Apistogramma eleutheria and A. flavipedunculata
Apistogramma eleutheria and A. flavipedunculata,
two new species of dwarf cichlids
from the rio Curuá on Serra do Cachimbo, Brazil
(Teleostei: Cichlidae)
Henrique R. Varella* and Ricardo Britzke**
Apistogramma eleutheria and Apistogramma flavipedunculata are described from the upper portion of two adjacent
tributaries of the rio Curuá on the Serra do Cachimbo. Apistogramma eleutheria, new species, is isolated from the
lower portion of rio Treze de Maio (a tributary of the middle rio Curuá), by a waterfall with same name. It is
similar to several species of the A. regani species group, but differs by the coloration of brooding females. Brooding
females of A. eleutheria have a very dark, blackish pigmentation on the median area of gular region occupying
the ventral portion of opercular series and branchiostegal membranes, which is most similar to that found in
females of A. kullanderi. In A. kullanderi, however, the dark gular pigmentation is more expansive, extending onto
the ventral half of the head, and continuing posteriorly onto belly and along anal-fin base. Apistogramma flavipedunculata,
new species, is only known from the rio Escorpião, and is probably isolated in the upper rio Curuá by
a series of three waterfalls. It is distinguished by the unique color pattern of adult males, which have the posterior
part of the flank and caudal peduncle dominated by a light yellow pigmentation, which results in a dark
midlateral band fragmented posteriorly and dark bars masked or absent (though present in juveniles); also differing
from all congeners except A. luelingi and A. eleutheria by having exclusively four anal-fin spines instead of
three.
http://www.pfeil-verlag.de/04biol/pdf/ief27_1_08.pdf
