Tatia brunnea Mees, 1974

Sarmento-Soares, Luisa Maria & Martins-Pinheiro, Ronaldo Fernando, 2008, A systematic revision of Tatia (Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae: Centromochlinae), Neotropical Ichthyology 6 (3), pp. 495-542 : 507-510

Tatia brunnea Mees, 1974

Figs. 13-15

Tatia brunnea Mees, 1974: 84 , fig. 21 [type locality: Suriname, Compagnie stream]. Mees, 1983: 46 [ French Guiana: streams Balaté & Awahakiki]. Mees, 1985: 242 [ Suriname, Loë stream]. Mees, 1988: 411 [ French Guiana: Sinnamary, Petit-Saut]. Soares-Porto, 1998: 331-350 [citation]. Kobayagawa, 1991:104 [reference]. Wallace, 2002: 297 [Negro river]. Ferraris, 2003:475 [checklist]. Ferraris, 2007: 77 [checklist].

Tatia cf. intermedia . Mees, 1983: 46, fig. 2 [Blanche stream, Acarouany, French Guiana]. Le Bail et al., 2000:68 [reference].

Tatia aulopygia . Goulding et al., 1988: 180 [Negro river].

Tatia sp. cf. brunnea . Burgess, 1989: 595, pl. 113 [tropical South America].

Tatia intermedia . Burgess, 1989: 242 [Guianas]. Soares-Porto, 1998: 333 [citation].

Diagnosis. Tatia brunnea is distinguished from its congeners by the male anal fin with sharp pointed tip; the first unbranched anal-fin ray divided into 3-4 segments; and the last branched ray reduced ( Fig. 15 ). Tatia brunnea differs from most of its congeners, except T. aulopygia , T. intermedia and T. gyrina by having a wide mouth, width 54.0-59.7% HL (vs. 39.0-53.3% HL). Additional characteristics for recognition of T. brunnea are diagnostic in combination: Nasal ossified with wide medial flanges partially sutured to lateral margin of mesethmoid; ribs 9-10; post-Weberian vertebrae 34-36. Additional features useful for distinguishing T. brunnea include details in coloration, such as: border of mouth whitish, contrasting with dark head; posterior border of nuchal shield usually whitish or pale; pectoral-fin spine usually with transverse bands; and caudal fin usually whitish with scattered dark brown blotches.

Description. Measured adult specimens 54.6-97.4 mm SL; morphometric data presented in Table 4. Body deep, head depressed dorso-ventrally. Head robust, outline of head in dorsal view somewhat elliptic, broader than long. Trunk from dorsal-fin base to caudal peduncle gradually compressed laterally. Outline of head in dorsal view from snout tip to opercular margin slightly convex until pectoral-fin insertion. Ventral profile of head and abdomen slightly convex. Ventral profile of body gently curved, concave behind anal-fin origin.

Head integument thin, cranial roof visible; well-developed adipose eye lid; eye latero-dorsally located in anterior portion of head; mouth terminal, upper lip extended posterolaterally as well-developed fleshy rictal fold; anterior nostril tubular, located on anterior border of snout, above lip; posterior nostril large, rounded, limited by small skin flap; transverse distance between anterior nostrils proportionally the same distance between posterior ones in HL. Maxillary barbel short, extending close to posterior tip of postcleithral process, sometimes larger; mental barbels short, tips not reaching pectoral-fin base, arranged in arc along ventral surface of jaw; inner mental barbel about 55.0-65.0% length of outer mental barbel. Postcleithral process almost reaching vertical through middle or end of dorsal fin. Caudal peduncle deep, depth about 14.3-17.4% SL.

Rostral border of cranium broad with mesethmoid as long as broad; premaxilla underneath with synchondral articulation; cranial fontanel elliptical, bounded by mesethmoid and frontal ( Fig. 14 ); nasal ossified with narrow medial flanges, not sutured to mesethmoid in immature specimens, but sutured to mesethmoid in adults; autopalatine tubular, oriented obliquely to longitudinal axis of body; maxilla about same size of autopalatine; prevomer expanded anteriorly with well developed arrow-shaped lateral processes; jaws of equal size; premaxilla and dentary with three to four rows of conical teeth. First nuchal plate trapezoid; second nuchal plate slightly concave along lateral margins; third nuchal plate curved, projected laterally, with broad tip. Epioccipital process very small.

Suspensorium, hyoid arch, branchial skeleton and opercular bones as in generic description. Suprapreopercle present as short canal bone. Five to six branchiostegal rays articulated with hyoid arch: three or four with anterior ceratohyal and two with posterior ceratohyal; last two flattened and expanded; basibranchial 2 forming osseous rod with broad cartilaginous anterior tip, separated from shorter basibranchial 3.

Five infraorbital bones in incomplete series. Infraorbital 1 thin with short ventro-lateral process; remaining infraorbitals thin, reduced to canalicular portions; infraorbital 2 smallest, followed by non-ossified portion of canal below eye and by two posterior canal bones much close to sphenotic, forming posterior orbital rim. Lateral line on body with ossified canal bones posteriorly to vertical of pelvic fin origin.

Dorsal fin I,5 (n=24); dorsal-fin spine with 13-14 antrorse serrations along anterior margin; posterior margin smooth. Pectoral fin I,4-5 (n=24); pectoral-fin spine with 19-21 antrorse serrations along anterior margin; 12-14 retrorse serrations along posterior margin; serrations along both margins progressively larger towards spine tip. Pelvic-fin i,5 (n=24); margin rounded. Adipose fin large, origin on vertical through middle anal-fin base.Anal fin iii, 7, rarely iii, 8 (n=24); anal-fin pterygiophores in seven to eight rod-like proximal radials and six to seven cartilaginous distal radials. Caudal fin forked, lobes with rounded tips, 8+9 principal rays, 18-22 upper procurrent, 14-20 lower procurrent rays (n=24). Pleural ribs 9- 10, attached to consecutive vertebrae. Post-Weberian vertebrae 34-36 (n=13).

Color in alcohol. Color pattern considered as diagnostic in original description by Mees (1974: 84): color dark brown in fresh specimens, with vague pale areas; older specimens with wavy longitudinal bands and dots of dark brown, alternating with pale brown areas; dorsal shield usually distinctly paler than body; pectoral, dorsal and adipose fins spotted with brown, dorsal fin largely dark brown; ventrals and anal fins hyaline, caudal fin hyaline with large irregular blackish brown dots. Contour of lips and anterior nostrils usually whitish. Pectoral fin usually with transversal dark bands. Live coloration in T. dunni aquarium specimen illustrated by Burgess (1989: pl. 113).

Large preserved specimens (over 90 mm SL) with diminished color pattern. These individuals bear spots, blotches or even stripes generally much less defined.

Color variation. Regional variation in pigmentation was observed in T. brunnea (as exemplified in Fig. 13 ). Suriname specimens attain smaller adult size (50-72 mm SL) and have irregular stripes or blotches along body ( Fig. 13a ). Specimens from Negro river attain larger size (60-97.4 mm SL), and are mottled with dark and light brown areas ( Fig. 13b ). Some are completely dark brown along sides of body, with caudal-fin lobes irregularly striped (MZUSP 81139).

In the headwaters of upper Negro river, draining the Cerro de Neblina Mountains, the catfishes attain the largest size observed for the species, 116 mm SL, and have large irregular stripes on sides of body. A single population of T. brunnea was found in central Amazon , in the Trombetas river . These fishes have dark brown bands at the center of each caudal-fin lobe, a coloration pattern also observed in some specimens from the Negro river ( INPA 15989 ) .

Sexual dimorphism. Based on examination of gonads, T. brunnea attains sexual maturity above 54.6 mm SL. The upper Amazon population, however, is found to consist of larger individuals and maturation was attained above 70 mm SL. In mature females a genital papilla is not evident. The genital papilla of mature male is visible, with an emergent deferent duct. The anal fin of mature males ( Fig. 15 ) is strongly modified, with three thickened unbranched rays. The first unbranched ray is the shortest ray, about three-quarter length of second unbranched ray. First unbranched ray is segmented, usually with 3-5 separated dermal segments (lepidotrichia).A segmented first unbranched ray was observed in most Suriname specimens, but not in all, and may be associated to regional differentiation. The first unbranched anal-fin ray is immediately preceded by a tegumentary keel ( Fig. 15 , tk). The second unbranched ray has an intermediate size between the neighboring first and third rays. Third unbranched is the longest ray forming a long sharp pointed fin tip together with the first branched ( Fig. 15 , uiii). Third unbranched distal segments are antrorsely curved ( Fig. 15 , ac). First branched ray bearing retrorsely curved distal segments ( Fig. 15 , rc). Posterior branched rays are normally developed and progressively shorter; with last ray reduced ( Fig. 15 , b 7 ).

Hemal spines 16-19 interdigitate with the anal-fin pterygiophores; hemal spines 15-17 or 16-18 are thickened in mature males, but undifferentiated in females. The caudal-fin lobes have the same length in mature females, whereas upper lobe is elongated in mature males.

Distribution. Tatia brunnea was described from the Suriname and Marowijne-Maroni river basins in Suriname. It was recorded in French Guiana from the Maroni and Sinnamary river basins. In Brazil it occurs in the Negro river drainage and at a single locality in Central Amazon basin, in the Trombetas river drainage ( Fig. 6 ).

Remarks. Until recently, T. brunnea was thought to be restricted to Suriname ( Ferraris, 2003), although it was previously recorded in the Negro river as well ( Wallace, 2002). The overall coloration of T. brunnea ressembles that of T. dunni , from upper Amazon. Details in coloration of caudal fin helps to distinguish between these two species, as in T. brunnea the caudal fin is whitish with dark spots or bands (vs. darker with whitish blotches in T. dunni ). Additional distinctions include a wide head in T. brunnea , 86.6-93.4% HL (vs. narrow in T. dunni , 76.0-80.1 % HL); a wide mouth, 54.0-59.7% HL (vs. narrow, 48.1-52.3% HL); and a male modified anal fin with sharply pointed distal tip (vs. short rounded distal tip). Tatia brunnea occurs in sympatry with T. intermedia in some rivers in Suriname and French Guiana and also in the Trombetas river.

Material examined. 128 specimens (16.2-97.4 mm SL). Holotype. Suriname: RMNH 26196, 56.5 mm SL, Compagnie stream (holotype of Tatia brunnea ). Paratypes. Suriname: AMNH 58390, 1 (54.6 mm SL) ( R), Kamaloe stream, right margin of Marowijne river. RMNH 26197, 3 (47.6-60.0 mm SL), Compagnie stream; RMNH 26198, 3, 1 CS (35.1-40.3 mm SL), Kwambaolo stream, near dam; ZMA 105.526, 4 (26.5-36.6 mm SL), Gran river, 63 Km south of Affobakka; ZMA 105.860, 1 (41.5 mm SL) ( R), Sara stream, about 27 Km south of dam; ZMA 105.849, 7 (27.0- 52.2 mm SL) ( R), Maka stream, tributary of Lawa river, Marowijne district (paratypes of Tatia brunnea ). Non-type specimens: Brazil: Amazonas: ANSP 165747, 2, igarapé Castanho, Negro river; CAS 76790, 2 (70.3-80.2 mm SL), Cuieras river; INPA 14228, 2 (96.9- 97.4 mm SL), Urubu river, igarapé of Gavião, Farm Esteio, Negro river basin; INPA 15989, 1 (66.6 mm SL), Presidente Figueiredo, Urubu river, Negro river basin; INPA 16577, 1 (89.0 mm SL), Jauaperi river, igarapé Cambina, Negro river basin; MCZ 52670, 2 (28.2-37.0 mm SL), Cuieras river in isolated pool; MZUSP 9352, 1 (18.6 mm SL), Central lake, left margin of Negro river between Camanaú and Apeú rivers; MZUSP 31075, 1 (34.0 mm SL), Negro river, Barcelos, island lake; MZUSP 44126, 1 (38.3 mm SL); MZUSP 44258, 2 (23.4-36.7 mm SL), Negro river, Anavilhanas archipaelago; ZMA 119.949, 1 (58.0 mm SL), Negro river and tributaries; MZUSP 81139, 1 (78.0 mm SL), Tiquié river, between communities of Caruru and Boca de Sal, Negro river drainage; MZUSP 81177, 2 (36.9-59.4 mm SL), Tiquié river, mouth of igarapé Açaí, near São Pedro community, Negro river drainage; MZUSP 81250, 10, 1 CS (44.6-81.7 mm SL), Tiquié river, between communities of São Pedro and Caruru upstream from waterfalls, Negro river drainage; ZMA 119.949, 1 (58.0 mm SL), Negro river and tributaries. Pará: MNRJ 15332, 1 (32.7 mm SL), MNRJ 15333, 1 (44.4 mm SL) and MNRJ 15334, 3, 1 CS (31.1-43.4 mm SL), igarapé Saracazinho, tributary of Batata lake, Porto Trombetas. French Guiana: RMNH 28570, 3 (29.6-50.0 mm SL), Awahakiki river; RMNH 28569, 2 (34.3-41.4 mm SL) and RMNH 28571, 4, 1 CS (25-37 mm SL), Balaté stream; RMNH 30494, 1 (70.0 mm SL), Petit-Saut, Sinnamary. Suriname: AMNH 58391, 2 (65.3-75.4 mm SL), Suriname river near Botopasi; RMNH 27530, 3 (26.7-28.0 mm SL), upper Loë river, tributary of Litani river; RMNH 28568, 2 (42.5-45.0 mm SL), stream below Acarouany; RMNH 28654, 1 (51.5 mm SL), stream below Bivouac downstream from Lombok waterfalls; RMNH 28655, 1 (54.0 mm SL), tributary at right margin of Nickerie river below Blanche Marie Falls; RMNH 28656, 2 (50.0- 81.0 mm SL), tributary at right margin of Kaboeri stream, Corantjn river basin; RMNH 28658, 2 (45.1-74.0 mm SL), tributary at right margin of Kabalebo river, about 8 Km below Avanavero waterfalls; USNM 226124, 1, stream south of Matapi, Nickerie district; USNM 226125, 5 (16.2-23.3 mm SL), tributary of Corantijn river, north of Tiger Falls, Nickerie district; ZMA 105.831, 3 (34.4-60.2 mm SL), tributary of Nickerie river south of Stondansie Vallen.

Figures

Fig. 13. Tatia brunnea. (a) AMNH 58390, paratype, male, 54.6 mm SL, Kamaloe Stream, Suriname.(b) MZUSP 81250, female, 52.4 mm SL, Tiquié river,Amazonas State, Brazil.

Fig. 14. Neurocranium of Tatia brunnea, RMNH 26198, paratype, 39.1 mm SL. Dorsal view. Abbreviations: ep, epioccipital; fo, single cranial fontanel, fr, frontal; le, lateral ethmoid; me, mesethmoid; na, nasal; n1, first nuchal plate, n2; second nuchal plate; n3, third nuchal plate; pe, posterior epioccipital process; ps, posttemporal-supracleithrum; pt, pterotic; so, supraoccipital; sp, sphenotic. Scale bar =1.0 mm.

Fig. 15. Male modified anal fin of Tatia brunnea, RMNH 26196, holotype, 56.5 mm SL.Left side lateral view.Abbreviations: ac, antrorsely curved denticulation; b1, branched first ray; b7, branched seventh ray; dd, deferent duct; rc, retrorsely curved denticulation; tk, tegumentary keel; ui, unbranched first ray; uii, unbranched second ray; uiii, unbranched third ray. Scale bar =1.0 mm.

Fig. 7. Tatia aulopygia, (a) INPA 11080, male, 104.6 mm SL, Guaporé river, Amazonas State, Brazil. (b) ZMA 114.280, young female, 46.3 mm SL, Humaitá,Amazonas State, Brazil.

Fig. 6. Drainage map of northern South America illustrating the geographic distribution of the species of Tatia. Symbols may represent more than one locality. Base map by Marilyn Weitzman.