Maratecoara Costa ^ZBK

Maratecoara Costa, 1995a ^ZBK: 68 (type species: Cynolebias lacortei Lazara ^ZBK, by original designation).

Diagnosis. Distinguished from all other plesiolebiasine genera by the following unique features of males: dorsal and anal fins long, tips beyond posterior margin of caudal fin (vs. short, tips reaching between caudal peduncle and caudal-fin base); caudal fin lanceolate, tip with two or three filamentous rays (vs. caudal fin rounded and without filaments); opercular membranes with blue iridescence, long, extending on anterior portion of pectoral fins (vs. opercular membrane short and hyaline); and flanks metallic blue, with orangish golden spots (vs. never a similar color pattern).

Distribution. Das Mortes -Araguaia -Tocantins river basin, central Brazil (Fig. 22).

Key to species of the genus Maratecoara ^ZBK

1a. 25-27 caudal-fin rays; anteroventral portion of flanks with three to five oblique orange bars; distal portion of anal fin without distinctive bright blue zone...........................................................................................2

1b. 27-30 caudal-fin rays; anteroventral portion of flanks with broad orange blotch just posterior to pectoralfin insertion; distal portion of anal fin with broad bright blue zone in males.............................. M. lacortei

2a. Scales extending onto dorsal and anal-fin bases in males; dorsal profile of head strongly concave in adult males; few pale orange spots on basal half of anal fin and flank region adjacent to anal fin, often absent; basal half of caudal fin with vertical rows of orange spots in males........................................... M. formosa ^ZBK

2b. No scales on dorsal and anal-fin bases in males; dorsal profile of head straight to slightly concave in adult males; conspicuous orange spots on basal half of anal fin and flank region adjacent to anal fin; basal half of caudal fin with orange stripes parallel to fin rays in males.................................................. M. splendida