Hypostomus pagei, Jonathan W. Armbruster, 2003

Jonathan W. Armbruster, 2003, The species of the Hypostomus cochliodon group (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)., Zootaxa 249, pp. 1-60 : 39-41

Hypostomus pagei new species

(Figs. 14B, 18)

Holotype: VENEZUELA, Yaracuy, Río Tupe, Río Aroa dr. ca. 12 km N Aroa on Highway 3, 10°30’31”N, 68°52’55”W, MCNG 24696, 1, (158.6 mm SL).

Paratypes: VENEZUELA. Falcón: Caño El 26, Río Aroa dr. 4 km N Palma Sola, 10°36’48”N, 68°33’46”W, USNM 363172, 1, (84.0) and MCNG 32097, 1 . Río Aroa, Caribbean Sea dr. 8 km W Boca de Aroa, 10°39’53”N, 68°22’15”W, INHS 34946, 1, (37.4) . Río Aroa, Caribbean Sea dr. Palma Sola, 10°35’58”N, 68°33’03”W, INHS 34952, 4, (18.7-24.7) . Yaracuy: Caño Caripal, Río Aroa dr. 13 km SE Yumare, 10°33’42”N, 68°37’37”W, INHS 34921, 1, (91.8) . Same data as holotype, AUM 30833, 2, (32.6-65.7) , INHS 60098, 9, 1 cs, (66.4-73.0) , MCNG 43794, 5, (19.6-64.8) . Río Yumare, Río Aroa dr. 7 km NW Yumare, 10°38’N, 68°43’W, INHS 60110, 1, (156.7) .

Nontype material: VENEZUELA. Lara: Río Curarigua, Río Tucuyo dr. Paso San Antonio, pozo de la Iguana near Curarigua, MBUCV V-18450, 4, (83.4-187.7) . Río Curarigua, Río Tucuyo dr. Puente Torres at bridge, INHS 28867, 1, (172.5) . Yaracuy: Río Yurubi, Río Yaracuy dr. ca. entrance to Guayabito, 10°29’08”N, 68°39’40”W, MCNG 27617, 1, (88.0) . Tributary, Río Yaracuy dr. E Marin, INHS 28902, 2, (84.9-91.8) .

Diagnosis: Hypostomus pagei differs from most other members of the H. cochliodon group mainly in coloration: a light, gray-brown with the spots considerably faded or absent (vs. a deep, dark brown with the spots well-developed). Juvenile H. pagei additionally have the caudal fin darkest along both spines and at the base, clear medially (Fig. 14B), a color pattern not found in any other members of the H. cochliodon group. Hypostomus pagei is most similar to H. hondae and H. plecostomoides . Hypostomus pagei differs from H. hondae and H. plecostomoides by the general absence of spots on the caudal fin and/or caudal-fin spines ( H. pagei may have some very faint spots on the caudal-fin spines; some H. plecostomoides lack spots on the caudal-fin spines, but the spines are almost black instead of light gray-brown) and by having shorter pectoral-fin spines (reaching 0-1 plates beyond pelvic fin when depressed below the pelvic fin vs. 2-3 plates with the exception of one specimen of H. pagei that has pectoral-fin spines that reach two plates beyond the pelvic fin and the one specimen of H. plecostomoides examined from the Lago Valencia drainage that has pectoral-fin spines that do not reach beyond the pelvic fin).

Description: See description of the Hypostomus cochliodon group for more details. Morphometric data given in Table 4. Color gray-brown. Spots, if present, usually very faint and restricted to paired fins, dorsal fin, head, anterior part of body and/or abdomen. Spots particularly faint in adults. Caudal fin darkest distomedially. Spots absent from entire caudal fin in adults. Juveniles with faint spots on caudal-fin spines and dark brown along spines and base (Fig. 14B). Caudal fin coloration darker than body color in juveniles, lightens ontogenetically until equal to body color. Juveniles typically slightly darker overall than adults.

Dorsal fin short, falling short of preadipose plate. Depressed pectoral-fin spine ventral to pelvic fin reaches beyond bases of pelvic-fin rays, but to a lesser extent than in other species of the H. cochliodon group (0-1 plate vs. 2-3 plates in most other specimens of the H. cochliodon group).

Keels weak, almost absent. Orbits forming slight ridge slightly raised above medial surface of head; ridges of dorsal and lateral aspect of head fairly smooth. Longitudinal ridge formed of raised bone and slightly larger odontodes absent on pterotic-supracleithrum beginning at postdorsal corner of orbit. Opercle usually broadly exposed, always supporting much more than ten odontodes. Plates in skin anterior to dorsal-fin spine absent or few (Fig. 6A; Table 7).

Each jaw with 7-17 teeth (mode = 11), teeth large and spoon-shaped. Average angle between dentaries 63° (SD = 5°; range: 53°-73°; N=14). Lateral line plates 27-29; dorsal plates 8-9; interdorsal plates 6-8; adipose caudal plates 9-10.

Range: Found in northwestern Venezuela in the Río Aroa, Río Tocuyo, and Río Yaracuy basins, short rivers that drain directly into Caribbean Sea (Fig. 11). Hypostomus pagei is allopatric to all other species of the H. cochliodon group.

Etymology: Named for Dr. Lawrence M. Page for his help and guidance during my career, and to honor the fact that he helped to collect a majority of the specimens of this species.