Astyanax baileyi ( Rosen 1972 ) Schmitter-Soto, 2017

Schmitter-Soto, Juan J., 2017, A revision of Astyanax (Characiformes: Characidae) in Central and North America, with the description of nine new species, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 51 (21 - 24), pp. 1331-1424 : 1367-1368

Astyanax baileyi ( Rosen 1972) comb. nov.

( Figure 24 ; see original description for illustration of holotype)

Bramocharax baileyi Rosen 1972: 4 .

Diagnosis

Diagnosed from other Astyanax species in central-eastern Guatemala as follows: interorbital space, shorter than eye diameter (vs longer, except in A. dorioni ); anal fin origin overlapping last dorsal-fin ray (usually no overlap in A. macal sp. nov.); scaly sheath on anal-fin base, simple (with imbricate scales in A. dorioni ); anterior fontanel blunt-tipped (sharp-tipped in A. dorioni ); opercular ventral tip, sharp (round in A. cubilhuitz sp. nov. and A. dorioni ). See also Rosen (1972).

Redescription

A species of Astyanax , subgenus Astyanax (i.e. with a complete predorsal series of scales).

Head profile straight to slightly concave; snout elongated ( Bramocharax - type); lips even. Pectoral fins usually reach pelvic fin origin; anal and dorsal fins overlap. Lobes of caudal fin, subequal. See also Rosen (1972).

D. 10–13; A. 23–28, mean 25; pect. 12–16. Procurrent dorsal rays on caudal fin, not seen. Gill rakers on first arch, 21–23; on lower limb, 13–14. Scales on lateral line, 34–37; predorsal scales, 12–13; scale rows from lateral line to base of first dorsal-fin ray, 7; to base of pelvic fin, 6; to base of pectoral fin, 4; circumpeduncular scales, 13–14. First anal-fin ray, somewhat thicker than the rest. A single, short scale row on anal fin base, nuptial tubercles not seen; 32–33 total vertebrae, 18–19 caudal. Detailed frequencies are given in Table 3.

Largest examined specimen, 68.5 mm SL. Body very slender, 26–31% SL. Head length, 28–34% SL; orbital diameter, typically 30% HL; interorbital distance, 6.8–8.4% SL, mean 7.6% SL. Further morphometric data are given in Table 4.

Anterior fontanel long, straight-sided, blunt-tipped. Supraoccipital process in dorsal view, short, wide-based. Dentigerous arm of premaxilla, much longer; teeth, 3 or 4. Highest tooth on dentary, first or third; posterior teeth, not abruptly smaller. Maxillary teeth, 9–13. Infraorbital II, triangular with an angled base; infraorbital III, inferoposteriorly semicircular; infraorbital IV, rectangular, with a projection; contact between infraorbitals II and III, wide. Opercle, dorsal edge concave-convex; sides of dorsal half, parallel; posterior edge, dorsally concave, ventrally straight-convex; ventral tip, sharp. Interopercle, posterior edge, straightconvex, with a spine. Preopercle,ventral rim, straight; posteroventral edge, curved; 2 canals at angle, parallel. Osteological characters not mentioned here were not examined.

Humeral spot, P-shaped. Pigment uniformly distributed on anal fin, only the anteriormost distal edge lighter. Caudal spot both on peduncle and on fin rays. ‘In life, the body color of baileyi is silvery with a pale yellow or yellow-green cast. The pelvic, anal, and caudal fins are a pale rosy color, and the dorsal is pale yellow-orange’ ( Rosen 1972, p. 5).

Type material and depositor

Holotype AMNH 30197 , 68.5 mm SL; San Simón River , 6 km west of Chisec, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, coll. D.E. Rosen and R. Bailey, 1971 . Paratypes: AMNH 29415 (2 specimens), Dolores River at Yaxcabnal, same collectors, 1968; AMNH 30199 (3), UMMZ 190763 (3), ‘an outlet tributary of a lagunetta between the Rio Rocia Pemech [Rocjá Pemech] and the Rio Canilla’, same collectors, 1971; AMNH 30198 (2), UMMZ 190495 (1), same collection data as holotype.

Distribution

Endemic to Alta Verapaz, Guatemala ( Figure 24 ).

Figures

Figure 24. Map of northern Central America, showing distribution localities of Astyanax baileyi, A. belizianus, A. brevimanus, A. cubilhuitz sp. nov., A. dorioni and A. petenensis. A larger symbol denotes the type locality.