Laetacara dorsigera (Heckel, 1840)

Vera-Alcaraz, Héctor S., Rios, Gabriela & Emhart Vuletich, Jimmy D., 2017, Confirmation of the occurrence for seven fish species in Paraguay., Ichthyological Contributions of PecesCriollos 49, pp. 1-9 : 7-8

Laetacara dorsigera (Heckel, 1840)

Synonyms. Acara dorsiger Heckel, 1840 .

Morphology. Body moderately elongated, compressed. Head large; snout short, rounded tip; eye large; first gill arch with short rakers, upper limb without fleshy lobe. Dorsal profile of body from snout tip to end of dorsal-fin insertion convex; ventral profile of body convex; nearly straight between pelvic fin and anal fin; straight dorsally and ventrally on final portion of caudal peduncle. Dorsal fin long, posterior portion distal margin almost reaching caudal fin margin; pectoral fin short; pelvic fin long, reaching middle of anal-fin insertion; anal fin long, posterior portion distal margin almost reaching caudal fin margin, anal-fin base medium; caudal fin short, rounded. Head scales cycloid, body scales ctenoid.

Measurements. Based in four specimens. Head length 29.3-40.5% in SL. Head depth 97.5-109.9% in HL.

Counts. Based in four specimens. Dorsal-fin rays XIV-XV+9-10. Anal-fin rays III+8-9. Scales of upper lateral line series 14-15. Scales of lower lateral line series 5-8. Scales of longitudinal series 22-23.

Examined material. All from Paraguay: Departamento de San Pedro: MNHNP 71 , alc. 3, 27.1-39.5 mm SL, Valle a 3 km al noroeste de Lima, Lima . Departamento de Ñeembucú: MNHNP 1404 , alc. 7, 25.41-32.41 mm SL, Arroyo Paso Cornelio , después de Arroyo Hondo , camino Isla Umbú-Humaitá , Pilar. Departamento de Misiones: MNHNP 1766 , alc. 2, 26.6-29.9 mm SL, Arroyo Yabebyry en la Estancia Ñú Porã. Departamento de Itapúa: MNHNP 3411 , alc. 59, 9.7-40.0 mm SL, Estancia Santa Teresa , charco aprox. a 30 mt del casco de la estancia, San Pedro del Paraná.

Coloration in alcohol. Head and body ground color pale brown, seven dark brown vertical bars on flank, from caudal peduncle to dorsal fin insertion. Opercle with a large black blotch on ventral portion. A black horizontal stripe posterior to eye margin reaching anteriormost vertical bar (seventh), a black blotch on penultimate vertical bar (sixth). All fins except pectoral fin with dark brown to black transversal stripes. Dorsal fin with a black blotch at vertical line of seventh bar of body flank.

Remarks. First listed in Paraguay by Bertoni (1914), no record of specimens.