Phalloceros malabarbai, Lucinda, 2008

Lucinda, Paulo Henrique Franco, 2008, Systematics and biogeography of the genus Phalloceros Eigenmann, 1907 (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae: Poeciliinae), with the description of twenty-one new species, Neotropical Ichthyology 6 (2), pp. 113-158 : 140-141

Phalloceros malabarbai , new species

Figs. 34 , 35

Phalloceros sp. n. R Lucinda & Reis (2005).

Holotype. MZUSP 79669, creek near Itapoá, approximately 26 o 14’S 48 o 38’W, São Francisco do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil, 22 Dec 1985, W. J. E. M. Costa .

Paratypes. BRAZIL. Santa Catarina. MZUSP 35422, 7/2*, collected with the holotype.

Diagnosis. Phalloceros malabarbai can be autapomorphically diagnosed by functional gonapophyses on vertebrae 15, 16, and 17 [49-3*].Additionally, P. malabarbai can be distinguished from its congeners by the width of first pelvic-fin ray in adult males approximately constant tapering gradually to tip. Phalloceros malabarbai can be distinguished from its congeners but P. megapolos , P. spiloura , P. anisophallos , P. alessandrae , P. buckupi , P. uai , P. lucenorum , P. pellos , and P. reisi by (1) the female urogenital papilla curved to the right, located laterally (vs. slightly left turned and with a lateral ramus or straight located along midventral line) and (2) border of the anal aperture in contact with the first anal-fin ray or very close to it (vs. separated from first anal-fin ray by the female urogenital papilla).

Phalloceros malabarbai can be distinguished from P. megapolos by the gonopodial appendix normally developed (vs. greatly expanded in wing like expansions); and from P. spiloura , P. anisophallos , P. buckupi , P. uai , P. lucenorum , P. pellos , and P. reisi by (1) the halves of gonopodial paired appendix slender, not sickle like, and similar to each other (vs. sickle like and different from each other), bearing a medial corner (vs. medial corner absent); and (2) hooks on both halves of gonopodial paired appendix (vs. right half hook absent).

Phalloceros malabarbai can be distinguished from P. alessandrae by (1) gonopodial appendix strongly arched at the distal tip (vs. straight at the distal tip); (2) distal portion bent upward (vs. distal portion straight and oblique forming a 45 o angle with the vertical axis); and (3) left and right halves free not coalescent at the base (vs. coalescent at the base).

Description. Morphometric data in Tables 3 and 4 . Range of SL: 31.4 to 32.1 mm (females), 22.2 mm (male). Dorsal-fin rays: 8* [4]. Branched pectoral-fin rays: 6 [1]. Pelvic-fin rays: 5* [1] (male), 4 [1], 5 [2] (females). Anal-fin rays of females: 11 [3]. Anal-fin rays of males: 9* [1]. Branched caudal-fin rays: 10* [1], 13 [1]. Predorsal scales: 14* [4]. Longitudinal series of scales: 28 [3], 30* [1]. Series of scales around caudal peduncle: 16* [4]. Transverse series of scales: 7* [4]. Serrae on R4p: 10* [1]. Epipleural ribs: 13 [1], 14 [1]. Pleural ribs: 14 [1], 15 [1]. Vertebrae: 32 [1], 33 [1]. Female urogenital papilla right curved, located laterally. Border of anal aperture in contact with first anal-fin ray or very close to it. Halves of gonopodial paired appendix slender, not sickle like, and similar to each other, bearing medial corner. Hook on both halves of gonopodial paired appendix. Hooks large downward directed and located at corner of gonopodial appendix. Gonopodial appendix long and strongly arched at distal tip. Distal portion bent upward. Left and right halves free not coalescent at base ( Fig. 35 ).

Color in alcohol. Eye black with greenish brown pupil. Ground color cream, darker in upper half. Border of scales and subjacent skin replete with brown chromatophores, more concentrated at short distance from scale border, conferring reticulate pattern to body sides, mainly on upper half. Brown chromatophores scattered through whole body, more concentrated on dorsal portion, mainly on head, snout, opercle, and ventral surface of mandible. Lateral dark brown spot located over 17 th and 18 th scale of longitudinal series. Lateral spot covering approximately two scales on horizontal direction, and four scales on vertical. Dorsal-fin membrane hyaline bearing faint. band of brown chromatophores on distal border of dorsal fin and another near dorsal-fin base. Pectoral, pelvic, and caudal fins hyaline. Dark brown line along R3.

Etymology. The specific epithet malabarbai (n. m. gen. sg.) comes from Malabarba. The specific name malabarbai is a patronym for Luiz Roberto Malabarba, in recognition of his many contributions to Neotropical ichthyology.

Distribution. Phalloceros malabarbai is only known from the type locality ( Fig. 4 ).

Figures

Fig. 34. Phalloceros malabarbai. (A) Holotype, male, 34.1 mm SL, MZUSP 79669, Itapoá, Santa Catarina, Brazil; (B) paratype, female, MZUSP 35422, 32.1 mm SL, collected with the holotype.

Fig. 35. Gonopodium tip of Phalloceros malabarbai, holotype, MZUSP 79669. R3, R4a, R4p, R5a, R5p indicate gonopodial rays. H = hook. Scale bar 1 mm.

Fig. 4. Collection localities of Phalloceros mikrommatos (triangle, 1), P. enneaktinos (circle, 2), P. pellos (square, 3), P. malabarbai (five-pointed star, 4), and P. heptaktinos (eightpointed star, 5). Some symbols represent more than one lot or locality. Numbers represent type localities. The inset is the range of the genus.