Redescription and reevaluation of the generic status of Leptodactylus dantasi (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae) and description of its unusual advertisement call

Leptodactylus dantasi Bokermann is redescribed from adult specimens collected in Parque Nacional da Serra do Divisor, State of Acre, Brazil, near the border between the Brazilian state of Acre and Peru. We propose the inclusion of this species in the genus Hydrolaetare. A new diagnostic character observed for the genus is the presence of fringes of fingers, and fringes and webbing of toes, finely serrate; the serrate edge of the fringe and webbing can be keratinized in males, females, and subadults. Hydrolaetare dantasi (Bokermann) is characterized by robust body and limbs, a broad and depressed head, slightly shorter than wide, and long, pointed and basally webbed toes. Hydrolaetare dantasi differs from the only other species in this genus, Hydrolaetare schmidti (Cochran and Goin), mainly by having toes webbed basally (fully webbed in H. schmidti). The advertisement call of H. dantasi is composed of two components; an initial note produced by the impact of the vocal sac against the ground and a second note corresponding to a long whistle of ascending frequency. The initial note is a percussive sound and represents an unusual form of sound emission in anurans; the second note is a vocalization.

Phylogenetic analysis and redescription of the genus Henochilus (Characiformes: Characidae)

Henochilus, a characiform genus endemic to eastern Brazil is reviewed. A single species, Henochilus wheatlandii, from the Rio Doce and possibly the Rio Mucuri in the states of Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo is recognized and redescribed. The phylogenetic analysis indicates that Henochilus is most closely related to the clade consisting of Brycon and likely Chilobrycon.

Redescription of Hypsiboas semiguttatus, with the description of a new species of the Hypsiboas pulchellus group

We redescribe Hypsiboas semiguttatus (Lutz, 1925) and describe its tadpole and vocalization. We also describe a new species, previously confused with H. semiguttatus from Misiones, Argentina, and potentially from Brazil. This new species differs from H. semiguttatus in being more robust, having a tadpole with complete marginal papulation (no anterior gap), and a labial tooth row formula of 3/5. We discuss the status of populations previously assigned to H. semiguttatus and discuss the relationships of the new species within the Hypsiboas pulchellus group. © 2007 by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.

Redescription of Astyanax multidens eigenmann, 1908 (Characiformes: Characidae), a small characid of the Brazilian Amazon

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Redescription of megalopa and juvenile development of Pachygrapsus gracilis (Decapoda: Grapsidae) from the Amazon region, reared in the laboratory

ABSTRACT: This present study re-describes the megalopa stage and provides detailed morphological descriptions and main growth changes observed in stages I through VII of the juvenile instars of the dark shore crab Pachygrapsus gracilis (Saussure, 1858), from the Amazon region. The specimens in this study were reared in the laboratory and the megalopae were collected at Ajuruteua beach in northeastern Pará, Brazil. Previous studies had described the megalopa of P. gracilis from Mexican waters, as well as those of Pachygrapsus transversus (Gibbes, 1850) and Pachygrapsus marmoratus (Fabricius, 1787). A comparison between the Mexican and Amazonian populations of P. gracilis revealed significant morphological differences. The main difference is the presence of 3 elongated setae on the 5th pereiopods of individuals of the Amazonian population. The setal number and their arrangement in the appendages also differed. In P. gracilis, the male and female genital openings are observed from the juvenile instar III, whereas differentiation in male pleopods is observed only in juvenile instar V. In females, the pleopods undergo rapid differentiation during juvenile instar VI. These morphological comparisons and other observations on development are briefly compared and discussed with reports for other species.

Redescription of Pseudopomyzella flava Hennig (Diptera: Cypselosomatidae) and the first record from Brazil

Cypselosomatidae é composta por Cypselosomatinae e Pseudopomyzinae, incluindo 11 gêneros atuais. O gênero Rhinopomyzella Hennig (Pseudopomyzinae) é o único registrado para o Brasil, representado por duas espécies de Santa Catarina. O gênero Pseudopomyzella Hennig compreende uma única espécie, Pseudopomyzella flava Hennig, encontrada no Peru e Equador. Neste estudo, P. flava é registrada pela primeira vez para o Brasil (Pará) e a espécie é redescrita a partir dos espécimes coletados.

Redescription of Hyphessobrycon flammeus Myers, 1924 (Ostariophysi: Characidae), a threatened species from Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Redescription of Moenkhausia doceana (Steindachner, 1877) (Ostariophysi: Characiformes): a characid from the Northeastern Mata Atlântica ecoregion, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Redescription and taxonomical considerations about Aonchotheca (Aonchotheca) pulchra n. comb. (Enoplida: Trichuridae), a nematode of Nyctinomops spp.

Pterothominx pulchra (Freitas, 1934) are little known gastric nematodes of Nyctinomops laticaudatus (Chiroptera: Molossidae). Information about the occurrence and host range of these parasites in Neotropical region is still scanty, and the only two morphological descriptions available in the literature are divergent about the presence or absence of a spiny spicular sheath in males, which may lead to incorrect taxonomical positioning, since this feature represents the main difference between the genera Pterothominx and Aonchotheca. Based on the absence of this morphological feature in specimens of this nematode obtained from N. laticaudatus and Nyctinomops macrotis bats captured in two municipalities in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the present study reclassifies the aforementioned species in the genus Aonchotheca and allocates it to the subgenus Aonchotheca. Additional morphometric data and new host and locality records are also provided.

A redescription of a common euryhaline cumacean from southern Brazil: Diastylis sympterygiae Bacescu & Queiroz, 1985 (Crustacea: Cumacea)

Diastylis sympterygiae Bacescu & Queiroz (1985) has been reported in many ecological studies conducted in the Patos Lagoon, southern Brazil. However, the original description of this species is based on damaged specimens from stomach contents of rays, and therefore insufficient for a confident identification. In the present contribution, based on a large number of well-preserved specimens now available from the type locality area, the description of this common euryhaline species is completed and its range of distribution as far north as Sao Paulo is extended.

Redescription of Parotocinclus bahiensis (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1918) (Pisces, Ostariophysi, Loricariidae)

Microlepidogaster bahiensis Miranda-Ribeiro (1918), assigned to Parotocinclus Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1889, by Garavello (1977), was described in a short and uninformative way which does not allow for its distinction from other species of Parotocinclus; besides, the two syntypes of the species are regarded as lost. For these reasons a neotype is herein designated and a detailed description of the species is presented based on topotypes. The species is characterized by the combination of the following features: scapular bridge almost completely exposed ventrally, arrector fossae, when present, small or very reduced; abdomen covered by 5-7 wide lateral plates on each side and very small platelets in between, leaving abundant naked areas surrounding them; a small group of larger plates in front of anus; caudal peduncle ellipsoid in cross section; total plates in median series 21-23; longitudinal series with 23-26 plates; 18-29 teeth on premaxillary and 12-24 on dentary; it can also be distinguished by its characteristic caudal-fin color pattern. Features that allow us to assign the species to Parotocinclus and a hypothesis about its relationships with other species of the genus are also presented.

Rediscovery and redescription of the unusual subterranean characiform Stygichthys typhlops, with notes on its life history

The rediscovery of the enigmatic subterranean characiform Stygichthys typhlops is reported almost a half-century after the collection of the holotype, the only specimen previously known. Thirty-four specimens were collected in two shallow hand-dug wells at the region of the type locality, c. 13 km south-west of the town of Jaiba, Minas Gerais, Brazil. These specimens provide new information on the morphology of this species, and for the first time on its life history. The conservation status of S. typhlops is discussed. The species is severely threatened by habitat loss caused by exploitation of the aquifer. (C) 2010 The Authors Journal compilation (C) 2010 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

A NEW SPECIES OF CATHOROPS (SILURIFORMES; ARIIDAE) FROM MESOAMERICA, WITH REDESCRIPTION OF FOUR SPECIES FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC

The great similarities in the external morphologies and the lack of knowledge on ontogenetic and intersexual differences of species in the ariid genus Cathorops Jordan and Gilbert, 1882, has led to an abundance of misidentifications, causing great nomenclatural instability. Accordingly, the taxonomic statuses of the Cathorops species described from Eastern Pacific have remained controversial in the literature, even in recent studies. Here, we describe Cathorops raredonae, a new species from Mesoamerica (Mexico to El Salvador) and redescribe (in Cathorops) Tachysurus liropus Bristol, 1897, and Arius taylori Hildebrand, 1925, often listed as junior synonyms of Cathorops fuerthii (Steindachner, 1877) and Cathorops steindachneri (Gilbert and Starks, 1904), respectively, or treated as species inquirendae in Cathorops. We also redescribe and redefine the circumscriptions of C. fuerthii and C. steindachneri. Finally, we summarize current statuses of nominal species of Cathorops from the Eastern Pacific and provide an artificial key to identify the valid Pacific species.

Taxonomic Status and Redescription of the Gillbacker Sea Catfish (Siluriformes: Ariidae: Sciades parkeri)

The Gillbacker Sea Catfish is a valid species of ariid catfish from the northeastern coast of South America. There are many synonyms In the literature for the Gillbacker Sea Catfish and even recent classifications have used different scientific names. Examination of a wide range of sizes of Individuals from different localities and examination of types and original species descriptions of Silurus parkeri, Bagrus flavescens, B. emphysetus, Arius physacanthus, A. bonneti, A. clavispinosus, and A. despaxi has lead us to the conclusion that all these names refer to the Gillbacker Sea Catfish and the valid name for the species is Sciades parkeri. The species is distinguished from all other ariid species by the following combination of features: body coloration yellow; swim bladder divided Into three chambers, posterior chamber moderately sized; nuchal plate shield-shaped, usually larger than supraocciptal process; anterior notch of nuchal plate absent; head shield exposed and granulated In orbital and postorbital regions; lateral edge of accessory patches not emarginated or shallowly notched; fleshy furrow connecting posterior nares absent; and mesial gill rakers absent from first two gill arches. Striking intraspecific and/or ontogenetic variation In eye size, maxillary-barbel length, supraoccipital-process size, nuchal-plate size and shape, and dorsal-spine thickness contributed to the numerous synonyms and misidentifications for Sciades parkeri. Bagrus albicans, described from French Guiana, has at times been listed as a synonym of Sciades parkeri. Our examination of the holotype of B. albicans, however, led us to conclude that It is a synonym of Sciades proops.

New species of Rhinotragini and redescription of two species of Stultutragus Clarke (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae)

Agaone amazonica sp. nov. and Stultutragus endoluteus sp. nov. are described from Brazil, and variation in A. peruviensis Fisher, is discussed. Stultutragus nigricornis is elevated to species rank and re-described. Updated keys to Agaone and Stultutragus are provided.