Taxonomic revision of the Menticirrhus americanus (Linnaeus, 1758) and M. littoralis (Holbrook, 1847) (Percomorphacea: Sciaenidae) species complexes from the western Atlantic.

The genus Menticirrhus is widely distributed in the Neotropical region, where its species are common and abundant in shallow coastal waters and estuaries. The diversity, biogeography, and evolutionary relationships of the Menticirrhus species are still poorly known, due primarily to the difficulty of differentiating the species, given the broad similarities in their external morphology. The present study is based on the analysis of morphological and molecular data, with the examination of type specimens and a comprehensive collection of non-type specimens from an ample geographic range. These analyses indicated that two widely distributed Western Atlantic species, Menticirrhus americanus and M. littoralis, represent species complexes. The M. littoralis species complex is characterized by the absence of dark bars on body side, and a smaller, light-colored pectoral fins, that barely reaching the tip of the depressed pelvic fins, with fewer pectoral-fin rays. This complex includes three species: M. littoralis, found in the Gulf of Mexico, M. gracilis, from the southeastern and southern coast of South America, and a new species, described here, from the northern to eastern Brazilian coast. The M. americanus species complex is characterized by the presence of dark bars on body side, and a large, dark pectoral fin, that surpass the tip of the depressed pelvic fin, with more pectoral-fin rays. This complex has two species, M. americanus, which occurs on the east coast of the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico, and M. martinicensis, found from Caribbean to Argentina, that represents a cryptic allopatric species. An identification key to all species of the genus is presented.

Integrative taxonomy of the species complex Haemulon steindachneri () (Eupercaria; Haemulidae) with a description of a new species from the western Atlantic.

Haemulon steindachneri (Jordan and Gilbert) (Haemulidae), popularly known as "cocoroca-de-boca-larga", "latin-grunt" or "latin-burro", represents a species complex found on the Atlantic western coast and on the Pacific eastern coast, condition confirmed recently by molecular phylogenies. In the present study, DNA barcoding analysis recognizes two distinct clusters; the first includes Brazil and Caribbean, and the second is composed of Pacific specimens, with genetic distance of 7.4%, differentiated by 35 base pairs. In addition to the molecular evidence, our results show morphological differences that distinguish the Atlantic lineage from that of the Pacific: anal fin, usually, with eight rays (vs. generally nine rays in Pacific); 13-15 scales below the lateral line, rarely 12 (vs. 12 scales below the lateral line, rarely 13 in Pacific), posterior margin of the maxilla robust with a slightly angled end (vs. smaller maxilla with moderately convex extremity), and presence of a spot on the pre-operculum, broad and robust, with no definite shape (vs. narrow spot, with anterior extremity tuned and posterior straight, resembling a triangle in Pacific). Therefore, based on both molecular and morphological evidences, H. steindachneri is redescribed for the Pacific coast while a new species is described for the Atlantic coast.

Phylogenetic relationships of the species of Plagioscion Gill, 1861 (Eupercaria, Sciaenidae).

The genus PlagioscionGill, 1861 (Sciaenidae; Eupercaria) is currently composed of five valid species (P. squamosissimus, P. auratus, P. magdalenae, P. ternetzi and P. montei) widely distributed in South America. This study seeks to test the monophyly of Plagioscion and develope an hypothesis of phylogenetic relationships among the species of the genus, based on the analysis of 28 characters of external and internal morphology and behavior. The ingroup consists of the five species of Plagioscion. The outgroup was composed of eight species of the genera Ctenosciaena, Cynoscion, Isopisthus, Larimus, Macrodon and Pachyurus. Cladistic analysis yielded a single most parsimonious cladogram (L = 50, CI = 0.60 and RI = 0.72). The monophyly of genus Plagioscion was supported by the presence of five synapomorphies, corroborating previous studies. The single most parsimonious cladogram recovered the following hypothesis of relationships among the species of the genus: ((P. squamosissimus + P. ternetzi) (P. magdalenae (P. montei + P. magdalenae))). Comments about all characters are presented.

A new species of Imparfinis Eigenmann & Norris, 1900 (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) from the Tapajós basin, Brazil.

Imparfinis comprises 20 valid species in the Heptapteridae, being the most diverse taxonomic group of catfishes of the Nemuroglanis subclade. The genus has one of the widest geographical distributions in the neotropical region, found on both sides of the Andes, from Costa Rica to the Paraná and Uruguay river basins in Argentina. A new species of Imparfinis is described from streams of the upper Rio Tapajós and its tributary Teles Pires in northern Brazil. The new species is diagnosed from all congeners by the presence of a vertical dark brown band W-shaped at the base of the caudal-fin rays, a thick dark brown lateral stripe from the snout to the end of the caudal peduncle, dark brown head, long maxillary barbel surpassing the distal margin of the pectoral fin, and presence of 39 or 40 total vertebrae.

Revision of Bairdiella (Sciaenidae: Perciformes) from the western South Atlantic, with insights into its diversity and biogeography

The sciaenid genus Bairdiella comprises a group of relatively small fishes found in inshore waters and estuaries of the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific. Despite recent analyses of the phylogenetic relationships of Bairdiella, there has been no comprehensive revision of the alpha taxonomy of the species of the genus. Bairdiella ronchus from the western Atlantic, has a complex taxonomic history, with four junior synonyms recognized. Based on morphological and molecular evidence, this study indicates that B. ronchus represents a species complex. The species is therefore redescribed and its geographic range is redefined. Bairdiella veraecrucis, which is currently recognized as a junior synonym of B. ronchus, is revalidated, and a new species of the genus is described from the Atlantic coast of Brazil. Finally, inferences are made on the diversity and biogeography of the B. ronchus species complex.(AU)

O gênero Bairdiella compreende um grupo de peixes relativamente pequenos encontrados em águas costeiras e estuários do Atlântico ocidental e leste do Pacífico. Apesar das análises recentes das relações filogenéticas de Bairdiella, não houve revisão abrangente da taxonomia alfa das espécies do gênero. Bairdiella ronchus, do Atlântico ocidental, tem uma história taxonômica complexa, com quatro sinônimos juniores reconhecidos. Baseado em evidências morfológicas e moleculares, este estudo indica que B. ronchus representa um complexo de espécies. A espécie é, portanto, redescrita e seu alcance geográfico é redefinido. Bairdiella veraecrucis, atualmente reconhecida como sinônimo júnior de B. ronchus, é revalidada, e uma nova espécie do gênero é descrita na costa atlântica do Brasil. Finalmente, inferências são feitas sobre a diversidade e biogeografia do complexo de espécies de B. ronchus.(AU)

The bony fishes (Teleostei) caught by industrial trawlers off the Brazilian North coast, with insights into its conservation

The Brazilian North coast is one of the world's most important shrimp fishery grounds, with a total area of approximately 223,000 km2. However, the available data on the diversity of fish caught by the region's industrial trawler fleet are limited to the commercially-valuable species. This lacuna in the data on the region's marine fish fauna is worrying, both for the management of stocks and the conservation of the local biodiversity. The present study was based on a comprehensive inventory of the teleost fishes captured by the industrial outrigger trawling operations off the North coast of Brazil. This inventory recorded 201 species belonging to 64 families and 20 orders, and revealed a unique fauna, characterized by 17 endemic species, and a mixture of estuarine-dependent and marine species, mainly associated with coral reefs. The Kernel density analysis indicated that the industrial trawling fleet operates within an important ecotone, which encompasses the transition zones of different fish communities found off the Brazilian North coast.(AU)

A costa Norte do Brasil é um dos pesqueiros de camarão mais importantes do mundo, com uma área total de aproximadamente 223.000 km2. No entanto, dados disponíveis sobre a diversidade de peixes capturados pela frota industrial de arrasto de portas na região são limitados às espécies com valor comercial. Essa lacuna no conhecimento sobre a fauna de peixes marinhos da região é preocupante, tanto para o manejo dos estoques quanto para a conservação da biodiversidade local. O presente estudo é baseado num inventário abrangente dos peixes teleósteos capturados por operações de arrasto de portas da frota industrial que opera na costa Norte do Brasil. Este inventário registrou 201 espécies pertencentes a 64 famílias e 20 ordens, e revelou uma fauna única, caracterizada por 17 espécies endêmicas, e uma mistura de espécies estuarino-dependentes e espécies marinhas, principalmente associadas a recifes de corais. A análise da densidade Kernel indicou que a frota industrial de arrasto de portas opera dentro de um importante ecótono, que abrange uma zona de transição de diferentes comunidades de peixes encontrados na costa Norte do Brasil.(AU)

A new species of Ituglanis Costa Bockmann, 1993 (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) from Rio Ribeira de Iguape and upper Rio Tietê basins, southeastern Brazil.

Ituglanis amphipotamus, new species, is distinguished from all congeners by the combination of the following characters: anterior cranial fontanel present, i,5 pectoral-fin rays, nasal canal and antorbital segment of infraorbital canal absent, five or six pairs of ribs, 39 post-Weberian vertebrae. It can be further distinguished from the sympatric I. proops by the size of the interopercular patch of odontodes. The new species is described from the Rio Ribeira de Iguape and the upper Rio Tietê basins in the southeastern region of Brazil. Comments on the biogeography of the new taxa and putative relationships with its congeners are presented. [Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AC2F3365-92C0-4444-AC89-9546365158EC].

A new species of Eigenmannia Jordan Evermann (Teleostei: Gymnotiformes: Sternopygidae) from Río Ventuari, Venezuela.

A new species of Eigenmannia is described from the Río Ventuari, Río Orinoco basin, Venezuela. It is distinguished from congeners by the presence of a bony dorsolateral flange on the dentary, the presence of teeth attached along a bony dorsolateral flange, and by the first premaxillary teeth attached to the anteroventral margin of the premaxilla. It is further distinguished from all remain congeners by a combination of characters, including a subterminal mouth, 99-107 scales along the lateral line until the end of the anal fin, and ii, 16-17 pectoral-fin rays.

Data from the ichthyological collection of the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi.

This dataset contains information on the occurrence of Neotropical fishes (Actinopterygii, Chondrichthyes, Sarcopterygii) collected in South America, mostly from the Brazilian Amazon. The ichthyology collections of the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (MPEG: http://www.museu-goeldi.br/) include specimens collected between 1900 and 2014. The dataset is now available for public consultation on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility portal (http://www.gbif.org/dataset/b0059a3a-5cab-4a08-8d14-d92c23378e43), and through Sistema de Informação sobre a Biodiversidade Brasileira (http://gbif.sibbr.gov.br/explorador/pt/recurso/62).

Ituglanis compactus, a new species of catfish (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) from the rio Jari drainage, lower Amazon, Brazil.

A new species of Ituglanis is described from rio Iratapuru, near the rio Jari, Amapá, Brazil. The new species is distinguished from all congeners by the reduced number of post-Weberian apparatus vertebrae (36 or 37); the low number of paired ribs (2); the low number of interopercular odontodes (12-15); the number of branchiostegal rays (7 or 8); the presence of elongated fontanel in parieto-supraoccipital; the pectoral-fin rays (i,5); head length (18.9-25.0); and the presence of pores supraorbital s1, infraorbitals i1 and i3 of the laterosensory system. The new taxon has a reduced body size and fully ossified skeleton, but does not display a large number of paedomorphic traits compared to congeners. Comments about taxonomy and intrageneric comparisons are made, and paedomorphic in Ituglanis is discussed. Thoughts about conservation of the new species are presented.

A new species of leaffish Polycentrus Müller & Troschel, 1849 (Percomorpha: Polycentridae) from the rio Negro, Brazil

A new species of Polycentrus is described from the rio Negro, in Brazil. It is distinguished from P. schomburgkii by the presence of two dark postocular and one subocular band, all smaller than orbital diameter, blunt snout, isognathous mouth, reduction of the serrations on the lower edge of the lacrimal-spines ranging from zero to two tiny spines at the posterior end, intensely serrated edge of the interopercle, fully serrated posterior edge of the vertical arm of the preopercle, presence of five pungent opercular spines, subopercle broadly serrated along most of its posterior ventral edge, presence of serrations dorsally on the posterior margin of the cleithrum, fourth ray of pectoral fin reaching the vertical through the anal-fin origin, 19-21 predorsal scales, 19-20 scales on dorsal-fin base, 12-14 scales on anal-fin base, and absence of a median opercular blotch.

Uma nova espécie de Polycentrus é descrita do rio Negro, Brasil. Distingue-se de P. schomburgkii por duas bandas postoculares escuras e uma banda subocular menores do que o diâmetro do olho, focinho pontudo, boca isognata, cinco espinhos operculares pungentes, borda posterior do braço vertical do pré-opérculo totalmente serrilhada, serrilhas ausente na borda inferior do lacrimal ou duas pequenas serrilhas na margem posterior, subopercular amplamente serrilhada ao longo da borda, cleitro com serrilhas na margem posterior do processo dorsal, interopercular com borda amplamente serrilhada, quarto raio da nadadeira peitoral atingindo a vertical de origem da nadadeira anal, 19-20 escamas na base da nadadeira dorsal, 12-14 escamas na base de nadadeira anal, 19-21 escamas pré-dorsais e ausência de mancha opercular.

Conhecimento e conservacao dos peixes marinhos e estuarinos (Chondrichthyes e Teleostei) da costa norte do Brasil

The tropical western South Atlantic, which includes a substantial portion of the Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone, is a region of endemism broadly recognized as being of prime importance for the conservation of the marine biodiversity. The north coast of Brazil, which comprises the states of Amapá, Pará and Maranhão from the mouth of the rio Oiapoque to the mouth of the rio Parnaíba, harbors the largest continuous mangrove in the world, with approximately 8,900 km2. The high discharge of freshwater and continental sediments in the delta of the Amazonas affects the regime of tides, ocean currents, and several oceanographic processes of the north coast, with direct impact on the composition of the biota found in the region. Despite its economic value and intrinsic biological relevance, several aspects of the diversity of the marine and estuarine fishes of the region are poorly known. This situation results mainly from a historical imbalance in terms of the number of studies devoted to increasing the knowledge of the marine biota along the Brazilian coast, such as those dealing with species inventory and taxonomic revisions, which are typically concentrated in the south and southwestern portions of the country. The scientific production focused on marine organisms of the north coast is also imbalanced, and reflects the relatively small number of taxonomists and research groups working on that subject. The insufficient knowledge of the biodiversity of the marine and estuarine fishes of the north coast is an impediment to the implementation of adequate public policies aimed at the management of natural resources in the region. In the long term, that situation is potentially harmful in terms of conservation of a still poorly known biota. A better understanding of the marine fish fauna of the north coast of Brazil will be achieved only through the investment in scientific research and personnel training in systematics and biogeography, coupled with the modernization of the current infrastructure and expansion of scientific collections of the region.

A região tropical do Atlântico Sul ocidental, que inclui uma porção substancial da Zona Econômica Exclusiva brasileira, é uma região de endemismo amplamente reconhecida como sendo de importância primária para a conservação da biodiversidade marinha. A costa norte do Brasil, que inclui os Estados do Amapá, Pará, e Maranhão, desde a foz do rio Oiapoque até a foz do rio Parnaíba, abriga o maior manguezal contínuo do mundo, com aproximadamente 8.900 km2. A alta descarga de água doce e sedimentos continentais no delta do Amazonas afeta o regime das marés, correntes oceânicas, e uma série de processos oceanográficos da costa norte, com impactos diretos na composição da biota encontrada na região. Apesar de seu valor econômico e relevância biológica intrínseca, diversos aspectos da diversidade de peixes marinhos e estuarinos da região são pouco conhecidos. Esta situação resulta principalmente de um desequilíbrio histórico em termos do número de estudos voltados ao conhecimento da biota marinha ao longo da costa brasileira, como aqueles que tratam do inventariamento de espécies e revisões taxonômicas, que são tipicamente concentrados nas porções sul e sudeste do país. A produção científica focalizada nos organismos marinhos da costa norte também é desequilibrada e reflete o número relativamente baixo de taxonomistas e grupos de pesquisa trabalhando com o tema. O conhecimento insuficiente da biodiversidade dos peixes marinhos e estuarinos da costa norte é um impedimento à implantação de políticas públicas adequadas voltadas para o manejo dos recursos naturais na região. À longo prazo, essa situação é potencialmente prejudicial em termos da conservação de uma biota ainda pouco conhecida. Um melhor conhecimento da fauna de peixes marinhos da costa norte do Brasil será atingido apenas através do investimento em pesquisas científicas e formação de pessoal em sistemática e biogeografia, acoplado à modernização da infra-estrutura e expansão das coleções científicas da região.

Description of a new species of Tetranematichthys (Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae) from the lower Amazon basin, Brazil

Tetranematichthys barthemi is described from the mouth of the rio Trombetas and related tributaries (rios Saracá and Araticum) and rio Urubu, tributary of the rio Amazon. Tetranematichthys barthemi shares with its congeners the anterior alignment of the mandibular barbels and well-developed portion of the protractor hyoid muscle connected to the mandibular barbel. It is distinguished from these species by a serrated anterior margin on the distal portion of the mandibular barbel, different from the more derived state which is composed of conspicuous digitiform elaboration in the distal portion of the barbel. Tetranematichthys barthemi can also be distinguished from its congeners by combination of characters related to morphometry and coloration pattern. Comments on sexual dimorphism, changes to the extremities of the mandibular barbels and possible interspecific relationships are presented herein.

Tetranematichthys barthemi é descrita para a foz do rio Trombetas e tributários correspondentes (rios Saracá e Araticum), e rio Urubu, tributário do rio Amazonas. Tetranematichthys barthemi compartilha com seus congêneres (T. wallacei e T. quadrifilis) o alinhamento anterior dos barbilhões mandibulares e a porção do músculo protrator hióide ligado ao mesmo barbilhão bem desenvolvida. Distingue-se destas espécies por apresentar a porção distal do barbilhão mandibular serreada na margem anterior, diferente do estado, mais derivado, observado em seus congêneres, com conspícuas digitalizações na porção distal. Distingue-se, também, de cada uma das espécies por conjuntos de caracteres combinados relacionados à morfometria e padrão de coloração. Comentários sobre dimorfismo sexual, modificações das extremidades do barbilhão mandibular e de relacionamento interespecíficos são apresentados.