New Species of Cyphocharax (Ostariophysi: Characiformes: Curimatidae)
from the Rio de Contas Drainage, Bahia, Brazil
Richard P. Vari1, Angela M. Zanata2, and Priscila Camelier2
Cyphocharax pinnilepis, a species of curimatid characiform apparently endemic to the Rio de Contas system in Bahia,
Brazil, is described as new. It is only the sixth member of the Curimatidae known from the coastal rivers of Brazil across
the expanse from south of the mouth of the Amazon River to the state of Sa?o Paulo, but the third curimatid species
from the Rio de Contas. The basis for the assignment of the species to Cyphocharax is discussed, and it is diagnosed from
congeners on details of pigmentation, the pattern of scales on the lobes of the caudal fin, meristics, and
morphometrics.
Cyphocharax pinnilepis, uma espe?cie de caraciforme curimat??deo aparentemente ende?mica do sistema do Rio de Contas
da Bahia, Brasil, e? descrita como nova. E? apenas o sexto integrante de Curimatidae conhecido dos rios costeiros do Brasil,
do sul da foz do Amazonas ao Estado de Sa?o Paulo, mas o terceiro curimat??deo do Rio de Contas. A inclusa?o da espe?cie
em Cyphocharax e? discutida e esta e? diagnosticada de suas conge?neres com base em detalhes de pigmentac?a?o, no padra?o
de escamas nos lobos na nadadeira caudal, dados mer??sticos e morfome?tricos.
T HE characiform family Curimatidae includes 100species (Vari, 2003; Lucinda and Vari, 2009) with the34 species of Cyphocharax (Vari, 1989a, 1992a)
making that genus the most speciose among the eight
genera in the family (Vari, 2003). Cyphocharax has a broad
range through southern Central America and South Amer-
ica. To the west of the Andean Cordilleras, Cyphocharax
inhabits the Pacific coastal rivers of Costa Rica and Panama
along with the R??o Atrato and R??o Magdalena drainages and
the Lago Maracaibo basin. Only one species of the genus
occurs in some of the smaller drainages of the Caribbean
versant of northern Venezuela. Atlantic drainages of the
continent are inhabited by a distinctly more diverse
assemblage of Cyphocharax species that range from the R??o
Orinoco basin through the rivers of the Guianas, eastern
Brazil, and the Amazon basin south to the R??o de La Plata
basin and several small coastal drainages of central Argen-
tina. Although numerous species of the Curimatidae have
been described as new in the last quarter century, ichthy-
ological explorations continue to reveal previously un-
known species of the family (Lucinda and Vari, 2009).
Surveys of fishes in the rivers of the state of Bahia, Brazil,
yielded a previously unknown species of Cyphocharax with
an unusual pattern of scales on the caudal-fin lobes that we
describe as new herein.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Museum abbreviations follow Leviton et al. (1985) with the
addition of the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade Federal
da Bahia, Salvador (UFBA). Counts and measurements
follow Vari (1992a). Measurements were point-to-point
linear distances taken using digital calipers with a precision
of 0.1 mm. In the description, the number of examined
specimens with a particular count is provided in parentheses
with the value of the holotype in square brackets. Paratypes
are limited to specimens critically examined for purposes of
the species description, with other reported specimens of
the new species designated as non-types. Comparisons were
made to a subset of the specimens of Cyphocharax and
Curimatella cited in Vari (1992a, 1992b). Preparation of
cleared-and-counterstained specimens (CS) followed proce-
dures outlined by Taylor and Van Dyke (1985). Vertebral
counts are from specimens examined by radiography (R).
Other abbreviations in the text are head length (HL) and
standard length (SL).
Cyphocharax pinnilepis, new species
Figures 1?2, Table 1
Holotype.?MZUSP 103250, 93.2 mm SL, Brazil, Bahia,
Aurelino Leal, Laje do Banco, Rio do Banco, tributary of
Rio Gongogi, Rio de Contas basin, 14u229010S, 39u249560W,
13 February 2008, A. M. Zanata, P. Camelier, R. Burger, and
A. B. A. Go?es.
Paratypes.?All from Brazil, Bahia, Rio de Contas basin. UFBA
4170, 5, 30.1?63.8 mm SL, collected with holotype. UFBA
4885, 10, 37.4?52.6 mm SL, collected at type locality, 23
February 2009, A. M. Zanata, R. Burger, T. A. Carvalho, and A.
B. A. Go?es. UFBA 4884, 10, 38.7?93.0 mm SL, collected at type
locality, 1 March 2009, A. M. Zanata, R. Burger, T. A.
Carvalho, and A. B. A. Go?es. UFBA 4164, 7, 22.7?33.9 mm
SL, Anage?, Rio Gavia?o, 14u369380S, 41u089510W, 9 February
2008, A. M. Zanata, R. Burger, P. Camelier, and A. B. A. Go?es.
UFBA 4176, 6, 42.5?51.6 mm SL, Gongogi, Rio Gongogi,
Fazenda Sa?o Carlos, 14u209110S, 39u289380W, 13 February
2008, A. M. Zanata, P. Camelier, R. Burger, and A. B. A. Go?es.
UFBA 4886, 2, 56.8?57.1 mm SL, Rio Gongogi below
confluence with Rio Novo, Fazenda Amaralina, Da?rio Meira,
14u269110S, 39u549280W, 9 July 2008, P. H. Carvalho. USNM
298248, 4, 32.4?101.2 mm SL, Rio Gongogi, on Fazenda
Itamarati, 4 km from town of Da?rio Meira, small pools in
otherwise dry bed of tributary stream, 14u229S, 39u499W, 26
July 1988, S. Jewett, A. Zanata, H. Santos, et al.
Non-type specimens.?UFBA 5273, 10, 37.8?45.3 mm SL,
UFBA 5274, 17, 24.9?40.6 mm SL, Brazil, Bahia, Aurelino
1 Division of Fishes, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, MRC-159, National Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 37012, Smithsonian
Institution, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012; E-mail: varir@si.edu. Send reprint requests to this address.
2 Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Rua Bara?o de Geremoabo, s/n, Ondina, 40170-290,
Salvador, BA, Brazil; E-mail: (AMZ) a_zanata@yahoo.com.br; and (PC) pricamelier@yahoo.com.br.
Submitted: 30 July 2009. Accepted: 9 March 2010. Associate Editor: R. E. Reis.
F 2010 by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists DOI: 10.1643/CI-09-140
Copeia 2010, No. 3, 382?387
Leal, Laje do Banco, Rio do Banco, tributary of Rio Gongogi,
Rio de Contas basin, 14u229010S, 39u249560W. USNM
298255, 4, 31.0?35.2 mm SL, Rio Gongogi, on Fazenda
Itamarati, 5 km from town of Da?rio Meira, small pool just off
main channel of river, 14u229S, 39u499W.
Diagnosis.?Cyphocharax pinnilepis is distinguished from all
congeners by the combination of the possession of 33?36
pored scales along the lateral line from the supracleithrum
to the hypural joint, 33?35 vertebrae, the greatest body
depth of 33.5?39.3% of SL, the distance from the snout to
the anal-fin origin of 76.2?83.4% of SL, the least depth of
the caudal peduncle of 11.7?13.8% of SL, the length of the
postorbital portion of the head of 33.8?41.5% of HL, the
interorbital width of 32.8?43.8% of HL, the presence in
adults of a field of scales with a parabolic margin extending
onto each lobe of the caudal fin, the absence in adults of
prominent dark stripes or spots on the body or a dark spot at
the base of the caudal fin, and the absence of a patch of dark
pigmentation on the dorsal or adipose fins.
Description.?Morphometric data presented in Table 1. Body
somewhat compressed and moderately elongate; elongation
more pronounced in larger specimens. Dorsal profile of head
convex from margin of upper lip to vertical through anterior
nares, nearly straight from that point to posterior terminus
of head. Dorsal profile of body slightly convex from tip of
supraoccipital spine to dorsal-fin origin; straight to slightly
convex and posteroventrally slanted from base of last dorsal-
fin ray to origin of adipose fin and then slightly concave to
insertion of anteriormost dorsal procurrent ray. Dorsal
surface of body with barely apparent median ridge anterior
to dorsal fin and transversely rounded posterior to fin.
Ventral profile of head very slightly convex to nearly
straight from margin of lower lip to isthmus. Ventral profile
of body smoothly convex from isthmus to pelvic-fin
insertion, convex from that point to rear of anal-fin base
and then slightly concave to insertion of anteriormost
ventral procurrent ray. Prepelvic region smoothly flattened
transversely with midventral series of scales comparable in
size to those on adjoining portions of body. Postpelvic
region of body transversely rounded.
Dorsal fin pointed, with distal margin straight and first
and second branched rays longest. Longest ray approxi-
mately four to five times length of ultimate ray. Pectoral-fin
profile pointed. Tip of adpressed pectoral fin falls four or five
scales short of vertical through pelvic-fin insertion. Pelvic
fin profile pointed. Tip of adpressed pelvic fin reaches anus
or falls at most one scale short of that aperture. Caudal fin
forked with tips of lobes somewhat pointed. Adipose fin well
developed. Anal fin emarginate with first branched ray
longest and about three times length of ultimate ray. Tip of
adpressed anal fin falls slightly short of insertion of
ventralmost caudal-fin ray.
Head profile anteriorly pointed overall from lateral view,
but rounded in region of mouth and snout. Upper jaw
slightly longer than lower jaw with mouth subterminal.
Nostrils very close; anterior circular, posterior crescent-
Fig. 1. Cyphocharax pinnilepis, holotype, MZUSP 103250, 93.2 mm SL; Brazil, Bahia, Aurelino Leal, Laje do Banco, Rio do Banco, tributary of Rio
Gongogi, Rio de Contas drainage.
Fig. 2. Cyphocharax pinnilepis, USNM 298248, 101.2 mm SL; caudal
fin showing distribution of scales overlying base of fin lobes.
Vari et al.?New species of Cyphocharax 383
shaped with aperture closed by thin flap of skin separating
nares. Adipose eyelid well developed and extending poste-
riorly onto anterodorsal portion of opercle. Central aperture
in adipose eyelid round in smaller specimens and approx-
imately corresponds to limits of pupil. Aperture vertically
ovoid in larger individuals with eyelid overlapping anterior
and posterior portions of pupil.
All scales of lateral line pored with primary laterosensory
canal straight. Pored lateral line scales from supracleithrum
to hypural joint 33 (3), 34 (12), 35 (12), or 36 (7) [34]. Pored
scales on basal portions of caudal fin posterior of hypural
joint 2 (5), 3 (24), or 4 (5) [2]. Scales in transverse series from
dorsal-fin origin to lateral line 6 (34) or 7 (1) [6]. Scales in
transverse series from anal-fin origin to lateral line 5 (33) or
6 (2) [5]. Scales between anus and anal-fin origin 2 (24) or 3
(9) [3]. Middorsal series of scales from rear of supraoccipital
spine to dorsal-fin origin 11 (15), 12 (15), or 13 (1) [11].
Caudal fin with field of adherent scales continuing poste-
riorly onto each lobe of fin in midsized and larger
specimens. Anterior scales similar in size to those on
posterior portion of caudal peduncle but with scale size
decreasing slightly distally. Margins of scale field on each
lobe posteriorly parabolic and asymmetrically positioned
toward dorsal and ventral margins of fin (Fig. 2). Scales
extending distally approximately one-fifth length of mar-
ginal ray of lobe, reaching middle of central rays of each lobe
in adults, but absent from much of middle rays of caudal fin
even in largest examined specimens. Smaller individuals
lacking scales over caudal-fin lobes.
Dorsal-fin rays ii,10 (34) or iii,9 (2) [ii,10]; with first ray
very short when three unbranched rays present. Anal-fin
rays ii,7 (14) or iii,7 (22) [iii,7]; with first ray very short when
three unbranched rays present. Pelvic-fin rays i,8 (36) [i,8].
Pectoral-fin rays 13 (5), 14 (22), 15 (8), or 16 (1) [13]. Total
vertebrae 31 (1), 32 (8), or 33 (2).
Coloration in alcohol.?Specimens up to approximately
50 mm SL with overall dusky coloration; coloration darker
on dorsal portion of head, and dorsolateral and dorsal
regions of body. Deep-lying, dark chromatophores forming
dusky midlateral stripe on body. Stripe most evident
posterior of vertical through base of ultimate dorsal-fin ray
and with posterior section of stripe slightly expanded
vertically. Stripe terminates immediately anterior of hypural
joint. Fin rays, particularly those on median fins, outlined
by small, dark chromatophores. Adipose fin speckled with
small dark chromatophores.
Overall coloration of larger specimens retaining guanine
on scales silvery or silvery golden. Ground coloration of
larger specimens lacking guanine on head and body tan
overall, but more yellowish ventrally. Middorsal region of
head and body covered with series of small dark chromato-
phores from tip of snout to anterior border of adipose fin
and darker than adjoining areas. Head dusky dorsolaterally
and light colored ventrally. Chromatophores in postorbital
region of head slightly larger than those on snout other than
in area posterior of orbit overlapped by adipose eyelid.
Overall pigmentation of postorbital region consequently
somewhat lighter than that of adjoining areas.
Scales on dorsolateral and dorsal regions of body with dark
marginal band along free border of scale, and such bands
cumulatively forming overall reticulate pattern on those
portions of body. Dark chromatophores sparsely distributed
over central portion of exposed region of scales but more
concentrated anteriorly. Dark pigmentation absent on scales
on lateral surface of body ventral to horizontal through base
of pectoral fin and also on abdomen.
Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins somewhat dusky, with ray
margins outlined by small, dark chromatophores. Pigmen-
tation most developed distally on caudal-fin lobes, dorsal
fin, and anterior rays of anal fin. Pectoral and pelvic fins
hyaline overall, but with rays outlined by small, dark
chromatophores. Adipose fin dusky.
Coloration in life.?Infraorbitals, preopercle, central and
ventral portions of opercle, ventral portion of head, and
scales on lateral and ventral regions of body with covering of
silvery guanine. Snout, dorsal portion of head, dorsal region
of opercle, and middorsal portion of body dark. Scales on
dorsolateral region of body with guanine overlying darker
basal pigmentation. Silvery coloration in that region often
most concentrated on middle portions of scales with dark
pigmentation more intense along dorsal and ventral
margins of scales. Patterns of guanine and dark pigmenta-
tion form somewhat inconspicuous, alternatively silvery
and dark irregular stripes on dorsolateral surface of body.
Scales overlying portions of caudal-fin lobes lacking gua-
nine. Dorsal, caudal, anal, and adipose fins yellow-orange.
Pectoral and pelvic fins hyaline with rays outlined by dark
pigmentation.
Habitat and ecology.?Cyphocharax pinnilepis was captured in
small rivers (5 to 15 m wide and up to 1.8 m deep)
characterized by relatively slow currents and somewhat
turbid water. The species was also collected in shallow areas
of a reservoir along the Rio Gongogi. Substrates at all
Table 1. Morphometrics of Holotype and 31 Paratypes of Cyphocharax
pinnilepis, New Species. Range and mean include all specimens.
Holotype Range Mean
Standard length (mm) 93.2 30.1?93.2 ?
Percent of SL
Greatest body depth 38.2 33.5?39.3 36.5
Snout to dorsal-fin origin 46.8 46.8?52.2 50.0
Snout to pectoral-fin origin 27.9 25.9?30.6 28.7
Snout to pelvic-fin origin 53.9 53.4?57.5 55.7
Snout to anal-fin origin 80.8 76.2?83.4 80.4
Snout to anus 76.0 71.9?78.7 75.7
Dorsal-fin origin to hypural joint 57.1 52.8?57.1 55.4
Dorsal-fin origin to anal-fin
origin 47.4 43.5?48.8 46.3
Dorsal-fin origin to pelvic-fin
insertion 38.1 33.5?39.1 37.0
Dorsal-fin origin to pectoral-fin
insertion 38.3 34.0?38.3 36.5
Caudal-peduncle depth 13.0 11.7?13.8 13.0
Pectoral-fin length 18.6 17.4?22.7 19.7
Pelvic-fin length 20.7 19.5?23.4 21.7
Dorsal-fin length 26.7 26.7?34.4 31.1
Head length 26.3 26.3?32.2 29.0
Percent of HL
Snout length 30.2 23.5?31.8 28.3
Orbital diameter 30.2 26.8?35.2 31.5
Postorbital length 39.6 33.8?41.5 36.9
Interorbital width 42.0 32.8?43.8 38.5
384 Copeia 2010, No. 3
locations were muddy to some degree, with mud particu-
larly prevalent along the Rio do Banco where large amounts
of decomposing vegetation covered the river bottom.
Floating plants including Pistia sp. and Salvinia sp. were
abundant at sampling sites along the Rio do Banco, with
grasses the dominant riparian vegetation. All localities in
the Rio Gongogi and Rio Gavia?o where Cyphocharax
pinnilepis was captured were originally surrounded by the
Atlantic Forest. During recent centuries, the surrounding
forest was first converted to cocoa plantations and more
recently to cattle ranches with resultant major changes to
riparian habitats and most likely in water conditions and
quality (see discussion of Atlantic Forest drainages in
Menezes et al., 2007).
Distribution.?Known from Rio Gongogi and Rio Gavia?o,
tributaries of Rio de Contas, a relatively small coastal
drainage in Bahia, northeastern Brazil (Fig. 3). Extensive
ichthyological collecting efforts through all of the main
coastal rivers across Bahia in recent years failed to yield
samples of Cyphocharax pinnilepis from outside the Rio de
Contas drainage, making it possible that the species is
endemic to that river basin.
Etymology.?The specific name, pinnilepis, from pinnis,
meaning fin, and lepis, meaning scale, alludes to the
presence of a patch of scales over basal portions of caudal-
fin lobes.
Generic placement.?As presently defined, Cyphocharax is
delimited by the combination of the possession of the
synapomorphies for a quadritomy formed by that genus,
Curimatella, Pseudocurimata, and Steindachnerina in conjunc-
tion with the absence of the synapomorphies diagnostic for
each of those other genera (Vari, 1989a, 1991, 1992b). The
lack of identified derived features common to the species of
Cyphocharax leaves open the possibility that the closest
relatives of C. pinnilepis (and some other species in
Cyphocharax) lie with one of Curimatella, Pseudocurimata,
and Steindachnerina rather than with nominal congeners.
Notwithstanding that complication, Cyphocharax pinnilepis
lacks the synapomorphies that characterize Pseudocurimata
(the expansion of the ossified and cartilaginous components
of the portion of the second hypobranchial proximate to the
third basibranchial with an associated fission of the articular
cartilage on the anterior and medial surfaces of the second
hypobranchial; the posterior shift of the interdigitation of the
ventral portion of the first proximal radial pterygiophore of
the dorsal fin to between the neural spines of the fifth and
sixth or sixth and seventh vertebrae posterior of the Weberian
complex; and the pronounced reduction to complete loss of
the second set of uroneurals; Vari, 1989a:58, 1989b:8). In a
comparable mode, Cyphocharax pinnilepis lacks the synapo-
morphies recognized for Steindachnerina (the expansion of
the cartilaginous portion of the first infrapharyngobranchial;
the presence of ventral and dorsal ridges on the lateral surface
of the second infrapharyngobranchial that bracket the
anteromedial portion of the third infrapharyngobranchial;
the attachment of the ligament between the second and third
hypobranchials to a distinct anterior process on the antero-
lateral surface of the ventral process of the third hypobran-
chial; and the pronounced lateral expansion of the anterior
portion of the basihyal and basihyal tooth-plate; Vari,
1989a:58, 1991:23). The absence of these derived features
excludes Cyphocharax pinnilepis from Pseudocurimata and
Steindachnerina under present definitions of those genera.
Less straight forward is the differentiation of Cyphocharax
pinnilepis from the species of Curimatella. As noted under the
diagnosis and description, Cyphocharax pinnilepis has a
posteriorly parabolic field of scales covering the basal
portions of each caudal-fin lobe. Eigenmann and Eigenmann
(1889:7) delimited their subgenus Curimatella within Cur-
imata by its possession of ??caudal lobes thickly scaled to their
tips,?? a feature which contrasted with the absence of such
scalation in most species of the Curimatidae. In his analysis,
Vari (1992b:8) recognized Curimatella as a genus and more
explicitly defined that taxon by the possession of a broad
sheet of scales on the caudal fin, with the scales smaller than
those present on the posterior of the caudal peduncle. This
sheet of scales covered most of the lobes of the caudal fin
Fig. 3. Map of Rio de Contas basin, Bahia, northeastern Brazil, showing collection localities of Cyphocharax pinnilepis (filled in square 5 type
locality; some symbols represent more than one lot of specimens).
Vari et al.?New species of Cyphocharax 385
including the basal portions of the middle caudal-fin rays
(Vari, 1992b:fig. 1). The fields of scales overlying portions of
each caudal-fin lobe in Cyphocharax pinnilepis differ from the
scales covering the basal region of the caudal fin in the species
of Curimatella both in size of the individual scales (scales on
the caudal-fin lobes approximately the same size as those on
the adjoining caudal peduncle versus being smaller than the
scales on the peduncle, respectively) and in the extent of
coverage of the caudal fin (scales absent from much of the
middle caudal-fin rays versus scales present on those rays and
covering more than the basal one-half of that portion of fin in
adults, respectively). Given these differences in the relative
size of the scales and the degree and pattern of coverage of the
caudal fin by scales, we assign the new species to Cyphocharax.
Remarks.?Possession of scales on the basal portions of the
central rays of each lobe of the caudal fin was the basis for
the assignment of Curimatus xinguensis to the subgenus
Curimatella by Steindachner (1908). As discussed by Vari
(1992a), Steindachner?s nominal species is equivalent to
Cyphocharax leucostictus, a species known from the Rio
Amazonas basin, and coastal drainages of Amapa?, Brazil,
and which Eigenmann and Eigenmann (1889:17) reported
to possess scales on the basal portion of the caudal-fin rays.
Scales on the caudal fin of C. leucostictus form a posteriorly
parabolic field on each lobe of the caudal fin. At its
maximum extent, the scale field extends distally one-third
the length of the central rays of each lobe contrary to one-
half that length in C. pinnilepis. In addition to the common
possession of fields of large scales on the caudal fin, C.
leucostictus and C. pinnilepis have similar overall head and
body forms and pigmentation patterns. This may be
indicative of a close relationship between the two forms.
Distinguishing C. pinnilepis from C. leucostictus are the
number of pored scales along the lateral line from the
supracleithrum to the hypural joint (33 to 36 versus 39 to
45, respectively), the number of scales between the anus and
the anal-fin origin (2, rarely 3, versus 4, very rarely 3,
respectively), and the least depth of the caudal peduncle
(11.7?13.8% of SL versus 9.9?11.8%, respectively).
Northeastern Brazil has a relatively depauperate curimatid
fauna, with only six of the nearly 100 species in the family
inhabiting the river systems across the expanse from the Rio
Parna??ba in the state of Para? south to the northeastern
portion of the state of Sa?o Paulo (Vari and Menezes, 2007).
This is a strikingly restricted number of species when one
considers the numerous river systems draining that region
and its broad geographic expanse (approximately 2500 km
along the coastal contour). Curimatids known from that
region in addition to Cyphocharax pinnilepis are Curimata
macrops from the Rio Parna??ba, Curimatella lepidura endemic
to the Rio Sa?o Francisco and proximate smaller coastal rivers,
Cyphocharax gilbert which is widely distributed through the
Rio Sa?o Francisco and coastal drainages in the region from the
state of Bahia to the state of Sa?o Paulo, Steindachnerina elegans
from the Rio Sa?o Francisco, Rio Pardo, Rio Jequitinhonha,
and the coastal rivers in the state of Bahia, and S. notonota
inhabiting river systems from Para? to Rio Grande do Norte.
Despite the overall depauperate curimatid fauna of north-
eastern Brazil, the Rio de Contas has a comparatively high
diversity of species of that family, with Cyphocharax gilbert, C.
pinnilepis, and Steindachnerina elegans known from that basin.
All three of these species were collected sympatrically at
locations where C. pinnilepis was captured.
Cyphocharax pinnilepis is readily distinguished from the
species of Curimata, Curimatella, and Steindachnerina in the
type region by the lack of the generic level synapomorphies
for those three genera (Vari, 1989a), together with the key
characters detailed by Vari (1992b:35). Cyphocharax gilbert is
the only congener known to occur in the Atlantic coastal
rivers from northeastern Brazil to the state of Sa?o Paulo, but
that species can be readily distinguished from C. pinnilepis.
Most obvious among the differences between these species is
the pigmentation on the body (the presence of a dark
midlateral stripe or blotch on the caudal peduncle and often
the basal portions of the caudal fin in individuals of all sizes
in C. gilbert (Vari, 1992a:figs. 62?66) versus the lack of
pigmentation on the caudal peduncle in C. pinnilepis other
than in specimens under 50 mm SL in which the dark
caudal-fin pigmentation is much less prominent than in
comparably sized specimens of C. gilbert. Similarly there are
differences in the degree of scalation on the lobes of the
caudal fin of adults (scales absent versus scales present with
posteriorly parabolic scale field covering the central portions
of the basal one-half of each caudal-fin lobe, respectively).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Support for this project was provided by the Herbert R. and
Evelyn Axelrod Chair in Systematic Ichthyology in the
Division of Fishes, National Museum of Natural History of
the Smithsonian Institution (RPV) and Conselho Nacional
de Desenvolvimento Cient??fico e Tecnolo?gico (AMZ). E.
Baena (MZUSP) assisted with the photography of the
holotype, S. Raredon (USNM) with radiography of portions
of the type series, and L. Sousa (MZUSP) with the map. R.
Burger, A. Go?es, and T. Carvalho (all UFBA) participated in
the fieldwork that yielded the samples that served as the
basis for this paper. P. Carvalho (MZUSP) collected and
made available a portion of the paratype series. We thank O.
Oyakawa (MZUSP) for the loan of comparative specimens.
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