Sorubim trigonocephalus Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920

Ohara, Willian Massaharu & Neuhaus, Emanuel Bruno, 2016, On the type locality of Sorubim trigonocephalus Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae), Zootaxa 4137 (2), pp. 291-295 : 291-292

On the type locality of Sorubim trigonocephalus Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 ( Siluriformes : Pimelodidae )

WILLIAN MASSAHARU OHARA1 & EMANUEL BRUNO NEUHAUS 2

1Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo. Caixa Postal 42494, 04218-970. São Paulo, SP, Brazil. E-mail: [e-mail]

2Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Departamento de Vertebrados, Setor de Ictiologia. Quinta da Boa Vista s/ n, São Cristóvão, 20940-040. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. E-mail: [e-mail]

Sorubim trigonocephalus was described in 1920 by Alípio de Miranda Ribeiro, based on a single specimen collected in a locality identified as “Porto Velho”, during the "Comissão das Linhas Telegráficas Estratégicas de Mato Grosso ao Amazonas” (more commonly known as Rondon Commission). Given that the type locality is Porto Velho, the species has been referred to the Madeira River basin ( Lundberg & Littmann, 2003; Littmann, 2007; Eschmeyer et al., 2016). Nevertheless, after its description, no additional specimens were collected in the Madeira basin despite several ichthyological expeditions undertaken to the area ( Santos, 1996; Camargo & Giarrizzo, 2007; Rapp Py-Daniel et al., 2007; Perin et al., 2007; Pedroza et al., 2012; Casatti et al., 2013; Queiroz et al., 2013a), some of them including region of Porto Velho ( Fowler, 1913; Araújo et al., 2009; Torrente-Vilara et al., 2011; Queiroz et al., 2013b).

In the original description of Sorubim trigonocephalus, Miranda-Ribeiro (1920:13) commented: “O exemplar unico medindo 36 centims. D’este Jurupensen, foi colhido em Porto Velho pelo Geraldo Kuhlmann, em Novembro de 1914”. However, at the time of the species' description, two specimens, MNRJ 882 (Porto Velho, Geraldo Kuhlmann, 1914) and MNRJ 854 (rio Paranatinga, Mato Grosso, Comissão Rondon, Pyrineus de Sousa/Antenor Pires, 21 May 1915), were known, and, according to the records in the ledger of the MNRJ collection, both were identified by Miranda Ribeiro. In the original description it is not mentioned which is the holotype, so his son, Paulo de Miranda Ribeiro, designated the specimen MNRJ 882 as such ( P. Miranda-Ribeiro, 1953). Nevertheless, contrary to P. Miranda-Ribeiro’s (1953) decision, the specimen MNRJ 854 (Tapajós basin) is listed in the ledger as holotype. The reasons for Paulo de Miranda Ribeiro choosing the holotype were not mentioned; however, in accordance with the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), the specimen illustrated in the original description must be considered as the holotype, which corresponds to MNRJ 882 (see Littmann, 2007 for holotype image).

Until 2007, just three S. trigonocephalus specimens were known: MNRJ 882, MNRJ 854 [misquoted as MNRJ 852 in Littmann (2007)] and USNM 194403 ( Littmann, 2007), the latter two from the Tapajós basin. Recent expeditions in rivers draining the Brazilian shield have provided many individuals of this species, indicating that S. trigonocephalus ( Fig. 1 ) is relatively common in the upper/middle Tapajós River and is also recorded from the Xingu River ( Fig. 2 ). Searching for records in literature and looking at extensive collections of fishes from the Madeira River, the first author did not find any additional records nor specimens of the species in this basin. Therefore, the presence of records in the Tapajós and Xingu basins, plus lack of specimens of the species in the Madeira River and the conflicting information provided by Miranda Ribeiro (1920) raises uncertainty about its origin and type locality.

The original tags corresponding to MNRJ 882 are lost, but based on records of the Rondon Commission, it is safe to conclude that Geraldo Kuhlmann was not in Porto Velho, Rondônia State in 1914. Nevertheless, G. Kuhlmann gathered material from the Madeira River basin, preparing it for Frederico Carlos Hoehne during the Rondon Comission from 1908 to 1909 and also between 1918 and 1919.

Miranda-Ribeiro (1920:12) refering to Pimelodus versicolor [Synonym of Genidens barbus (Lacepède 1803) ], wrote: "... 4 exemplares trazidos de S. Manoel, Porto Velho – Arinos, pelo Shr. Geraldo Kuhlmann ”. Surely Miranda- Ribeiro did not refer to Porto Velho as being in Rondônia State (Madeira River basin), because the S. Manoel (= Teles Pires) and Arinos Rivers are tributaries of the Tapajós River. The botanist Hoehne (1923:29) wrote: “ No dia 17 do mesmo mez (November) chegou elle (G. Kuhlmann) no Paranatinga e em 29 de Novembro 1914 embarcava no Porto Velho do Rio Arinos para descer este ...”. From this statement it is possible to confirm that there is a locality known as Porto Velho in the Arinos River, Tapajós basin. It is clear then that the locality, Porto Velho, in S. trigonocephalus 's description does not correspond to Porto Velho municipality in Rondônia State, located in the Madeira basin. Melgaço (1884:328) wrote: “... poucas milhas abaixo (downstream) d’esta confluência (confluence of Preto River with the Arinos River) esta o chamado Porto-velho distante 10 leguas do Diamantino (14º24’24.82”S 56º26’31.26”W). E por este rio, que se faz a navegação d’esta villa para a província do Pará... ”. For these reasons, we can conclude that the locality of Porto Velho is a village about 55 Km from Diamantino municipality. As seen on the map published in Pimenta Bueno (1886), it is possible to reach the Porto Velho village through a short trail from the municipality of Diamantino ( Fig. 3 ). In 1952 this trail had already disappeared (see Rondon, 1952), and thereafter, Porto Velho, which was possibly a gold miner’s village at the time, ceased to exist. Based on these reports and consulting old maps of the region (see Pimenta Bueno, 1886; Rondon, 1952), Porto Velho is located approximately at 14º05’32.25” S 56º19’26.44” W.

The type locality of Sorubim trigonocephalus can be determined as: Arinos River, downstream from the mouth of Preto River, Juruena drainage, Tapajós basin, Porto Velho, Diamantino, Mato Grosso, Brazil, 14º05’32.25” S 56º19’26.44” W.

Material examined. Sorubim trigonocephalus : all from Brazil. MNRJ 882 , 1, holotype, 335 mm LT, Porto Velho, Geraldo Kuhlmann , Nov 1914; MNRJ 854 , 1, 360 mm LT, rio Paranatinga , Mato Grosso, Comissão Rondon, Pyrineus de Sousa/Antenor Pires , 21 May 1915.

MZUSP 106027, 1, 234 mm SL, Arapujá lake, rio Xingu, Altamira, Pará, [3º12’59” S 52º11’35” W], equipe de ictiologia da UFPA, 7 Jul 2001. MZUSP 106217, 1, 263 mm SL, rio Xingu, Arroz Cru, Altamira, Pará, [3º12’59” S 52º11’35” W], equipe de ictiologia da UFPA, 4 Dec 2000. MZUSP 33237, 2, 332– 431 mm SL, rio Xingu, Mato Grosso, 11º33’10” S 57º26’25.69” W, M. Goulding, L. P. S. Portugal & M. L. Carvalho, 19 Aug 1984. MZUSP 33238, 6, 397– 482 mm SL, rio Xingu, near confluence of the Culuene with Sete de Setembro, Gaucha do Norte, Mato Grosso, 12º55’28.03” S 52º59’36.25” W, M. Goulding, L. P. S. Portugal & M. L. Carvalho, 23 Aug 1984. MZUSP 87003, 2, 481– 522 mm SL, rio Culuene, tributary of Xingu, Gaúcha do Norte, Mato Grosso, 13º30’52” S 53º05’33.91” W, O. T. Oyakawa, J. L. Birindelli & J. C. Nolasco, 19 Oct 2004. MZUSP 87072, 2, 226– 285 mm SL, rio Batovi, tributary of Culuene, Gaúcha do Norte, Mato Grosso, 13º14’48.52” S 54º01’30.62” W, O. T. Oyakawa, I. Landim, C. Moreira, A. Oliveira, A. Datovo, J. L. Birindelli & J. C. Nolasco, 21 Oct 2004. MZUSP 95468, 8, 271– 308 mm SL, rio Teles Pires, Paranaíta, Mato Grosso, 9º27’7.11” S 56º30’46.02” W, L. M. Sousa & A. L. Netto-Ferreira, 27 Sep 2007. MZUSP 95874, 2, 296– 324 mm SL, rio Teles Pires, Itaúba, Mato Grosso, 10º58’27” S 55º44’3” W, J. S. Birindelli & P. Hollanda- Carvalho, 1 Oct 2007. MZUSP 116512, 1, 198 mm SL, rio Teles Pires to upstream of the cachoeira do Jaú, Paranaíta, Mato Grosso, 9º22’40.38” S 56º40’12.94” W, W. M. Ohara, 30 Oct 2014. MZUSP 100065, 1, 191 mm SL, rio Teles Pires to upstream of the cachoeira do Sete Quedas, Paranaíta, Mato Grosso, 9º23’53” S 56º34’37” W, W. M. Ohara, 30 Oct 2014. MZUSP 62821, 3, 184– 272 mm SL, rio Teles Pires near mouth of the rio Peixoto de Azevedo, Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, 9º59’25” S 55º33’48” W, F.A. Machado, Jul 1997. MZUSP 99993, 2, 215– 243 mm SL, rio Teles Pires to upstream of the cachoeira do Sete Quedas, Paranaíta, Mato Grosso, 9º25’02” S 56º33’01” W, L. M. Sousa & A. L. Netto- Ferreira, 16 Jun 2008. MNRJ 29671, 5, 160– 170 mm SL, rio Juruena near the fazenda São Nicolau, Cotriguaçu, Mato Grosso, 9º53’58” S 58º14’50” W, P. A. Buckup, L. F. S. Ingenito, S. Martinez-Plaza, 7 May 2006. LIRP 9792, 1, 520 mm SL, rio Juruena, PCH Telegráfica, Sapezal, Mato Grosso, 12º50’59” S 58º55’37.45” W, R. Ilário, 1 Jan, 2011. INPA 45976, 1, not measured, rio São Benedito, tributary of rio Teles Pires, UNEMAT team. INPA 45267, 1, not measured, rio Teles Pires to downstream of the cachoeira do Jaú, Paranaíta, Mato Grosso, 9º22’28” S 56º52’25” W. Bios team. INPA 45586, 2, not measured, rio Teles Pires, Paranaíta, Mato Grosso, 9º27’7.11” S 56º30’46.02” W, UNEMAT team. INPA 45268, 1, not measured, rio Teles Pires near mouth of the rio Santa Helena, Paranaíta, Mato Grosso, 9º33’23” S 56º18’36” W, Bios team. INPA 45493, 1, not measured, rio Teles Pires, Paranaíta, Mato Grosso, 9º27’7.11” S 56º30’46.02” W, UNEMAT team. Sorubim elongatus : MZUSP 116431, 1, 28.1 mm SL, rio Apiacás, tributary of rio Teles Pires, Apiacás, Mato Grosso, 9º11’41.51” S 57º05’05.11” W, W. M. Ohara, 23 Oct 2014. MZUSP 116472, 1, 312 mm SL, rio Teles Pires, Pará, 7º56’31.48” S 57º50’15.56” W, W. M. Ohara, 6 Jul 2014.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Sorubim trigonocephalus, 320 mm SL, showing live coloration immediately after capture, rio Teles Pires, balsa São José, Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, Brazil, 9 º 38 ’ 22.81 ” S 56 º 00 ’ 55.49 ” W. Specimen not preserved.

FIGURE 2. Map of the Tapajós and Xingu Rivers, and adjoining areas, showing the geographic distribution and type-locality (black star) of Sorubim trigonocephalus. Symbols may represent more than one lot or locality.

FIGURE 3. Cartography of the Mato Grosso State of Pimenta Bueno (1886) indicating the locality of Porto Velho (blue arrow) and Diamantino (black arrow). In detail the upper Tapajós River and Paraguay basin. Walking trails are indicated by the red line.