Leporinus torrenticola

description

Conservation status. Leporinus torrenticola is apparently endemic to the rapids of the rio Xingu and its main tributaries, occupying a relatively restricted area at northern Brazil. Part of the rapids of the rio Xingu was recently modified by the construction of Belo Monte, one of the largest hydroelectric dams in the world. The impacts of the Belo Monte to the populations of Leporinus torrenticola still need to be determined, even though it is expected to be severe due to species preference for rapids. Similarly, the distribution of this species is not quite well understood, and the species may occur in other portions of the rio Xingu and rio Iriri further away from the city of Altamira, where only few collections were made. More data on the distribution of the species and on how the Belo Monte dam is impacting the populations of the species are necessary to estimate the current conservation status of L. torrenticola. Therefore, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories and criteria (IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee, 2014), Leporinus torrenticola is better classified as Data Deficient (DD).

Two new species of Leporinus Agassiz, 1929 (Characiformes: Anostomidae) from tributaries of the lower Amazon basin in Brazil

description

Description. Morphometric data in Table 2. Body small, relative to congeners. Largest examined specimen 123.2 mm SL. Head and body elongate and moderately compressed. Dorsal profile convex from snout tip to vertical through anterior nostril, gently convex from latter point to supraoccipital spine, gently convex or straight from that point to dorsal-fin origin, straight along dorsal-fin base, approximately straight from dorsal-fin terminus to adipose fin, and slightly or distinctly concave from adipose fin to anteriormost dorsal caudal-fin procurrent ray. Ventral profile slightly concave or relatively straight from tip of lower jaw to vertical through pectoral-fin origin, convex from that point to pelvic-fin origin, straight or slightly concave from latter point to anal-fin origin, straight along anal-fin base, and concave from anal-fin terminus to anteriormost ventral caudal-fin procurrent ray. Greatest body depth at dorsal-fin origin. Mouth subinferior, its cleft longitudinally aligned with ventral margin of eye in specimens around 70 mm SL, and with ventral margin of infraorbital series in specimens 80 mm SL or larger. Snout rounded. Premaxillary bone with 3 * (51) incisiform tee

Two new species of Leporinus Agassiz, 1929 (Characiformes: Anostomidae) from tributaries of the lower Amazon basin in Brazil

description

Leporinus sp. — Zuanon, 1999: 87, figs. 3.1, 3.12 (diagnosis, morphometric data for ecomorphological analysis, behavior, feeding, picture of live specimen, illustrations of head and teeth; Pará, Altamira, rio Xingu).

Two new species of Leporinus Agassiz, 1929 (Characiformes: Anostomidae) from tributaries of the lower Amazon basin in Brazil

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Leporinus torrenticola is distinguished from all other anostomids except Hypomasticus julii, H. megalepis, H. pachycheilus, Leporinus gomesi, L. granti, L. multimaculatus, L. nijsseni, and L. santosi by having one dark blotch on midline of anterior portion of the flank (between opercle and pelvic-fin origin) surrounded by five to seven dark blotches (vs. anterior portion of flank with dark longitudinal stripes, or with dark transversal bars, or with dark blotches not forming the aforementioned pattern). Leporinus torrenticola is distinguished from Hypomasticus julii, H. pachycheilus, Leporinus gomesi, L. granti, L. nijsseni, and L. santosi, by having three teeth on premaxilla (vs. four), and subinferior mouth (vs. inferior in Hypomasticus julii and H. pachycheilus, and terminal in Leporinus gomesi, L. granti, L. nijsseni, and L. santosi); and from H. megalepis by having 37 to 40 scales in the lateral line (vs. 33 to 35), and from L. multimaculatus by having 16 scale rows around caudal peduncle (vs. 12). See discussion for additional notes on species diagnosis.

Two new species of Leporinus Agassiz, 1929 (Characiformes: Anostomidae) from tributaries of the lower Amazon basin in Brazil