Molecular phylogeny of Austrofundulus Myers (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae), with revision of the genus and the description of four new species.
Tomas Hrbek
Donald C. Taphorn
Jamie E. Thomerson
Zootaxa
2005
825
1
39
JWJK
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1A32491D-43B3-42CF-8DA4-6CDEA02DBC1B
Rivulidae
Austrofundulus
CoL
Animalia
Austrofundulus leoni Hrbek, Taphorn & Thomerson 2005:25
Cyprinodontiformes
25
Chordata
species
leoni
Figures 12 and 13
FIGURE 12. Photo of Austrofundulus leoniFMNH 108225 (male holotype). FIGURE13. Photo of a male Austrofundulus leoni.
Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from all species of Austrofundulusby strong reddish-brownish background body color observed in all sexually mature males. Relative to other species, the caudal peduncle is slender. The caudal fin is also large and slender with long extensions.
Description. Males have a reddish-brown colored background in the dorsal fin with several curved rows of dark brown spots. Basal spots are large, often joining into irregular or oblong flecks. The dorsal often has long fin ray extensions. The dorsal fin of females is unpatterned, with clear or light gray background. The background color of the males’ caudal fin is reddish, with grayish overtones towards the posterior section of the fin. There are numerous indistinct dull gray spots randomly dispersed on the caudal fin. The distal edge has a weak blue-black terminal edge. Both the dorsal and the ventral edge of the caudal fin extend to form a long “lyre-tail”. Females have a light grayish translucent caudal fin. The anal fin of males is patterned similarly to the dorsal fin. The background color is brownreddish with a few large indistinct gray flecks in the basal half of the anal fin. The large gray flecks coalesce and become darker to form a blue-black distal margin. The base of the anal fin is creamy white, grading into this same color on the belly. The anal fin often has a long extension. The anal fin of females is clear or light gray, with a few faint basal spots. The pectoral fins of males are uniformly translucent brownish-red with a grayish edge. The pelvic fins of males are similar to the pattern found on the anal fin. The background color is brownish-red with a few large dull gray spots in the basal portion of the fin, althoughin some males the spots are absent. The base of the pelvic fin is almost white, and blends with the color of the belly. Females have translucent, light gray pectoral and pelvic fins. The basic background color is brownish-red with gray overtones. Few dull light gray to almost white spots are present in the posterior two thirds of the body, while the anterior one third of the body has several dark brown to black colored spots. Just above, and across the opercle, the spots are arranged into several diagonal rows. The ventrum is light gray to almost white, without spots, while the dorsum is darker than the rest of the body. In females, the sides are light brown to light gray colored. The body is not spotted. As in males, the abdomen of females is lighter than the rest of the body, while the dorsum is darker. An indistinct black bar passes through the eye of both sexes, passing obliquely through the eye onto the head posteriorly above and anteriorly below the eye. The iris is silver. The upper portion of the head is dark gray, the lower light gray to cream. In females the head is predominantly gray or olive dorsally, and lighter ventrally. A few iridescent golden scales are present on the males’ opercle, which has an overall yellowish tone. For meristics and morphometrics see Table 7. Austrofundulus leoniattains up to 29.4 mm. SL with a mean length of 26.0 mm SL. Females reach up to 33.6 mm. SL with a mean length of 25.9 mm SL. TABLE 7. Meristics and morphometrics of Austrofundulus leoni. males, n = 16 females, n = 16 H low high mean low high mean Standard Length (mm) 28.8 27.9 29.4 28.6 19.7 30.7 25.2 Meristics Dorsal rays 14 15 14.5 14 15 14.5 Anal rays 16 18 17.0 16 17 16.5 Pectoral rays 14 16 15.0 16 16 16.0 Lateral scales 31 33 32.0 32 33 32.5 Transverse scales 11 13 12.0 12 13 12.5 Caudal peduncle scales 17 19 18.0 16 20 18.0 Breast scales 8 8 8.0 9 9 9.0 Morphometrics Greatest body depth .259 .296 .274 .236 .290 .260 Caudal peduncle depth .127 .153 .142 .122 .147 .138 Caudal peduncle length .180 .228 .199 .199 .236 .212 Head width .186 .234 .210 .180 .218 .202 Head depth .171 .216 .195 .165 .203 .186 Head length .333 .366 .352 .327 .366 .350 Snout length .041 .060 .048 .039 .059 . 049 ...... continued on the next page TABLE7 continued males, n = 16 females, n = 16 H low high mean low high mean Eye diameter .090 .116 .098 .092 .124 .106 Predorsal length .636 .700 .670 .635 .717 .672 Preanal length .578 .640 .602 .583 .654 .620 Dorsal fin base length .140 .196 .174 .148 .198 .173 Anal fin base length .161 .216 .198 .166 .204 .186 Dorsal fin length .254 .386 .329 .294 .349 .324 Anal fin length .271 .421 .361 .294 .390 .336 Pectoral fin length .141 .286 .229 .199 .268 .228 Pelvic fin length .111 .153 .130 .091 .142 . 126
Etymology. From Latin leo (lion) for its large size and majestic nature, and for the family LeonMata who has been instrumental to conducting research in the Maracaibo basin.
Distribution. This species is distributed in the western and southwestern lowlands of the Lake Maracaibo basin. In the north it is replaced by A. guajirawhich occurs in Venezuela only near the border with Colombia and across the Guajira peninsula. Specimens collected from the drainage of the Rio Limonhave all proved to be A. leoni.