Three new species of the loricariid catfish genus Loricariichthys (Teleostei: Siluriformes) from southern South America
Reis, R.E.; Pereira, E.H.
Copeia 4: 1029-1047
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0045-8511
DOI: 10.1643/0045-8511(2000)000[1029:tnsotl]2.0.co;2
Accession: 022011257
Sixteen species of Loricariichthys Bleeker, 1862 are currently recognized in South America, four of which inhabit the continent portions south of the Amazon basin: Loricariichthys anus (Valenciennes, 1836) from lower rio Parana, rio Uruguai, and coastal streams in southern Brazil; Loricariichthys castaneus (Castelnau, 1855) from coastal streams of southeastern Brazil; Loricariichthys labialis (Boulenger, 1895) from rio Paraguay and lower rio Parana; and Loricariichthys platymetopon Isbrucker and Nijssen, 1979, from Rio de la Plata basin. Three additional new species are described from this region, Loricariichthys edentatus n. sp. from the Province of Entre Rios, Argentina, Loricariichthys melanocheilus n. sp. from the rio Uruguai basin, and Loricariichthys rostratus n. sp. from the Itaipu Hydroelectric reservoir, in the rio Parana. Loricariichthys edentatus n. sp. has no teeth on the premaxilla, a feature unique in the genus. The monophyly of the genus Loricariichthys is discussed and it is provisionally diagnosed by having (1) the third infrapharyngobranchial with a triangular lateral flange; (2) ventral shelf of the antero- and posterohyal tall, deflected posteriorly so that it nearly forms a 180deg. angle with the main bodies of the bones; (3) the upper lip coalesced with the premaxillary region medially, never having barbel-like fringes along the transverse, medial portion and (4) the lower lip of immature males and females formed by two thick, cushionlike structures. Loricariichthys spixii (Steindachner, 1881) is regarded as a junior synonym of L. castaneus.