barbels. Upper lip narrow, covered by three to four series of papillae; papillae of outer series larger than those of inner series. Lower lip well developed and covered by numerous series of papillae; papillae of outer series larger than those of inner series. Posterior border of lower lip not reaching anterior margin of scapular bridge. Premaxilla with 32–57 [42] and dentary with 33–55 [42] bilobed teeth. Maxillary barbel small, joined to lip by small flap of tissue. Conspicuous spherical papilla in roof of mouth anterior to oral valve. Infraorbital series with five plates; infraorbital 5 contacting inferior branch of sphenotic. Inferior region of orbit delimited by infraorbitals 3 to 5. Canal plate roughly triangular, partially covered by odontodes and bearing section of laterosensorial system canal. Two or three series of plates between parieto-supraoccipital and nuchal plate. Median series with 25–29 [27], plates, not keeled, bearing lateral line canal.

Abdominal region between pectoral girdle to anus naked. Throat region always naked. Latero-abdominal plates 4–8 [5] rectangular and elongate. Preanal plates absent. Four pairs of post-anal plates. Post-anal plate 1, large and roughly triangular; its anterior arms contacting preanal plates; posteriorly, pair of post-anal plate 1 contacting each other at midline via broad suture. Pairs of post-anal plates 2, 3, 4 separated from each other at midline by first pterygiophore of anal fin.

Dorsal fin I,7; its origin slightly advance of vertical through pelvic-fin origin. Spinelet absent. Chain-link structure, which articulates dorsal-fin spine with second dorsal-fin pterygiophore, incomplete. Tip of last rays of dorsal fin, when adpressed, surpassing vertical of origin of last anal-fin ray. Pectoral fin I,6. Tip of pectoral-fin spine and first two branched rays surpassing insertion of pelvic-fin spine. Mature males with dorsal region of pectoral-fin spine covered by hypertrophied odontodes backward oriented. Hypertrophied odontodes also present on dorsal, lateral and ventral sides of caudal peduncle. Pelvic fin i,5. Tip of pelvic-fin spine reaching to insertion of anal-fin spine. Caudal fin emarginated, i,12,i rays, with two supracaudal plates on its base. One procurrent ray on base of upper and lower caudal-fin rays. Anal fin i,5. External portion of first anal-fin pterygiophore roughly rectangular and covered by skin. Adult males with hypertrophied odontodes on caudal peduncle.

Color in alcohol. Dorsal region of body dark to light brown. Five transverse dark brown bands, first at origin of dorsal fin, second starting at end of last rays of dorsal fin, followed by third to fourth in middle of caudal peduncle, and fifth at end of caudal peduncle. Ventral region pale to light yellow. All fin rays light brown, with interradial membrane hyaline. Pectoral, dorsal, pelvic, and anal fin with three to four transverse dark brown stripes. Caudal fin with three dark brown stripes. Insertion of anal-fin spine punctuated by dark brown spot.

Color in life. Dorsal and ventral region of body light yellow with irregular dark brown spots, more concentrated on head. All fins with light yellow ground coloration, and four to five transversal dark bars. Insertion of anal-fin spine punctuated by dark brown spot.

Sexual dimorphism. Mature males of Harttia intermontana have hypertrophied odontodes on the dorsal, lateral and ventral regions of caudal peduncle.

Etymology. From the Latin inter for among, and montana for mountainous. The specific epithet derives from the fact that the species occurs in the headwaters of Rio Doce basin, situated in two mountain ridges: Serra da Mantiqueira and Complexo do Espinhaço.

Distribution. Harttia intermontana is currently known from the upper Rio Doce basin in Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

Habitat and ecological notes. The type locality of Harttia intermontana , located just a few kilometers north of the city of Ouro Preto, is a relatively well-preserved stretch of the córrego Bananeiras, running over stone and sand beds and surrounded by riparian vegetation.

Conservation status. Harttia intermontana is known from several localities in the upper Rio Doce basin, from municipalities of Conceição do Mato Dentro, in the north, to Carandaí, in the south, where it occurs in brooks of clear water with a substrate of rocks and sand of the Atlantic forest domain. Despite the fact that portions of the forest have been destroyed by decades of occupation by several human activities in the region, there are no apparent threats to the populations of the species in the northern and southern parts of its distribution. The same is not true for the populations that occur in the localities of Ouro Preto and Mariana, which are very close to some iron mine facilities that represent imminent threats to populations of the species by the pollution and siltation of the watersheds. Recently, when a mining dam collapse occurred in the municipality of Mariana, a great amount of water and sediment from iron ore extraction was carried out to the Rio Doce and provoked one of the largest environmental disasters in the country ( Salinas, 2016; Garcia et al. 2017). Notwithstanding the fact that human activities threaten the habitat of the localities in the central portion of H. intermontana distribution, near the cities of Ouro Preto and Mariana, the populations of Conceição do Mato Dentro and Carandaí seems to be in a relatively well-preserved environment (see above). Considering that today, apparently, there are no threats that may endanger the species in its entire distribution, H. intermontana can be categorized as Least Concern (LC) according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories and criteria ( IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee, 2017).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Harttia intermontana, MZUSP 109337, 71.9 mm SL, male, holotype. Brazil, Minas Gerais State, Rio Doce basin. From top to bottom: dorsal, lateral and ventral views.

FIGURE 7. Geographical distribution of Harttia intermontana (star), Pareiorhaphis togoroi (square) and Neoplecostomus pirangaensis (circle). Open symbols = type localities. Red line = boundaries between basins.