New cave Rhamdia !
Posted: 17 Dec 2004, 11:08
Carlos DoNascimiento, Francisco Provenzano and John G. Lundberg : Rhamdia guasarensis (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae), a new species of cave catfish from the Sierra de Perijá, northwestern Venezuela, Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington: Vol. 117, No. 4, pp. 564â??574, 2004
ABSTRACT
Rhamdia guasarensis n. sp. is described from subterranean waters in the RÃo Guasare drainage of northwestern Venezuela. The new species is distinguished from congeners by its concave head profile; medially sutured frontal bones; small, circular vestige of the anterior cranial fontanelle; and troglomorphic characters such as absence of eyes and pigmentation, wide cephalic laterosensory pores, and wide fossae of preoperculomandibular sensory canal in preopercle and dentary. Cave catfish diversity in the Sierra de Perijá region of Venezuela is reviewed and compared to cave catfish diversity elsewhere in South America.
Nio
ABSTRACT
Rhamdia guasarensis n. sp. is described from subterranean waters in the RÃo Guasare drainage of northwestern Venezuela. The new species is distinguished from congeners by its concave head profile; medially sutured frontal bones; small, circular vestige of the anterior cranial fontanelle; and troglomorphic characters such as absence of eyes and pigmentation, wide cephalic laterosensory pores, and wide fossae of preoperculomandibular sensory canal in preopercle and dentary. Cave catfish diversity in the Sierra de Perijá region of Venezuela is reviewed and compared to cave catfish diversity elsewhere in South America.
Nio