Phalloceros spiloura, Lucinda, 2008

Lucinda, Paulo Henrique Franco, 2008, Systematics and biogeography of the genus Phalloceros Eigenmann, 1907 (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae: Poeciliinae), with the description of twenty-one new species, Neotropical Ichthyology 6 (2), pp. 113-158 : 150-151

Phalloceros spiloura , new species

Figs. 48 , 49

Phalloceros sp. n. J Lucinda & Reis (2005).

Holotype. MCP 30401, creek ca. 200 m from arroio do Padre, Itati, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 29 º 29’04"S 50 º 06’58"W, 26 Mar 2002, V. A. Bertaco & J. F. P. Silva.

Paratypes. BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul. MCP 20293, 18, Torres, creek on dunes, 8 Nov 1997, R. E. Reis et al. MCP 28776, 2, Três Cachoeiras, rio das Pacas near Morro Azul, 15 Jan 1991, N. A. Menezes et al. MCP 29270, 256/6*, collected with the holotype . Santa Catarina. MCP 28731, 8, Garopaba, creek affluent to rio Araçatuba at Ressacada, 28 º 04’18"S 48 º 42’00"W, 26 Oct 2001, L. R. Malabarba. MCP 29082, 27, same data as MCP 28731, 22 Feb 2002.

Non-types. BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul. MZUSP 4481, 10 of 11, Torres, praia de Torres. Santa Catarina. MCP 10502, 18, Gravatal, lateral channel along rio Capivari, on road from Tubarão to Gravatal. MCP 10659, 7, Tubarão, 1984. MCP 22336, 16, Urubici, rio Urubici near bridge S of Urubici (upper rio Uruguai). MCP 23715, 2, Jacinto Machado, arroio affluent of rio Sertão, ca. 13 km SW from Jacinto Machado towards Praia Grande. MCP 27011, 17, Gaspar, açude at Sítio Althoff at Belchior Baixo, rio Itajaí-Açu basin. MCP 27446, 2, rio Negrinho, rio Preto drainage, affluent to rio Iguaçu. MCP 28442, 3, Joinville, arroio Lindo, rio Cubatão (North) drainage, nearby road SC 301 close to BR 101, Pirabeiraba. MCP 28491, 1, Itapocu, creek affluent to rio Itapocu, on road from BR 101 to Barra do Itapocu. MZUSP 2789, 11, Blumenau.

Diagnosis. Phalloceros spiloura can be diagnosed by the following uniquely derived autapomorphies: (1) the possession of a rounded spot located on the lower half of the caudal peduncle close to the base of lowest caudal-fin rays ( Fig. 48 ); (2) a patch of dark pigmentation on the last anal-fin rays of females ( Fig. 48b ); (3) halves of gonopodial paired appendix straight and perpendicular to R3 [96-2*] ( Fig. 49 ). Moreover, P. spiloura can be distinguished from its congeners by (1) gonapophysis of vertebra 14 straight in adult males [52-2]; and (2) anterior orbital bone present [143-2].

Description. Morphometric data in Tables 11 and 12 . Range of SL: 19.4 to 33.6 mm (females), 18.0 to 22.4 mm (males). Dorsal-fin rays: 7 [1], 8* [22], 9 [3]. Branched pectoral-fin rays: 7* [23]. Pelvic-fin rays: 5* [6] (males), 5 [21] (females).Anal-fin rays of females: 10 [10], 11 [10]. Anal-fin rays of males: 9* [7]. Branched caudal-fin rays: 11 [5], 12* [13], 13 [3], 14 [1]. Predorsal scales: 14* [13], 15 [6]. Longitudinal series of scales: 28 [8], 29* [18], 30 [2]. Series of scales around caudal peduncle: 16* [26]. Transverse series of scales: 7* [27]. Serrae on R4p: 12 [2], 13 [2], 14* [1], 15 [1]. Epipleural ribs: 11 [5], 13 [1]. Pleural ribs: 13 [3], 14 [3]. Vertebrae: 31 [1], 32 [5]. Female urogenital papilla right curved, located laterally. Border of anal aperture in contact with first anal-fin ray or very close to it ( Fig. 52 ).

Color in alcohol. Eye silvery brown with greenish brown pupil. Ground color cream, darker in upper half. Upper region of flanks and head densely covered with brown chromatophores. Border of scales and subjacent skin replete with brown chromatophores, more concentrated at short distance from scale border, conferring reticulate pattern to body sides, mainly on upper half. Brown chromatophores scattered through whole body, more concentrated on dorsal portion, mainly on head, snout, opercle, and ventral surface of mandible. Faint vertical bars along flanks. Dorsal-fin membrane hyaline. Band of dark chromatophores on distal border of dorsal fin. Band of dark chromatophores near dorsal-fin base, more concentrated posteriorly, forming distinct spot. Dark brown line along R3. Pectoral-, pelvic-, anal, and caudal-fin rays unpigmented. Rounded spot on lower half of caudal peduncle close to base of lowest caudal-fin rays. Patch of dark pigmentation on last anal-fin rays of females.

Etymology. From the Greek σπιλος [= spílos], n. m. nom. sg., meaning spot + oura [= ourá], n. f. nom. sg., meaning tail, alluding to the presence of a rounded spot on close to base of lowest caudal-fin rays. A noun in apposition.

Distribution. Rio Iguaçu and coastal drainages of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina ( Fig. 7 ), including the rio Tubarão, rio Itajaí-Açu, rio Itapocu, rio Mampituba, rio Cubatão (North), rio Tramandaí drainages.

Remarks. One specimen (MCP 10659) lacks left caudal spot.

Figures

Fig. 48. Phalloceros spiloura. (A) Holotype, male, 22.0 mm SL, MCP 30401, creek ca. 200 m from arroio do Padre, Itati, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; (B) paratype, female, MCP 29270, 25.0 mm SL, collected with the holotype.

Fig. 49. Gonopodium tip of Phalloceros spiloura, MCP 29270. (a) ventrolateral view; (b) lateral view. R3, R4a, R4p, R5a, R5p indicate gonopodial rays. Scale bar 1 mm.

Fig. 52. Urogenital region of female of Phalloceros spiloura, MCP 29270. (A) ventral view; (B) lateral view of right side.A = anus; AF = anal fin; PF = pelvic fin; UGO = urogenital opening; UGP = urogenital papilla. Scale bar 1 mm.

Fig. 7. Collection localities of Phalloceros leticiae (fivepointed star, 1), P. uai (eight-pointed star, 2), P. anisophallos (square, 3), P.reisi (triangle, 4),and P.spiloura (circle, 5). Some symbols represent more than one lot or locality. Numbers represent type localities. The inset is the range of the genus.