Paraneetroplus Regan 1905

Mcmahan, Caleb D., Matamoros, Wilfredo A., Piller, Kyle R. & Chakrabarty, Prosanta, 2015, Taxonomy and systematics of the herichthyins (Cichlidae: Tribe Heroini), with the description of eight new Middle American Genera, Zootaxa 3999 (2), pp. 211-234 : 218-219

Genus Paraneetroplus Regan 1905

( Fig. 5 )

Inclusive species. P. bulleri (type species), P. gibbiceps , P. nebuliferus

Diagnosis. Paraneetroplus is diagnosed by having an elongate body with a narrow, sub-terminal mouth and a caudal peduncle that is longer than it is deep. In addition, the jaw teeth are enlarged anteriorly, and anterior teeth are conical or spatulate in shape. The lower jaw teeth are oriented more anteriorly as opposed to dorsally in other herichthyin genera. Five or six lateral blotches are present along the sides of the body between the base of the pectoral fin and the posterior end of the dorsal fin; these blotches often appear as a moderately complete longitudinal stripe (as in P. nebuliferus ). A medium-sized, dorso-ventrally elongate, dark spot is present at the base and center of the caudal peduncle with the lower lateral line continuing through the center of the spot. The caudal fin is truncate or slightly emarginate.

Distribution. Atlantic slope of Mexico from the Río Papaloapan to Río Grijalva drainages.

Comments. McMahan et al. (2010) recovered P. nebuliferus outside of Paraneetroplus ; however, as pointed out by Paepke et al. (2014), this was based on a misidentification of a GenBank sequence of ‘ Cichlasoma’ sieboldii . Říčan et al. (2013) included single samples of both P. nebuliferus and P. omonti in their phylogeny; however, inclusion of these sole sequences in our dataset was problematic with low support for their phylogenetic positions. Voucher specimens are not reported for these tissue samples, and no other sequence data is available from wild-caught or museum-vouchered specimens of these two species. Given the problematic nature of including these individuals in the present study, they have been excluded. However, morphology of P. nebuliferus allies this species with Paraneetroplus as currently recognized. Based on examination of the poorly preserved types of P. omonti, Miller et al. (2005) regarded this species as a synonym of P. gibbiceps . Without further evidence or voucher specimens of recently collected individuals from the wild, we follow Miller et al. (2005) and do not include the sole P. omonti individual from Říčan et al. (2013) in our phylogeny, nor do we recognize this species as valid. Several studies have recovered the type species of Paraneetroplus , P. bulleri , nested within Vieja , prompting the naming of the entire mixed group as Paraneetroplus , given that Paraneetroplus should be recognized as the senior synonym of Vieja in this case. However, given the phylogenetic relationships recovered in this study, as well as the morphological distinctiveness of this genus, we rediagnose Paraneetroplus , excluding species of Vieja and Maskaheros .

Material examined. P. bulleri ; BMNH 1890.10.10.94 [n=1 (Holotype), Mexico: Río de Sarabia], FMNH 63937 [n=2, Mexico: Río Papaloapan], UMMZ 208263 [n=1, Mexico: Río Grijalva-Usumacinta tributary]; P. nebuliferus ; SLU 8619 [n=3, Mexico: Río Coatzacoalcos].

Figures

FIGURE 5. Paraneetroplus bulleri, FMNH 63937, 183.22 mm SL.