A new species of the armored catfish genus Pareiorhaphis ...[Pareiorhaphis lophia]

A new armored catfish species of the genus Pareiorhaphis is described from the middle and upper portions of rio Paraguaçu basin, coastal drainage of Bahia State, northeastern Brazil. The new species is readily distinguished from all its congeners by having two putative autapomorphies: (1) skin fold just posterior to each emergent tooth series of dentary formed by a single
enlarged, flattened papilla, and (2) the midline of lower lip immediately behind the dentaries with small patch of distinct papillae arranged in a short median bump. In addition, the shallow caudal peduncle and comparatively lower number of teeth in each dentary also distinguishes the new species from all congeners. The new species is also compared to Pareiorhaphis bahianus, the geographically closest congener.

Click to expand...