Maratecoara splendida

description

Description. Morphometric data appear in Table 3. Largest male examined 31.9 mm SL, largest female examined 25.1 mm SL. Dorsal profile straight to gently concave on head, convex from nape to end of dorsalfin base, nearly straight on caudal peduncle. Ventral profile weakly 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 base. Jaws short, snout slightly pointed. Dorsal and anal fin long in males, pointed, terminating in long filamentous rays, tips surpassing posterior margin of caudal fin; dorsal and anal fins slightly pointed and short in females. Caudal fin lanceolate in males, with filamentous rays on posterior tip of fin; caudal fin rounded in females. Pectoral fins elliptical, posterior margin reaching vertical between base of 4 th and 6 th anal-fin rays in males, between urogenital papilla and anal-fin origin in females. Pelvic fins elliptical, without filaments; tip of each pelvic fin reaching between base of 4 th and 6 th anal-fin rays in males, reaching to base of 2 nd anal-fin ray in females. Pelvic-fin bases in close proximity medially. Dorsal-fin origin on vertical between

Taxonomy of the plesiolebiasine killifish genera Pituna, Plesiolebias and Maratecoara (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae), with descriptions of nine new species

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Distinguished from all other species of Maratecoara in having a distinct color pattern, consisting of conspicuous orange spots on basal half of anal fin and flank region adjacent to anal fin (vs. few pale orange spots, these often absent). Maratecoara splendida is also distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: no scales on dorsal and anal-fin bases (vs. body squamation extending onto dorsal and anal-fin bases in males), dorsal profile of head straight to slightly concave in adult males (vs. strongly concave), basal half of caudal fin with orange stripes parallel to fin rays in males (vs. vertical rows of orange spots), anteroventral portion of flank with three or four oblique orange bars (vs. broad orange blotch just posterior to pectoral-fin insertion), and no distinctive bright blue zone on distal portion of anal fin (vs. broad bright blue zone in males).

Taxonomy of the plesiolebiasine killifish genera Pituna, Plesiolebias and Maratecoara (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae), with descriptions of nine new species

distribution

Distribution and habitat. Maratecoara splendida is known only from the type locality, a seasonal lagoon near rio Canabrava, rio Tocantins basin (Fig. 22), in a savannah region.

Taxonomy of the plesiolebiasine killifish genera Pituna, Plesiolebias and Maratecoara (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae), with descriptions of nine new species

etymology

Etymology. From the Latin splendida (splendid), in allusion to the brilliant colors in males of the species.

Taxonomy of the plesiolebiasine killifish genera Pituna, Plesiolebias and Maratecoara (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae), with descriptions of nine new species