Armoured Catfish (Loricariidae) are
distinctive Catfish (Siluriformes) with bodies covered in bony armoured plates
found only in South America. They are a diverse group, with a high number of
species, many of which have very limited distributions, and several new species
are described every year. They are popular in the aquarium trade, where they
are known as ‘Plecs’.
In a paper published in the journal ZooKeys
on 15 September 2014, Fábio Roxo and Gabriel Silva of the Laboratório de
Biologia e Genéticav de Peixes at the Departamento de Morfologia at the Universidade Estadual Paulista,
Cláudio Zawadzki of the Núcleo de Pesquisasem Limnologia, Ictiologia e
Aquicultura at the Departamento de Biologia at the Universidade Estadual deMaringá and Claudio Oliveira, also of the Laboratório de Biologia e Genéticav
de Peixes, describe a new species of Armoured Catfish from the Rio Doce Basin
in Minas Gerais State, Brazil.
The new species is placed in the genus Neoplecostomus, and given the specific
name doceensis, meaning ‘from Doce’.Neoplecostomusdoceensis reaches slightly
over 100 mm in length. It is brownish when preserved in alcohol, but as the
species is described entirely from museum specimens, the original colour is
unknown. It is distinguished from other members of the same genus by two fleshy
flaps between the lower jaws. This is present in older males of some other
species, but is found in all specimens of Neoplecostomusdoceensis.
Neoplecostomusdoceensis,
male specimen, 101.1 mm long, from the affluent of Rio Gualaxo do Norte, Rio Doce Basin, municipality of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Roxo et al. (2014).
Neoplecostomusdoceensis, same
specimen as above, arrow showing the developed papillae between dentaries. Roxoet al. (2014).
Neoplecostomusdoceensis is described from specimens collected from the Rio Gualaxo do
Norte, Rio Gualaxo do Sul, Rio José Pedro, Rio Piranga, Rio Manhuaçu, Rio
Suaçuí Pequeno and Rio Xopotó, all within the Rio Doce Basin in Minas Gerais
State, Brazil. All were in areas of clear water with rocky or sandy bottoms,
and often rocky outcrops forming small waterfalls. The Rio Doce Basin is a
drainage system covering 83 400 km² in Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo states
in southeastern Brazil.
Map
showing the type localitieswhereNeoplecostomusdoceensiswas
collected in the Rio Doce Basin (green highlighted drainages).
Neoplecostomusdoceensis is most closely related to other members if the same genus from
streams in the Rio Grande Basin, which drains into the Atlantic Ocean. Roxoet al. suggest that the species was
probably separated from its closest relatives by uplift in the Serra do
Espinhaço about 3.5 million years ago, due to the reactivation of ancient
faults in the area.
See also…
A new species of Armored Catfish from Pará State, Brazil. Armored Catfish, Loricariidae, are large river-dwelling Fish native to
Central and South America. They are...
A new species of Catfish from Minas Gerais State in southeast Brazil. Armored Catfish, Loricariidae, are large river-dwelling...
Two new species of Armored Catfish from Columbia. Armored Catfish, Loricariidae, are large river-dwelling Fish native to
Central and South America. They are...
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