Rhamdia branneri Haseman, 1911

Garavello, Julio Cesar & Shibatta, Oscar Akio, 2016, Reappraisal of Rhamdia branneri Haseman, 1911 and R. voulezi Haseman, 1911 (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) from the rio Iguaçu with notes on their morphometry and karyotype, Neotropical Ichthyology 14 (1), No. e 140111, pp. 1-12 : 3-5

Rhamdia branneri Haseman, 1911

( Figs. 2-4 )

Rhamdia branneri Haseman, 1911: 377 pl. LXXV; Creek of rio Iguassú (current Iguaçu), near Serrinha, Paraná State, Brazil; - Gosline, 1945: 36 (literature compilation); - Fowler, 1954: 558 (literature compilation); -Ibarra & Stewart, 1987: 74 (literature compilation); -Severi & Cordeiro, 1994: 67 fig. (literature compilation); - Garavello et al., 1997: 76 (citation); -Abucarma & Martins-Santos, 2001: 300 (cytogenetic description); - Baumgartner et al., 2012:134 (citation).

Rhamdia sebae (non Cuvier, 1829): Severi & Cordeiro, 1994: 69 (literature compilation).

Diagnosis. Rhamdia branneri differs from the remaining Rhamdia species , with exception of R. voulezi , and Rhamdia cf. quelen from rio Tibagi by having both sides anterior and posterior of the pectoral-fin spine serrate in large dents (vs. slightly serrate in fine dents in Rhamdia cf. quelen ). Rhamdia branneri is also distinct by its dorsal-fin length not reaching the origin of the adipose fin when adpressed (vs. adpressed dorsal fin reaching adipose-fin origin in R. voulezi and R. cf. quelen ); maxillary barbel short not reaching the origin of adipose fin (vs. maxillary barbel long, surpassing adipose fin origin in R. voulezi and longer than the SL in R. cf. quelen ); R. branneri dorsal profile straight between the snout and supraoccipital process and convex from this point to the dorsal fin insertion (vs. dorsal profile almost straight from tip of snout to dorsal-fin insertion in R. voulezi and R. cf. quelen ). Ground color of preserved R. branneri specimens dark or light gray with few large spots and without small black dots over trunk (vs. ground color grayish on dorsum to light orange on abdomen in R. voulezi and dark brown spotted in R. cf. quelen ); dorsal-fin without a hyaline horizontal stripe immediately dorsal to base (vs. a hyaline horizontal stripe higher to base of dorsal fin in R. voulezi and R. cf. quelen ). Differs in corporal proportions from R. voulezi in the higher distance between dorsal and adipose fins; higher distance between adipose ending and caudal fin base; higher distance between orbit and opercular bone and larger scapular bridge width; R. branneri also differs in chromosome number and morphology: 2n=58-62 chromosomes, plus one submetacentric B chromosome and multiple NOR system (vs. 2n=58-60 plus one metacentric B chromosome and a simple nucleolus organizer region (NOR) in R. voulezi ). Rhamdia branneri differs from R. voulezi , R. foina (Müller & Troschel, 1849) and R. itacaiunas Silfvergrip, 1996 by having 9-14 gill rakers (mode 10) on the first gill arch (vs. 9-14, 12 in mode in R. voulezi ; 15-20 in R. foina and 5-7 in R. itacaiunas ); differs from R. laukidi Bleeker, 1858 by having absence of a diagonal light bar from superior corner of operculum to base of pelvic fin; R. branneri also differs from R. xetequepeque , R. jequitinhonha Silfvergrip, 1996 , R. muelleri (Günther, 1864) and R. poeyi Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1888 by having shorter orbital diameter: 12.9-17.6% of HL (vs. 12.1- 20.2% in R. voulezi , 30.5-36.9% in R. xetequepeque , 20.4% in R. jequitinhonha , 12.1-27.2% in R. muelleri and 20.1-26.2% in R. poeyi ). Rhamdia branneri is further distinguished from R. jequitinhonha by their longer caudal peduncle (18.4-21.8% SL vs. 16.3%) and longer interorbital distance: R. branneri 30.1-41.8% HL (vs. 29.8-39.9% in R. voulezi , 24.2% in R. muelleri ) and by its shorter maxillary barbel length: 129.9- 213% in R. branneri (vs. 178.5-374.2% in R. voulezi , and 73.9- 129.0% in R. muelleri ). It differs from R. poeyi by strong and well developed serrae on both sides of pectoral spine (vs. serrae just on posterior margin of pectoral spine); R. branneri also differs by a rounded margin of lower lobe (vs. longer and pointed lower caudal fin lobe in R. poeyi ).

Description. Morphometric characters of R. branneri are summarized in Table 1 and the meristic characters in Table 2 . Dorsal profile almost straight from tip of snout to supraoccipital and slight convex from this point to dorsal-fin insertion; body depth at anterior vertical through adipose fin and between pelvic and anal fin shorter than the distance between the ending of dorsal fin insertion and pelvic fin. Distance from dorsal to adipose fin generally shorter than the length of dorsal-fin base. Caudal peduncle depth small nearly7.8-12.0, mean 10.7% SL. Head almost conic in dorsal view, covered by thick skin, except for eyes with free margin, occipital process covered by thick skin (not visible). Orbit relatively large nearly 12.9-17.6, mean 15.3% SL in head length. Upper maxillae elongate longer than dentary; premaxillary dental plate distally semicircular; dental plate of dentary narrowing posteriorly with a gap over the mandibulary symphysis; small teeth nearly of same size in premaxillary and dentary. Maxillary barbel short and depressed reaching dorsal-fin insertion, but not reaching adipose-fin insertion; mental external barbel reaching origin of pectoral-fin base; internal mental barbel not surpassing the gill opening. Posterior cleithral process short. Dorsal-fin spine smooth on both anterior and posterior faces. Pectoralfin elongate, both sides anterior and posterior of the serrate pectoral-fin spine; posterior border of pectoral fin reaching vertical through the first branched dorsal-fin ray; pelvic-fin insertion generally beginning at vertical through the last dorsal-fin ray; pelvic-fin rounded; caudal fin furcated; distal lobes rounded, ventral lobe larger than dorsal.

Color pattern of preserved specimens. Ground color of trunk and abdomen dark gray or light gray with few and sparse large brown spots and without small black dots over trunk and abdomen; ground color light gray. Dorsally light brown; interradial membranes hyaline; dorsal fin without a hyaline horizontal stripe immediately dorsal to base. Remaining fins with nearly the same ground color of body.

Distribution. Known from the rio Iguaçu, rio Paraná basin in Brazil ( Fig. 5 ).

Material examined. Paraná: FMNH 54235 , holotype of Rhamdia branneri, Serrinha, Iguassu (current Iguaçu), J. D. Haseman, 24 Dec 1909 ; FMNH 54237 , 1 , paratype of Rhamdia branneri, Iguassu (current Iguaçu), J. D. Haseman, 30 Dec 1909 ; LISDEBE 5530, 1, rio Negro, under the bridge of BR 116 - Rio Negro, collectors of Ichthyology DCB- UFSCar, 2 Apr 1985 ; LISDEBE 2294, 2, rio Iguaçu , Porto Lupion, collectors of Ichthyology Surehma, Dec 1979 - Jan 1980 ; NUP5715,1, reservoir of Segredo , municipality of Pinhão, border of Mangueirinha, collectors of Nupélia, 19 May 1993 , NUP5713,1, Segredo reservoir, municipality of Pinhão , border of Mangueirinha, collectors of Nupélia, 18 Jun 1993 ; NUP 5719, 2, rio Iguaçu , down river from hydroelectric Segredo, municipality of Pinhão, border of Mangueirinha, collectors of Nupelia, 7 Sept 1993 ; NUP 5676, 1, rio Butiá tributary of rio Iguaçu , municipality of Palmas, border of Mangueirinha, collectors of Nupélia, 7 Aug 1993 ; NUP5720, 2, rio São Pedro , municipality of Pinhão, collectors of Nupélia, 12 Sept 1993 ; NUP 5718, 2, rio Floresta , municipality of Pinhão, collectors of Nupélia, 12-14 Aug 1993 ; LISDEBE 5531, 3, Porto Lupion, rio Iguaçu , J.C. Garavello & collectors of Surehma, May 1979 ; LISDEBE 5532, 1, rio Jordão, tributary of rio Iguaçu at Estância Santa Clara, Candói, J. C. Garavello, 20 Jan 1997 ; LISDEBE 5533, 1, rio Cavernoso, tributary of rio Iguaçu near Candói, J. C. Garavello & A. S. Soares, 19-23 Jun 1998 . Santa Catarina: Porto União: CAS-SU 62523 , 3 , rio Iguaçu at Porto União, George S. Myers & Antenor L. Carvalho, 1944; CAS 62686, 1 , rio Iguaçu at Porto União, George S. Myers & Antenor L. Carvalho, 1944; LISDEBE 5534, 4, rio Timbó , tributary of rio Iguaçu , Colônia São Pedro, J. C. Garavello & UFSCar collectors, 20-21 Nov 1986 ; LISDEBE 5535, 1, rio Timbó, tributary of rio Iguaçu , Colônia São Pedro, J C Garavello & UFSCar collectors, 18-19 Nov 1986 .

Figures

Fig. 2. Lateral view of Rhamdia branneri, LISDEBE 5534, 228.5 mm SL, Brazil, Paraná, rio Timbó, Colônia São Pedro.

Fig. 3. Lateral view of paratype of Rhamdia branneri, FMNH 54237, 100.0 mm SL, Brazil, Paraná, Serrinha, rio Iguaçu.

Fig. 4. Lateral view of holotype of Rhamdia branneri, FMNH 54235, 100.3 mm SL, Brazil, Paraná, Serrinha, rio Iguaçu.

Fig. 5. Geographical distribution of Rhamdia branneri and R. voulezi in rio Iguaçu. Each symbol may represent more than one sample.

Tables

Table 1. Body proportions of Rhamdia branneri and Rhamdia voulezi from the rio Iguaçu. SD = Standard deviation.

	Rhamdia branneri (n=16)		Rhamdia voulezi (n=30)
	Min.-max.	Mean±SD	Min.-max.	Mean±SD
Standard length (mm)	150.4-327.8	216.9±50.98	101.7-350.2	207.6±61.14
Percents of standard length
Head length	20.5-28.1	25.6±1.60	24.8-29.0	26.2±0.93
Predorsal distance	33.8-39.9	36.5±1.44	34.1-39.5	35.9±1.42
Dorsal-fin base length	13.5-18.9	15.7±1.38	14.3-19.0	16.6±1.28
Dorsal fin to adipose fin distance	7.1-14.5	10.2±2.45	3.1-8.4	5.9±1.34
Adipose-fin base length	23.8-34.9	30.1±2.94	18.7-38.8	34.5±3.53
Adipose fin to caudal fin distance	9.5-13.0	11.2±0.93	8.3-12.0	10.3±1.01
Pre-pelvic distance	47.9-54.8	51.3±2.09	38.9-82.1	51.2±6.40
Pelvic fin to anal fin distance	18.0-22.3	20.0±1.20	17.9-22.9	20.5±1.09
Anal-fin base length	10.8-15.3	12.5±1.10	9.8-16.1	12.2±1.14
Anal fin to caudal fin distance	17.2-20.4	19.4±0.79	17.1-22.2	19.9±1.32
Caudal peduncle depth	7.8-12.0	10.7±1.14	9.5-13.2	11.0±0.94
Pectoral girdle width	18.0-22.4	20.1±0.99	17.4-21.8	20.0±1.04
Dorsal-fin spine length	6.5-9.2	7.6±0.77	6.9-12.1	8.8±1.24
Pectoral-fin spine length	9.7-15.7	12.0±1.39	10.7-15.4	13.2±1.11
Body depth	14.5-21.5	17.4±2.06	15.5-23.5	18.6±1.89
Percents of head length
Snout length	35.6-47.9	39.9±2.90	37.0-42.7	40.1±1.47
Orbital diameter	12.9-17.6	15.3±1.57	12.1-20.2	16.4±1.95
Interobital distance	30.1-41.8	33.7±3.59	29.8-39.9	35.2±2.79
Maxillary barbel length	128.9-213.3	167.8±24.17	178.5-374.2	261.3±53.33
Mouth width	40.5-57.1	45.4±4.15	42.1-57.0	47.1±3.19