Crenicichla empheres, de Lucena, 2007

de Lucena, Carlos A. S., 2007, Two new species of the genus Crenicichla Heckel, 1840 from the upper rio Uruguay drainage (Perciformes: Cichlidae), Neotropical Ichthyology 5 (4), pp. 449-456 : 453-456

Crenicichla empheres , new species

( Figs. 6 , 7 )

Holotype. MCP 40960. Male, 104.4 mm SL. Brazil, state of Santa Catarina, rio Chapecó, on the road Abelardo Luz-Coronel Firmino Martins , Abelardo Luz , (26º33´35"S, 52º19´41"W), 24 Jan 2006, C. Lucena, V. Bertaco, E. Pereira & J. da Silva.

Paratypes. 27 specimens, 85.1-140.7mm SL, all from Brazil. Santa Catarina: MCP 40176 (29, 23.8-139.7 mm SL, one specimen 93.2 mm SL, c&s) same data as holotype .

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of the C. missioneira group by the presence of six to eight slightly elongate blotches along middle portion of the body flank below the upper lateral line scale row, absence of a lateral band, numerous spots scattered over back, sometimes forming a reticulated pattern, and sides in males, and isognathous mouth. Crenicichla empheres is most similar to C. igara and C. jurubi in color pattern, but both males and females of the latter species show the same scattered spots including those on the head and opercle vs absent in females and males of Crenicichla empheres which has the spots confined to the lateral of body. Besides, C. jurubi may have the last three or four blotches contiguous without lighter space between them and/or mixing with the spotted pattern of the body. It differs from C. igara by the isognathous mouth (vs prognathous). Besides, females of C. empheres may show ocellated spot on the dorsal fin vs absent in C. igara .

Description. Measurements in Table 3. Meristic data in Table 4 .

Body relatively deep, body depth 18.8-23.4% SL. Head wider than deep. Caudal peduncle longer than deep. Snout short, rounded from above, blunt in lateral view. Jaws isognathous. Ascending premaxillary processes reaching to or almost to 1/2 of orbit.

Maxilla reaching to a vertical from anterior margin of orbit. Upper lip thick and wide, folds not continuous but interrupted into a symphyseal wide extent. Postlabial skin fold margin rounded. Orbit supralateral, not visible from below, chiefly in anterior half of head. Nostrils dorsolateral, about halfway between orbit and margin of postlabial skin fold, low tubular margin but no anterior marginal skin flap. Posterior margin of preopercle smooth or with a few irregularly distributed projections.

Flank scales strongly ctenoid. Scales on head, anteriorly on back (above about anterior ¼ of lateral line), along dorsal fin base, chest, and on belly below line from lower edge of pectoral axilla to anal fin origin and near anal-fin base, cycloid. Predorsal scales small, superficially embedded in skin, extending forward almost to transverse frontal lateralis canal. Prepelvic scales very small, superficially embedded in skin. Cheek fully scaled; 7-12 scale rows below eye, embedded in skin. Interopercle naked. Circumpeduncular scale rows 10-13 dorsally, 11-14 ventrally (total 24-28).

Scales between upper lateral line and dorsal-fin base 9-12 anteriorly, 4-5 posteriorly; 2-3 scale rows between lateral lines. Anterior upper lateral-line scales slightly larger and more elongate than adjacent scales, remaining lateral-line scales nearly the same size as adjacent scales. Dorsal, anal, pectoral, and pelvic fins without scales. Caudal-fin squamation marginally extending to near middle of fin.

First dorsal-fin spine about 1/4-1/5 length of last; spines increasing in length to last but subequal from about 11th. Distal margin of dorsal fin pointed in both sexes, 7th-8th rays reaching slightly to first 1/3 of caudal fin. Soft anal fin with pointed tip, in both sexes not reaching to base of caudal fin. Caudal fin truncate or slightly rounded. Pectoral fin rounded, reaching about halfway to anal fin. Pelvic fin inserted well posterior to vertical through pectoral axilla, with acuminate tip, second ray longest, reaching about halfway to spinous anal fin.

All teeth pointed, erect or slightly recurved. Teeth of outer row distinctly larger than the inner and larger anteriorly than posteriorly. Upper jaw with 5-6 inner tooth rows anteriorly; outer row teeth slightly movable or fixed, ¾ the length of the dentigerous arm of the premaxilla, one inner row almost as long; inner teeth fully depressible. Lower jaw with 4-5 inner tooth rows not distinctive; outer row teeth fixed, inner depressible.

Microbranchiospines present on both sides of all gill arches.

Lower pharyngeal tooth plate in 93.2 mm SL (female) ( Fig. 8 ) depressed dorsoventrally, length of dentigerous area 45% of its width. Medial and posteromedial teeth, strong, larger than others and with a central cusp. All other teeth conical, without retrorse cusp. 19-22 teeth in posterior row, 7 in median row.

Coloration in alcohol. Upper and lower lips grayish. Dark brown preorbital stripe from orbit across upper lip and around

tip of lower jaw. Dark brown postorbital stripe running straight from orbit to dorsal end of gill cleft, sometimes interrupted or terminate just posterior to preopercle. In general larger near orbit. Suborbital stripe reduced to a spot at margin of orbit or two to five little points below orbit. Nuchal markings other than posttemporal spot faint. Posttemporal spot prominently ocellated but smaller than half orbital diameter. A blackish, prominent blotch just above pectoral axilla, occasionally with a dorsal extension to first lateral line scales. Prominent ocellated anterior spot may be present on first vertical bar (females) or first stripe-pair (males). Large and rounded black occelated caudal spot.

Six to eight elongate blackish blotches along middle portion of body flank, all immediately below canal series upper lateral line. One wide or two narrow pale brownish bars extending up from each of five or six blotches, and single wide bars from posterior two blotches to dorsal margin of caudal peduncle.

Nape, back, and sides with numerous dark irregularly arranged spots in males, occasionally forming reticulate pattern ( Fig. 6 ) especially above the upper lateral line. Dorsal fin smoky with grayish margin and two or three rows of dark spots on spinous portion, and many small dark spots on soft

dard deviation; n = number of specimens. portion; spots large at the base compared to the remaining spots. Caudal fin smoky with numerous small dark spots except posteroventrally and posterodorsally. Anal fin smoky with numerous small dark spots distally. Pelvic fin whitish. Pectoral fin grayish.

Dorsal fin in females ( Fig. 7 ) smoky with darker margin; young occasionally with a short small row of black spots on dorsal-fin base.All females, except three specimens (86.5 94.4, and 104.2 mm SL) possess a large black, slightly horizontally extended blotch between dorsal spines 11-14, 13-16, 14-17, or 16-18; blotch narrowly margined by hyaline zone. Anal fin grayish, occasionally with a few dark spots distally. Caudal fin grayish and immaculate or with only a few dark spots on median rays. Pelvic fin whitish. Pectoral fin grayish.

Stomach contents. One female 93.2 mm SL (MCP 40176), with aquatic insect larvae.

Distribution. Rio Chapecó, upper rio Uruguay drainage ( Fig. 5 ).

Etymology. Empeheres from Greek meaning similar, in reference to its similarity with C. jurubi , species habiting the same drainage. An adjective.

Comments. The specimens of C. empheres were collected above a major waterfall ( Fig. 9 ) in the rio Chapecó. Many other localities were explored downstream and in the rio Uruguay itself, but no additional specimens were captured.

Figures

Fig. 6. Crenicichla empheres, holotype, rio Chapecó,Abelardo Luz, Santa Catarina, MCP 40960 (104.4 mm SL, male).

Fig. 7. Crenicichla empheres, paratype, rio Chapecó,Abelardo Luz, Santa Catarina, MCP 40176 (124.3 mm SL, female).

Fig. 8. Crenicichla empheres, lower pharyngeal tooth plate in occlusal view, MCP 40176 (93.2 mm SL, female).Scale bar: 1mm.

Fig. 5. Collecting localities of Crenicichla hadrostigma (triangles) and Crenicichla empheres (black dot).

Fig.9. Rio Chapecó, atAbelardo Luz,Santa Catarina.The specimens of C. empheres were collected above the waterfalls.

Tables

Table 4. Frequency counts of meristic characters of Crenicichla empheres. MCP 13585, *=Holotype.

Dorsal fin
spines	XXII	XXII	XXII	XXIII	XXIII
soft rays	10	11	12	10	11
	2	12	4	1	10*
Analfin
spines	III	III	III
soft rays	8	9	11
	14	14*	1
Pectotal fin	14	15	16	17
	2	5*	21	1
Gill raker	11	12
	13	15*
Lateral lines
upper	23	23	24	24	24	24	24	25	25	25	25	26	27	28
lower	12	13	11	12	13	14	15	12	13	14	19	10	12	10
	3	1	1	1	6	114411111	114411111	114411111	114411111	114411111	114411111	114411111	114411111	114411111
E1 scale	52	55	59	60	61	62	63	64	65	66
	1	1	2	3*	9	4	2	4	1	1