Hypsolebias bonita, Abrantes & Ramos & Bento & Lima, 2023

Abrantes, Yuri Gomes, Ramos, Telton Pedro Anselmo, Bento, Diego De Medeiros & Lima, Sergio Maia Queiroz, 2023, Molecular delimitation of the seasonal killifishes of the Hypsolebias antenori species group (Cyprinodontiformes, Rivulidae), with description of two new species from the Caatinga coastal basins, northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 5389 (5), pp. 545-562 : 552-556

Hypsolebias bonita , new species

( Figs. 5 and 6 , Table 1 )

Simpsonichthys antenori (not Tulipano): Costa, 2007: 97 (comparative material, ZVC.P uncat.: Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró ) .

Hypsolebias antenori (not Tulipano): Costa, 2011: 225, fig. 5 (distribution); Costa et al., 2014: 2–3, figs. 1, 3 (distribution; phylogenetic relationships); Oliveira et al., 2018: 251–252, figs.1, 3 (habitats notes); Abrantes et al., 2020: 306–307, figs. 1–2 (listed: córrego Virgílio microbasin, rio Apodi-Mossoró, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte); Abrantes et al., 2023: 5 (listed: córrego Virgílio microbasin, rio Apodi-Mossoró, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte).

Holotype. MNRJ 54899 , male 38.8 mm SL: Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte State, Baraúna Municipality, córrego Virgílio microbasin, 05°02’55”S 37°30’15”W, S.M.Q. Lima, D.M. Bento, I. Freitas, A.B.A. Bennemann & Y.G. Abrantes, 26 Jun 2018.

Paratypes.All from Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte . UFRN 5226 , 5 males, 32.6–38.4 mm SL , 5 females, 22.6–36.2 mm SL, same data as holotype . UFRN 5228 , 2 males 35.1–38.2 mm SL , 5 females, 17.8–32.2 mm SL; Felipe Guerra Municipality , 05°33’45”S 37°42’36” W, F.F. Petean, D.M. Bento, I. Freitas & Y.G. Abrantes, 10 Jun 2018 . MZUSP 129608 , 5 males, 39.1–49.5 mm SL , 5 females, 30.4–37.8 mm SL; Mossoró Municipality, rio Apodi-Mossoró , 05°10’09” S 37°32’12” W, Y.G. Abrantes, A. Antunes & G. Nunes, 11 May 2019 . UFRN 5624 , 2 males 35.8–40.6 mm SL , 7 females 22.4–33.5 mm SL; Baraúna Municipality, Virgílio stream, Furna Feia National Park , 05º04’15” S 37º27’44” W, S.Y.L. Costa, D.M. Bento, M.G.S. Lira, I. Freitas & S.C. Silva, 3 Jun 2019 . UFRN 5625 , 2 males, 34.0– 35.8 mm SL , 5 females, 28.3–30.0 mm SL; Apodi Municipality, Lajedo de Soledade , 05°35’31” S 37º49’35” W, S.Y.L. Costa, D.M. Bento, M.G.S. Lira, I. Freitas & S.C. Silva, 8 Jun 2019 . UFRN 5626 , 4 males, 41.5–45.5 mm SL , 4 females, 32.4–34.3 mm SL; Mossoró Municipality, rio Apodi-Mossoró , 05°10’54.2” S 37°23’46” W, S.Y.L. Costa, D.M. Bento, M.G.S. Lira, I. Freitas & S.C. Silva, 5 Jun 2019 .

Diagnosis. Hypsolebias bonita differs from the remaining species of the H. antenori species group by having fewer scale rows around caudal peduncle (12–14 vs. 16–17). It is distinguished from H. igneus by color of dorsal-fin (yellowish brown vs. purplish pink); it differs from H. faouri by presenting a lower number of pelvic-fin rays (6 vs. 8), and from H. nudiorbitatus by lower number of neuromasts on infraorbital series (15–19 vs. 23–26). The new species is distinguished from H. coamazonicus , H. martinsi , H. gongobira and H. antenori by presenting higher number of parietal neuromasts (4 vs. 2–3), and absence of contact organs, except in H. martinsi (vs. presence). It is distinguished from H. martinsi by the number dorsal-fin rays (21–25 vs. 20), and number of caudal-fin rays (22–25 vs. 20–21). The new species differs from H. gongobira by dorsal-fin origin at vertical through base of 2 nd –3 nd anal-fin ray, in males (vs. dorsal-fin origin on vertical through 1st anal-fin ray); lower number filaments at tip of dorsal and anal fins in adult males (3 vs. 4). It differ from H. coamazonicus by presenting higher number of longitudinal series scales (28–30 vs. 27). It differ from H. antenori by presenting lower scales transverse series counts (12 vs. 14); by position of dark grey bar in eye (oblique vs. vertical); by presence of iridescent blue dots in the body and caudal fin (vs. presence of white dots), by presenting a higher number of vertebrae (30 vs. 26–28), and narrow head width in males (51.3–64.1% HL vs. 74.7–78.4% HL).

Description. Morphometric data in Table 1 . Largest male examined 49.5 mm SL; largest female examined 37.8 mm SL. Eyes positioned on upper lateral portion of head. Head narrow, elliptical shaped in lateral view. Snout short. Jaws short, teeth numerous, conical, irregularly arranged; outer teeth large, inner teeth small and numerous. Vomerine teeth absent. Body moderately deep, laterally compressed, greatest body depth at level of pelvic-fin base. Dorsal profile convex from snout to end of dorsal-fin base, slightly convex; caudal peduncle slightly concave or straight. Ventral profile convex from lower jaw to end of anal-fin base, approximately straight on caudal peduncle.

Dorsal and anal fin pointed with filaments reaching vertical through posterior portion of caudal fin in males, and rounded to slightly pointed in females, unbranched in both sexes. Tip of both dorsal and anal fins with 2–3 short filamentous rays in male adults; filaments absent in females. Pectoral fin long, elliptical to slightly pointed, posterior tip reaching vertical at base of 5th and 6th anal-fin rays in males, reaching urogenital papilla in females. Tip of pelvic-fin reaching base of 1st–2nd anal-fin rays in males and reaching urogenital papilla in females. Pelvic fin without interspace. Urogenital papilla cylindrical, exposed in males, Pocket-shaped urogenital opening in females. Pelvic fin pointed, without interspace. Caudal fin rounded in males and females.

Dorsal-fin origin in 3rd vertical through anal fin in males; anal-fin origin on vertical through base of 2nd dorsal-fin ray in males. Dorsal-fin origin posterior to anal-fin origin in females, at vertical through base of 4th anal-fin ray. Anal-fin origin at pleural rib of 8th vertebra in males, and pleural rib of ninth vertebra in females. Dorsal-fin rays 21–25 in males, 15–17 in females; anal-fin rays 21–24 in males, 19–22 in females; caudal-fin rays 22–25 in males, 21–24 in females; pectoral-fin rays 12–13; pelvic-fin rays 5–6.

Cephalic neuromasts: supraorbital 16–18, parietal 3–4, anterior rostral 1, posterior rostral 1, infraorbital 3+15– 19, preorbital 3, otic 2–4, post-otic 2–3, supratemporal 1, median opercular 1, ventral opercular 2–3, preopercular 16–17, mandibular 11–13, lateral mandibular 4–8, and paramandibular 1. One neuromast on each scale of lateral line. Two neuromasts on caudal-fin base. Frontal squamation E-patterned; E-scales overlapping medially; no row of scales anterior to H-scale; longitudinal series of scales 28–30; transverse series of scales 12; scale rows around caudal peduncle 12–14. Contact organs absent in males. Total vertebrae 30.

Coloration in life. Males: sides of body light gray, with iridescent blue spots. Venter pale orange. Opercular region pale golden. Iris dark yellow, with oblique dark gray bar. Dorsal fin yellowish brown, with large bluish white dots. Three short black filaments on tips of dorsal fin and anal fin. Anal fin yellowish orange with white dots, subdistal zone orange with black distal stripe. Caudal fin greenish yellow, with blue dots, distal margin blue metallic. Pectoral fin hyaline with distal black stripe. Pelvic fin orange with distal black stripe.

Coloration in alcohol. Males: Sides of body brownish orange, with 10–12 vertical gray bars. Venter light yellow. Opercular region pale yellow. Iris white. Dorsal, anal and caudal fins dark brown, with white dots.Anal fin with broad white stripe on subdistal zone. Pelvic fin light brown. Pectoral fin hyaline with black distal margin.

Females: Sides of body light grey, with iridescent golden on portion dorsal of flank; 3 black spots anterocentral portion of flank; 3–16 irregularly arranged black spots on caudal peduncle. Venter pale yellow. Opercular region silver golden. Infraorbital region light gray. Iris light yellow, with vertical dark gray bar. Fins hyaline.

Distribution. Hypsolebias bonita is known from six localities, with two occurrences in the Furna Feia National Park (FFNP) in the córrego Virgílio microbasin ( Figs. 1 and 7 ), and four localities in the floodplains of the rio Apodi-Mossoró basin, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil.

Habitat and ecological notes. The new species occurs in Caatinga areas of the Rio Grande do Norte State. The predominant climate in the region is semiarid, influencing the seasonal hydrological regime of the rivers and streams of the MNCE. The rainy season occurs between October and April, with average annual precipitation between 500 mm and 800 mm ( Silva et al. 2017). The temporary pools inhabited by the species ranged in length from 2 m to 336 m, widths from 3 m to 150 m, and presented a total area from 15 m ² to 27,800 m ². The depth ranged from 0.1 m to 1.9 m. Some pools presented clear water, but most were muddy with little or no floating vegetation, and muddy, sandy or rocky substrate. In the latter case, the temporary pools were found among rocky outcrops and in caves of the Jandaíra formation, a very unusual habitat for a killifish ( Abrantes et al. 2023). The surrounding vegetation consisted of small to medium-sized trees that partially shaded the pools. Hypsolebias bonita was found with Astyanax bimaculatus Linnaeus in the FFNP, and with Cynolebias microphthalmus Costa & Brasil in the rio Apodi-Mossoró basin, the latter a severely impacted area by urban expansion.

Etymology. The name ‘ bonita’ (beautiful) is a term with a double allusion. The first, honors Maria Gomes de Oliveira, known as Maria Bonita, the most prominent woman leader within the ‘cangaço’ social movement in the early XX century. Alongside her husband Virgulino Ferreira da Silva, known as Lampião, they led a band of ‘ cangaceiros ’ carrying out incursions in the northeastern hinterland. One of the most famous raids happened on June 13, 1927 in the municipality of Mossoró (Rio Grande do Norte State) ( Mello 2023). The second allusion represents an antonymy to the adjective ‘feia’ (ugly), present in the name of the Furna Feia National Park located in Mossoró and Baraúna municipalities, where the type-locality of the new species is situated. A noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of northeastern Brazil showing the distribution of the Hypsolebias antenori species-group. Stars represent type localities, and circles indicate sampled localities. Hypsolebias bonita new species in pink, H. antenori in red, H. gongobira new species in orange (syntopic with H. longignatus), H. martinsi in yellow, H. coamazonicus in green, H. faouri in light blue, H. igneus in dark blue, and H. nudiorbitatus in purple. Dark blue lines represent hydrographic basins of the Caatinga ecoregions, Maranhão-Piauí (MAPE), Mid-Northeastern Caatinga (MNCE), Northeastern Atlantic Forest (NAFE) São Francisco (SFRE).

FIGURE 5. Hypsolebias bonita new species, MZUSP 129608, male, paratype, 38.6 mm SL: Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte, Baraúna, Furna Feia National Park.

FIGURE 6. Hypsolebias bonita new species, MZUSP 129608, female, paratype, 30.8 mm SL: Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte, Baraúna, Furna Feia National Park.

FIGURE 7. Type-locality of Hypsolebias bonita new species, Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte, Baraúna, seasonal pool in the Furna Feia National Park.