A new Centromochlus (Auchenipteridae) from the Tocantins-Araguaia river drainage

[lfinley58]

FERNANDA L. COELHO, CARINE C. CHAMON & LUISA M. SARMENTO-SOARES. 2021. A new species of driftwood catfish Centromochlus Kner, 1858 (Siluriformes, Auchenipteridae, Centromochlinae) from Tocantins-Araguaia River drainage. Zootaxa, Volume 4950, Number 1: 149-165.
Abstract:
The genus Centromochlus includes eight catfish species in the Amazon and Orinoco river systems: C. schultzi from Xingu and Tocantins-Araguaia rivers; C. melanoleucus from Tapajós and Teles Pires rivers; C. macracanthus from Negro River; C. orca from Nhamundá River; C. heckelii and C. existimatus from Amazon and additionally at the Essequibo rivers; C. carolae and C. musaica from Orinoco River system. Recent field expeditions and collection examination revealed an undescribed species of Centromochlinae that has compatible features with Centromochlus. We herein describe a new species of Centromochlus from the Tocantins-Araguaia River drainage, diagnosed among most Centromochlinae by having a vermiculated color pattern on the dorsum and included in Centromochlus by sharing the derived features: ventrolateral position of eye socket; sphenotic notched for the exit of infraorbital canal; and posterior serrations along pectoral-fin spine numerous. The new species is diagnosed from congeners by having the pectoral-fin spine with dark bars, alternating with light bars (vs. pectoral-fin spine with light and uniform color in all Centromochlus); and it is further distinguished from its congeners (except C. carolae) by the ventral surface of head moderate to largely pigmented (vs. ventral surface of head unpigmented in C. heckelii, C. existimatus, C. orca, C. musaicus, C. schultzi, with few scattered dark chromatophores in C. macracanthus and C. melanoleucus; see diagnosis). A discussion about the systematics of the genus, plus the conservation status of the new species, and an identification key to species of Centromochlus, are also provided.

New species name: Centromochlus akwe.

[Note: In the abstract on the Zootaxa website the two different spellings of a species name - in their order of appearance - (musaica and musaicus) are used and are kept here as printed. According to Calegari et al. (2019), who placed the species in the genus Tatia, the first spelling would be correct. But according to L. M. Sarmento-Soares (2020), who placed the species in Centromochlus, the latter name would be the correct spelling.]


https://www.mapress.com/j/zt/article/vi ... a.4950.1.8

[bekateen]

Centromochlus akwe

is now in the cat-elog.

Here's the picture from Zootaxa's Twitter feed. As with Corydoras bethanae, I have to wonder if Zootaxa showed the new species or an existing one on Twitter.

[lfinley58]

Thanks Eric. The same pic was on the Zootaxa site, but I didn't mention it due to lack of defining info...as with the recent Corydoras description.

Lee

[lfinley58]

A quick follow-up on my initial mention of the usage of the species names musaica and musaicus in the abstract: In the body of the full paper one of the species names (musaica) is used incorrectly on one occasion (page 150). It is used correctly on page 163. The name musaicus is used correctly on pages 149, 152 and 162.

The above designated usage is, of course, based on the genus which the species is considered to belong to. In 2019 the species was designated as a Tatia species by Calegari et al.(hence musaica). In 2020 Sarmento-Soares and Martins-Pinheiro designated it as a Centromochlus species (hence musaicus). In the current paper, of which Sarmento-Soares is a co-author, the species is still considered to belong in the genus Centromochlus.

Lee