Simpsonichthys flagellatus

Wilson J. E. M. Costa, 2007, Taxonomic revision of the seasonal South American killifish genus Simpsonichthys (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes: Aplocheiloidei: Rivulidae)., Zootaxa 1669, pp. 1-134 : 110-113

Simpsonichthys flagellatus Costa, 2003

(Figs. 69)

Simpsonichthys flagellatus Costa, 2003: 46 ( type locality: temporary pool 12 km W of Bom Jesus da Lapa , Estado da Bahia, Brazil, 13°15’43.2”S 43°31’37.2”W, altitude 449 m; holotype: MZUSP 40129 ).

Material examined

Brazil: Estado da Bahia, rio São Francisco basin: MCP 28578 , holotype, male, 42.2 mm SL; UFRJ 4788 , 54 paratypes; MCP 28579 , 5 paratypes; temporary pool 12 km W of Bom Jesus da Lapa , 13°15’43.2”S 43°31’37.2”W; altitude 449 m; W. J. E. M. Costa, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 13 Feb. 1999. UFRJ 4881 , 10 paratypes (c&s); UFRJ 4861 , 67; same locality ; W. J. E. M. Costa, A. C. L. H. Bacellar, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 4 May 1999. UFRJ 4874 , 93; UFRJ 5352 , 10 (c&s); temporary pool near Volta das Pedras ; W. J. E. M. Costa, A. C. L. H. Bacellar, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 4 May 1999. UFRJ 4854 , 43; temporary pool about 20 km N of Ibotirama ; W. J. E. M. Costa, A. C. L. H. Bacellar, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 5 May 1999. UFRJ 4786 , 11; UFRJ 4790 , 19; temporary pool near Volta das Pedras, 25 km S of Ibotirama ; W. J. E. M. Costa, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 14 Feb. 1999. UFRJ 4785 , 13; temporary pool near Paratinga, 71.5 km N of Bom Jesus da Lapa ; W. J. E. M. Costa, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 14 Feb. 1999. UFRJ 4783 , 9; temporary pool near Volta das Pedras, 22 km S of Ibotirama ; W. J. E. M. Costa, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 14 Feb. 1999. UFRJ 4851 , 7; temporary pool near Paratinga ; W. J. E. M. Costa, A. C. L. H. Bacellar, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 4 May 1999. UFRJ 4853 , 3; temporary pool about 19 km N of Ibotirama ; W. J. E. M. Costa, A. C. L. H. Bacellar, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 5 May 1999. UFRJ 5425 , 3; Correntina ; D. Nielsen & A. Carletto, Jan. 2002. UFRJ 6045 , 7; 48.5 km S of Bom Jesus da Lapa ; W. J. E. M. Costa, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 12 Feb. 1999. Estado de Minas Gerais: UFRJ 4789 , 45; UFRJ 4787 , 96; UFRJ 5353 , 10 (c&s); temporary pool near Travessao , 24 km N of Sao Francisco ; W. J. E. M. Costa, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 9 Feb. 1999. UFRJ 3804 , 6; UFRJ 4499 , 2 (c&s); temporary pool 3 km N of Travessao ; D. T. B. Nielsen, A. L. F. Cyrino, J. L. Cruz & A. Luca, 27 Jan. 1996. UFRJ 2125 , 4 (c&s); UFRJ 4500 , 2 (c&s); UFRJ 144 , 22; Januaria , close to left bank of rio Sao Francisco ; G. C. Brasil, 12 Feb. 1990. UFRJ 2092 , 6; temporary pool in Januaria ; W. J. E. M. Costa, G. C. Brasil & C. Campinha, 8 Feb. 1994. UFRJ 4782 , 14; temporary pool 11 km N of Itacarambi ; W. J. E. M. Costa, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 9 Feb. 1999. UFRJ 2094 , 9; UFRJ 4564 , 2 (c&s); MNHN 1997 -0049, 3; MCZ 138937 , 4; UMMZ 2094 , 6; temporary pool 25 km N of Itacarambi ; W. J. E. M. Costa, G. C. Brasil & C. Campinha, 8 Feb. 1994. UFRJ 2091 , 1; temporary pool 20 km N of Manga ; W. J. E. M. Costa, G. C. Brasil & C. Campinha, 8 Feb. 1994. UFRJ 4780 , 4; temporary pool 1 km E of Gado Bravo ; W. J. E. M. Costa, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 10 Feb. 1999. UFRJ 2090 , 9; temporary pool 1 km N of Itacarambi ; W. J. E. M. Costa, G. C. Brasil & C. Campinha, 8 Feb. 1994. UFRJ 4784 , 17; temporary pool 10 km N of Itacarambi ; W. J. E. M. Costa, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 9 Feb. 1999. UFRJ 4781 , 10; temporary pool 2 km W from Gado Bravo ; W. J. E. M. Costa, F. Pupo & E. Araujo, 10 Feb. 1999. MNRJ 16067 , 64; Mocambinho, Manga ; D. F. Moraes, L. O. Alvarenga & C. Rico, 1990. UFRJ 6072 , 3; 14 km from Guanambi, road to Malhada ; W. J. E. M. Costa, C. P. Bove & B. B. Costa, 13 Jan. 2005.

Diagnosis

Similar to S. flavicaudatus and S. janaubensis , and distinguished from remaining species of the S. antenori group in possessing iridescent dots on anal fin restricted to posterior portion of fin in males (vs. on the whole fin), anterior portion of anal fin pink and posterior portion yellow in males (vs. dark bluish gray in S. antenori and entirely yellow in S. ghisolfii , S. mediopapillatus , S. macaubensis , and S. igneus ), and a distal gray stripe on anal fin in males (vs. black distal stripe). Differs from S. flavicaudatus by having pronounced pectoral-fin contact organs in males (vs. minute), dorsal profile of head concave (vs. nearly straight), and by the presence of elongated brilliant white spots on basal portion of dorsal fin in males, to form short bars (vs. round brilliant spots); differs from S. janaubensis in having longer anal-fin base in males (39.0-45.2% SL vs. 34.4-38.4% SL), body depth in combined sexes 37.0-42.7% SL (vs. 30.7-38.4% SL), caudal-peduncle depth in combined sexes 13.4-16.6% SL (vs. 11.7-14.3% SL) and elongated light blue spots restricted to anterior portion of dorsal-fin base in males (vs. along entire dorsal-fin base).

Description

Morphometric data appear in Table 6. Largest specimen examined 65.4 mm SL. Dorsal profile concave on head, convex from nape to end of dorsal-fin base, approximately straight on caudal peduncle. Ventral profile convex from lower jaw to end of anal-fin base, nearly straight on caudal peduncle. Body deep, compressed, greatest body depth at level of pelvic-fin bases. Eye positioned on dorsolateral portion of head side. Snout blunt. Urogenital papilla cylindrical and short in males, pocket-shaped in females.

Tip of dorsal fin pointed in males, rounded to slightly pointed in females; tip of anal fin pointed in males, rounded in females. Tip of dorsal and anal fins with long filamentous rays in males, tips reaching beyond distal border of caudal fin. Caudal fin subtruncate in males, round in females. Pectoral fins elliptical. Posterior margin of pectoral fins reaching vertical between base of 5th and 7th anal-fin rays in males, and through base of 2nd or 3rd anal-fin ray in females. Tip of pelvic fins reaching base of 3rd or 4th anal-fin ray in males and base of 1st or 2nd anal-fin ray in females. Pelvic-fin bases medially united. Dorsal-fin origin slightly anterior or slightly posterior to anal-fin origin in males, slightly posterior in females. Dorsal-fin origin between neural spines of vertebrae 6 and 8 in males, and neural spines of vertebrae 9 and 11 in females. Anal-fin origin between pleural ribs of vertebrae 6 and 8 in males, and pleural ribs of vertebrae 8 and 10 in females. Dorsalfin rays 20-26 in males, 13-19 in females; anal-fin rays 21-25 in males, 18-22 in females; caudal-fin rays 23-26; pectoral-fin rays 12-13; pelvic-fin rays 6.

Frontal squamation E-patterned; E-scales overlapping medially; one row of scales anterior to H-scale; three supraorbital scales. Longitudinal series of scales 28-31; transverse series of scales 11-14; scale rows around caudal peduncle 16. Minute contact organ on each scale of anteroventral portion of flank in males, sometimes inconspicuous. Prominent contact organs on inner surface of three dorsalmost rays of pectoral fin in males.

Cephalic neuromasts: supraorbital 14-18, parietal 2, anterior rostral 1, posterior rostral 1, infraorbital 2 + 19-24, preorbital 3, otic 2, post-otic 4, supratemporal 1, median opercular 1, ventral opercular 1, preopercular 14-18, mandibular 14, lateral mandibular 6, paramandibular 1. One neuromast on each scale of lateral line. Two neuromasts on caudal-fin base.

Basihyal subtriangular, width about 70-90% of length; basihyal cartilage about 20% of total length of basihyal. Six branchiostegal rays. Second pharyngobranchial teeth 7-9. Gill-rakers on first branchial arch 4 + 11-12. Vomerine teeth absent. Dermosphenotic absent. Ventral process of posttemporal long. Total vertebrae29-31.

Coloration

Males. Sides of body pale light golden, with 10-14 dark gray bars, slightly oblique, ventral portion weakly directed anteriorly, ventral portion of bars usually widening towards its ventral tip; sometimes bars ventrally branched. Few light blue dots on dorsal portion of sides of body. Opercular region pale greenish golden. Iris light yellow, with dark purplish gray bar. Dorsal fin purplish pink on anterior portion, yellow on posterior portion; small light blue spots over fin, spots on anterobasal region elongated, forming short stripes alternated with black areas; dorsal-fin filaments dark brownish purple. Anal fin purplish pink on anterior portion, yellow with small white dots on posterior portion, often dots coalescing to form elongated oblique spots; pale gray distal stripe; anal-fin filaments black. Caudal fin yellow, with light blue dots and metallic light blue line on posterior edge of fin. Pectoral fins hyaline. Pelvic fins pink.

Females. Sides of body light gray, with 10-12 dark gray bars; venter pale golden; 1-4 rounded black blotches on anterocentral portion of flanks, sometimes absent; 2-7 irregularly arranged rounded black blotches on caudal peduncle, sometimes absent. Opercular region pale greenish golden. Iris light yellow, with gray bar. Unpaired fins hyaline, with faint, longitudinally elongated gray spots; small, iridescent blue spot on posterior portion of anal fin close to caudal peduncle. Paired fins hyaline.

Distribution

Middle rio São Francisco basin, Bahia and Minas Gerais states, Brazil (Fig. 1).

Habitat

Temporary pools in the Caatinga.