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Issue: Vol. 1116 No. 1: 27 Jan. 2006
Type: Articles
Published: 2006-01-27
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1116.1.2
Page range: 29–41
Abstract views: 118
PDF downloaded: 21

Cordylancistrus nephelion (Siluriformes, Loricariidae), a new and endangered species of suckermouth armored catfish from the Tuy River, north-central Venezuela

Instituto de Zoología Tropical, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Apartado 47058, Caracas 1041-A, Venezuela
Instituto de Zoología Tropical, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Apartado 47058, Caracas 1041-A, Venezuela
Pisces Cordylancistrus Loricariidae Ancistrini Venezuela Tuy River endangered species suckermouth armored catfish

Abstract

A new species of suckermouth armored catfish, Cordylancistrus nephelion, is described from seven specimens collected in tributaries of the Tuy River in the Caribbean Sea basin of north-central Venezuela. Cordylancistrus nephelion can be distinguished from the other species assigned to its genus by its unique color pattern, the head and body being marked with irregular white spots. Cordylancistrus nephelion is the third species of the genus described from Venezuela: Cordylancistrus torbesensis (Schultz 1944) from the Mérida mountain range (Cordillera de Mérida), Orinoco River basin; C. perijae Pérez and Provenzano 1996 from Perijá mountain range (Sierra de Perijá), Maracaibo Lake basin; and now C. nephelion from the La Costa mountain range (Cordillera de La Costa). These three species inhabit isolated foothill rivers and have very restricted geographic distributions. The extreme alteration of the Tuy River basin by humans may threaten Cordylancistrus nephelion and the other fish species endemic to the basin with extinction. An artificial key for the species assigned to the genus Cordylancistrus is presented.

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