Cruciglanis pacifici, Ortega-Lara & A, 2006

Ortega-Lara, Armando & A, Pablo Lehmann, 2006, Cruciglanis, a new genus of Pseudopimelodid catfish (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes) with description of a new species from the Colombian Pacific coast, Neotropical Ichthyology 4 (2), pp. 147-156 : 150-153

Cruciglanis pacifici , new species

Fig. 1

Holotype. IMCN 2359 (1), 95.5 mm SL; Colombia, Valle del Cauca Department, near Buenaventura city, San Cipriano River where it crosses San Cipriano village , confluence of the La Sardina stream, approximately 500 m before the confluence with Dagua River , Dagua River basin, 03º50.543’N 76º54.068’W, 84 m of altitude; 14 Sep 2003, Armando Ortega-Lara, Gian Carlo Sánchez & Amabelly Aguiño . Paratypes. IMCN 2354 (2) , 37.8-85.8 mm SL, Colombia, Valle del Cauca Department, Buenaventura municipality, Danubio River, tributary of the Anchicayá River , Alto Anchicayá dam, Anchicayá River basin, 7 Mar 2002, Armando Ortega-Lara ; IMCN 2358 (2) , 27.1- 29.8 mm SL, Colombia, Valle del Cauca Department, Buenaventura municipality, Anchicayá River , Alto Anchicaya dam, 7 Apr 2002, Armando Ortega-Lara ; IMCN 2356 (3, 3c&s) , 39.7-99.5 mm SL, Colombia, Valle del Cauca Department, Buenaventura municipality, Aguaclara River 600 m before its confluence with the Anchicayá River , Anchicayá River basin, 14 Jul 2002, Armando Ortega-Lara ; MHNUC 0355 (2, 1c&s) , 76.85-91.50 mm SL, Colombia, Valle del Cauca Department, Buenaventura municipality, San Cipriano River near San Cipriano village , Dagua River basin, aprox. 03º50.188’N 76º53.795’W, 86 m of altitude. 8 Oct 2002, A. Ortega-Lara, G. C. Sanchez & A. Aguiño . IMCN 2350 (2, 1c&s) , 89.8-100.47 mm SL, MCP 39666 (1) , 110.88 mm SL, and ICNMHN 14919 (1) , 100.1 mm SL, Colombia, Valle del Cauca Department, Buenaventura municipality, San Cipriano River when it crosses San Cipriano village , Dagua River basin, 03º50.188’N 76º53.795’W, 86 m of altitude, 13 Apr 2003, Gian Carlo Sánchez . IMCN 2351 (1) , 123.6 mm SL, Colombia, Valle del Cauca Department, Buenaventura municipality, San Cipriano River when it crosses San Cipriano village , Dagua River basin, 03º50.188’N 76º53.795’W, 86 m of altitude, 13 Sep 2003, Gian Carlo Sánchez ; IMCN 2352 (2) , 103.2-107.5 mm SL, CZUT-IC 1895 (1) , 101.7 mm SL, IAvH 7505 (1), 95.8 mm SL and MCP 39667 (1) , 106.5 SL, Colombia, Valle del Cauca Department, Buenaventura municipality, San Cipriano River when it crosses San Cipriano village , Dagua River basin, 03º50.188’N 76º53.795’W, 86 m of altitude, 14 Sep 2003, Armando Ortega-Lara, Gian Carlo Sanchez y Amabelly Aguiño . IMCN 2353 (1) , 87.4 mm SL, Colombia, Valle del Cauca Department, Buenaventura municipality, La Conferencia stream tributary of San Cipriano River, Dagua River basin, 7 Jan 2004, Gian Carlo Sánchez ; CIRUV 87007 (4) , 73.8-131.2 mm SL, Colombia, Valle del Cauca Department, Buenaventura municipality, Anchicayá River in the confluence with the Sabaletas River , Anchicayá River basin, 1987, Claudia Eugenia Ospina y Camilo Alberto Restrepo .

Diagnosis. As for the genus.

Description. Morphometric characters of holotype and nine paratypes given in Table 1, meristic characters given in Table 2. Body cylindric, relatively elongated, 26.2-28.8% of SL; head moderately depressed, bones covered by skin; supraoccipital process wider at base than posteriorly with bifurcated tip contacting supraneural, blunt tipped and convexly sided ( Fig. 4a ); fontanels not visible through skin, anterior fontanel elongated reaching transverse line through opening of infraorbital sensory channel in sphenotics ( Fig. 4a ); posterior fontanel small and oval-shaped, located in center of supraoccipital. Eye small, covered by skin, in latero-dorsal position; anterior nostril tubular and separated from lip rim; posterior nostril closer to eye than to anterior nostril ( Fig. 1 ); mouth wide (56.3-64.6% of HL), upper jaw projecting slightly beyond lower; upper and lower lip subdivided in two fleshy rims parallel to snout margin. Teeth small, villiform; premaxilae laterally projected backwards ( Fig. 3a ), dentary symphysis straight. Maxillary barbel inserted on upper lip anterior to anterior nostril, reaching base of pectoral spine. External mental barbel inserted at same level of gular fossa apex reaching branchial opening ventrally. Internal mental barbel inserted anterior to gular fossa apex, reaching symphysis of branchiostegal membrane; branchiostegal membrane free from isthmus; gular fossa V-shaped, with sharply pointed but inconspicuous apex ( Fig. 1 ). Anterior mesial margin of mesethmoid anterior to premaxillary posterior mesial margin ( Fig. 3a ); vomer present, T-shaped and contacting parasphenoid and mesethmoid but not lateral ethmoid, without interdigitating joints with mesethmoid and parasphenoid ( Fig. 3a ). Autopalatine posteriorly expanded dorso-ventrally; metapterygoid with antero-lateral upper projection more developed than lower; levator crest palatine arch moderately developed.

Dorsal-fin origin on first third of body, posterior edge convex; dorsal spine strongly ossified, shorter than following branched ray, posterior edge of dorsal spine with two distal serrae. Pectoral-fin spine serrated, covered by skin, anterior margin with 11-15 serrae of similar size and posterior and base of caudal fin. Dorsal-fin rays I,6; pectoral-fin rays I,7; pelvic-fin rays i,5; anal-fin rays iv-v,6-7; caudal-fin rays i,14,i; dorsal procurrent rays 13-18 (unsegmented) and 3-5 (segmented); ventral procurrent rays 11-15 (unsegmented) and 3-4 (segmented). Free vertebrae 37, ribs 9-10.

margin with 8-11 serrae larger than on anterior side, increasing progressively in size and curvature from base distally; posterior edge of pectoral fin convex; mesocoracoid arch elongated, stick-shaped in 90º angle; posterior cleithral process thin, sharp and long, longer than half of adducted pectoral spine; axillary pore absent. Pelvic fin rounded inserted behind end of dorsal-fin base. Anal fin with rounded posterior edge and inserted below 15 th or 16 th vertebra. Caudal fin emarginated, with rounded lobes and inferior lobe slightly more developed and longer than dorsal ( Fig. 5a ). Adipose fin 12.3-14.2% of SL, originating at level of anal-fin origin, posteriorly rounded and free from caudal peduncle ( Fig. 1 ).

Distance between end of dorsal-fin base and origin of adipose fin 26.2-28.9% of SL. Nine or ten pairs of pleural ribs associated with vertebrae 6 th to 14 th- 15 th, first hemal spine complete on vertebrae 14 th- 15 th; total number of vertebrae 36(2), 37(4), or 39(1). Head sensory canals unbranched, ending in single pore; lateral line incomplete surpassing posterior end of adipose fin by more then half of its length. Epidermal papillae well developed, concentrated mainly on barbels, head, Color in life. Dorsal region of head, lateral surface of body, and adipose fin brown, ventral region cream (beige) with some brown spots. Four dark brown vertical marks on sides, first on occipital region; second completely crossing base of dorsal fin, joining first just behind posterior cleithral process and reaching anterior portion of belly; third mark crosses through base of adipose fin and extends onto middle anal-fin rays, third mark also joining dorsal portion of second mark by two bands that flank back of body between dorsal and adipose fins, forming clear oval-shaped spot that extends dorsally from insertion of dorsal fin to origin of adipose fin ( Fig. 6 ); fourth mark covers first three fourths of caudal fin; posterior quarter of caudal fin hyaline ( Figs. 5-6 ). Pectoral, dorsal, anal, and adipose fins dark, except for completely hyaline or semitransparent posterior rims (variable clear area on adipose); pelvic fins generally clear except at their base where some dark pigmentation occurs. Pattern above shows very little variation among specimens observed ( Fig. 6 ).

Color in alcohol. Body coloration pattern conserved in alcohol, but some general changes occur in color tones. Dorsal region of head and dorso-lateral area of body with dark grayish brown tone, body lateral surface turns gray-purple, and cream (beige) color intensified on ventral region of body and head. Brown spots present in life turn maroon, and semitransparent areas observed in vivo turn white ( Fig. 1 ).

Etymology. The specific name, pacifici , is treated as a noun in apposition, in allusion to the endemic distribution of this species in the coastal rivers draining the western slope of the Cordillera Occidental of Colombia.

Distribution. San Cipriano River, Dagua River basin; Anchicayá, Aguaclara and Danubio Rivers, Anchicayá River basin, western slope of the Pacific versant, Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia ( Fig. 7 ).

Natural history. This species is found in undisturbed clear and shallow rivers in strong current and on gravel to small stone substrates (riffles or runs). Cruciglanis pacifici generally shares its microhabitat with other species of fishes like Gobiesox sp. , Chaetostoma marginatum, Cordilancistrus daguae, Astroblepus trifasciatus , Trichomycterus taenia ; as well as shrimps ( Atya ). The stomach contents of five specimens caught in the Aguaclara River, showed immature aquatic insects belonging to Trichoptera, Diptera, Ephemeroptera and Odonata, and terrestrial insects of the orders Hymenoptera and Coleoptera.

Figures

Fig. 1. Cruciglanis pacifici, holotype, IMCN 2359, 95.5 mm SL; Colombia, Valle del Cauca Department, near Buenaventura city, San Cipriano River, near San Cipriano village, Dagua River basin, Pacific drainage, Colombia.

Fig. 4. Neurocranium in dorsal view. a. Cruciglanis pacifici, paratype. IMCN 2356, 79 mm SL. b. Pseudo-pimelodus bufonius IMCN 2349, 158 mm SL. c. Microglanis iheringi ICNMHN 1021, 42 mm SL. d. Batrochoglanis transmontanus IMCN2347, 163mm SL. Scale bar:5 mm.

Fig. 3. Ethmo-vomerine region in ventral view. a. Cruciglanis pacifici, paratype. IMCN 2356, 79 mm SL. b. Pseudopimelodus bufonius: IMCN 2349, 158 mm SL.c. Batrochoglanistransmontanus IMCN 2347, 163 mm SL.d.Microglanis iheringi: ICNMHN 1021, 42 mm SL. Scale bar:4 mm.

Fig. 5. Forms and pattern of coloration of the caudal fin. a. Cruciglanispacifici,paratype.IMCN2350,101mmSL.b.Pseudopimelodus bufonius IMCN 1142, 97 mm SL. c. Batrochoglanis transmontanusIMCN 2086, 102mmSL.d.Microglanisiheringi ICNMHN1021,31mmSL.Scalebar:10mm.

Fig. 6. Live specimen of Cruciglanis pacifici, IMCN 2353, paratype (87.4 mm SL), collected in La Conferencia stream, tributary of San Cipriano River, in the Dagua River basin, Pacific vertent, near to Buenaventura city in theValle del Cauca Department, Colombia.

Fig. 7. Geographic distribution of Cruciglanis pacifici. Type locality (star); additional collection localities (dots).