Charax condei (Géry & Knöpel, 1976)

Menezes, Naércio A. & de Lucena, Carlos Alberto S., 2014, A taxonomic review of the species of Charax Scopoli, 1777 (Teleostei: Characidae: Characinae) with description of a new species from the rio Negro bearing superficial neuromasts on body scales, Amazon basin, Brazil, Neotropical Ichthyology 12 (2), pp. 193-228 : 200-202

Charax condei (Géry & Knöpel, 1976)

Fig. 9

Asiphonichthys condei Géry & Knöppel, 1976: 48 (original description, type locality: Brazil, Amazonas, rio Tarumãzinho , tributary on left margin of lower rio Negro, above Manaus). -Weber, 1998: 6 (listed on type catalog).

Charax condei, Lucena, 1987: 37 (diagnosis; description; distribution, geographic variation). -Lucena, 1989: 104 (in key to species). -Lucena & Menezes, 2003: 201 (maximum length; distribution).

Diagnosis. Charax condei is distinguished from congeners except C. hemigrammus and C. stenopterus by having the lateral line incomplete and the dorsal part of body anterior to the dorsal fin lacking scales (vs. lateral line complete and dorsal part of body anterior to dorsal fin scaled in Charax rupununi , C. tectifer , C. metae , C. delimai , C. caudimaculatus , C. notulatus , C. apurensis , C. macrolepis , C. michaeli , C. pauciradiatus , C. gibbosus , C. niger , and C. leticiae ). It has fewer scale rows from the pelvic-fin origin to the lateral line (6- 9) than C. hemigrammus (11-12) and can be distinguished from C. stenopterus in having ectopterygoid teeth and 30-41 teeth on the posterior dentary tooth row (vs. ectopterygoid teeth absent and 18-28 teeth on the posterior dentary tooth row).

Description. Morphometrics of examined specimens presented in Table 3. Body elongate; small compared to congeners (26-51 mm SL), compressed and comparatively low; greatest body depth slightly in advance of dorsal-fin origin. Dorsal profile of body and head convex from tip of snout to anterior part of fontanel, slightly concave from that point to base of supraoccipital spine, convex from that point to dorsalfin origin, nearly straight along dorsal-fin base and from end of dorsal-fin base to caudal peduncle and slightly concave along caudal peduncle.Ventral profile of body and head from tip of lower jaw to anal-fin origin, nearly straight to slightly concave along anal-fin base and slightly concave from end of anal-fin base to beginning of procurrent rays. Snout pointed. Lower jaw included in upper jaw when mouth closed. Maxilla extending posteriorly slightly beyond vertical through middle of orbit.

Dorsal-fin rays ii, 9 in all specimens; posteriormost ray unbranched. Adipose fin present. Unbranched anal-fin rays iv or v, usually iv, branched rays 35-41, 37.8. Pectoral-fin rays i, 11-14, 12.2. Tips of longest pectoral-fin rays reaching vertical through middle of pelvic-fin length. Pelvic-fin rays i, 7. Tips of longest pelvic-fin rays reaching vertical between bases of third and fourth branched anal-fin rays. Principal caudal-fin ray count 10/ 9 in all specimens.

Lateral line incomplete, perforated scales 6-9, 7.2. Lateral series scales 36-41, 38.4. Horizontal scale rows from pelvic-fin origin to lateral line 6-8, 7. Scale rows around caudal peduncle 13-14, 13.9. No scale rows anteriorly along anal-fin base.

Premaxillary with one anterior large conical tooth followed by set of smaller conical teeth, two large conical teeth and 1- 4 smaller conical teeth; most large conical teeth with one vestigial lateral cusp on each side. Total number of premaxillary teeth 9-18, 13. Maxillary teeth conical, 42-60, 50.6, larger specimens generally with higher counts. Dentary with anterior row including 2-8, 5.3 conical teeth and posterior row with with 30-41, 34.2 conical teeth; most larger conical dentary teeth with one lateral cusp on each side; ectopterygoid teeth 11-23, 16.

Vertebrae 31-33 (3). Seven to 8, 7.5 gill-rakers on lower limb of first gill-arch. Branchiostegal rays 4, 3 rays originating from anterior cerathyal and 1 from posterior ceratohyal.

Color in alcohol. Body pale to light yellow, slightly darker dorsally due to denser concentration of dark chromatophores. Ventral region of body lightly colored with scattered dark chromatophores especially anteriorly. Roundish dark humeral blotch extending about 4 scales horizontally and 4.5 to 5 scales vertically, darker on central part due to denser concentration of dark chromatophores. Dorsal regions of head, snout and tip of lower jaw darker than remaining portions of head; dark coloration extending to anterodorsal portion of maxilla and first, second and anterior portion of third infraorbital. Area between second and third infraorbitals with conspicuous subocular dark blotch extending ventrally to posterior portion of lower jaw. Dorsal regions of opercle and preopercle and fifth and sixth infraorbitals with scattered dark chromatophores. Darker lines of chromatophores along most miosepta of epaxial muscles and some hypaxial muscles more conspicuous posteriorly on body and forming irregular Vshaped pattern. All fins hyaline with scattered dark chromatophores especially concentrated on basal portions of fins.

Distribution. This species is known from tributaries of the rio Amazonas; tributaries of rio Tapajós, near Santarém, Pará, and tributaries of rio Negro and the rio Solimões near Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil ( Fig. 7 ).

Specimens examined. Brazil. Amazonas: MZUSP 88002 , 3 , 26-51 mm SL, lago Puraquequara, left bank of rio Amazonas , not precisely located ; MZUSP 74262 , 6 , 42-49 mm SL, Amazonas, Manaus, igarapé Jarada , left bank tributary of rio Cuieiras , 3°06’44"S 59°58’14"W ; MZUSP 95229 , 28 , 26-49 mm SL, Amazonas, Santa Isabel do Rio Negro, pond on bank of rio Negro , 00°31’00"S 65°01’00"W ; Pará: MZUSP 92844 , 1 , 31.5 mm SL, Pará, Santarém, igarapé Juá , 7 km from Santarém , on road to the airport, 02°26’00"S 54°46’52"W ; MZUSP 100420 , 4 , 31-33 mm SL, Pará, Santarém, Alter do Chão , rio Tapajós , 02°28’05"S 54°55’34"W .

Figures

Fig. 9. Charax condei, MZUSP 95229, female, 49 mm SL,Amazonas, Santa Isabel do Rio Negro, pond on bank of rio Negro.

Fig.7. Map of SouthAmerica showing the collecting sites of the Charax species, and the type locality of Charax delimai (purple circle). Charax apurensis - yellow square; C. caudimaculatus - white circle; C. condei - white square; C. gibbosus - purple triangle; C. hemigrammus - red star; C. leticiae - black circle;C. macrolepis-black triangle;C.metae-yellow triangle;C.michaeli - yellow circle;C.niger -blue triangle; C.notulatus - blue circle; C. pauciradiatus - red triangle; C. rupununi - red circle; C. stenopterus - green triangle; C. tectifer - green circle. Some symbols may represent more than one locality.