(Gymnotiformes: Sternopygidae), from French Guiana

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Alves-Gomes (1998) using molecular informations disagree with the previous ... in the Guiana Shield, 52 species are Gymnotiformes, 15 of which belong to the ...
A new genus and species of neotropical electric fish, Japigny kirschbaum (Gymnotiformes: Sternopygidae), from French Guiana by François J. Meunier*, Michel Jégu & Philippe Keith (1) Abstract. - Several specimens of a new Sternopygidae, Japigny kirschbaum (Gymnotiformes), were caught in three rivers of French Guiana (Approuague, Mana, Maroni). This species, characterized by alternating large wide dark and vertical bands on the whole body and a scapular foramen, is considered as belonging to a new genus in the Eigenmanninae subfamily. As the other genus of this subfamily (Archolaemus, Distocyclus, Eigenmannia and Rhabdolichops) it has three radials, the third resulting from the fusion of radials 3 and 4; but it differs from the other in having 14-15 precaudal vertebrae versus 11-14, and a lower number of anal fin rays (132-164 versus 160-260). This new species also have a short snout with a subterminal mouth. Résumé. - Un nouveau genre et une nouvelle espèce d’anguille électrique, Japigny kirschbaum (Gymnotiformes : Sternopygidae), de Guyane française.

Plusieurs spécimens d’une nouvelle espèce de Sternopygidae, Japigny kirschbaum (Gymnotiformes), ont été capturés dans trois rivières de Guyane française : Approuague, Mana, Maroni. Cette espèce, caractérisée par la présence d’une alternance de larges bandes verticales brun clair et brun foncé sur tout le corps, et d’un foramen scapulaire, est considérée comme appartenant à un nouveau genre de la sous-famille des Eigenmanninae. Comme les autres genres de cette sousfamille (Archolaemus, Distocyclus, Eigenmannia and Rhabdolichops), J. kirschbaum a trois radiaux, le 3e résultant de la soudure des radiaux 3 et 4. Elle en diffère en ayant à la fois 14-15 vertèbres précaudales versus 11-14 et un plus petit nombre de rayons à la nageoire anale (132-164 versus 160-260); elle présente également un museau court avec une bouche subterminale. Key words. - Gymnotiformes - Sternopygidae - Japigny kirschbaum - French Guiana - New genus - New species.

The Sternopygidae family comprises five genera, Sternopygus (Muller & Troschell, 1849), Eigenmannia (Jordan & Evermann, 1896), Rhabdolichops (Eigenmann & Allen, 1942), Archolaemus (Korringa, 1970), and Distocyclus (Mago-Leccia, 1978), and includes 30 species (Albert, 2003a; Albert and Crampton, 2005; Crampton et al., 2005; Hulen et al., 2005; Correa et al., 2006). However, according to Albert (2003a), there may be as many as 40 species in the family. The Sternopygidae species are distributed in neotropical river basins between the Tuira River in Panama south, to the River Plata in Argentina (Mago Leccia, 1978, 1994; Lundberg and Mago Leccia, 1986; Triques, 1993, 1996; Albert and Fink, 1996; Albert, 2001, 2003a; Campos-Da-Paz, 2003; Ferraris, 2003; Hulen et al., 2005). They are also present in the continental waters of all South American countries except Chile. The Amazon River basin contains the greatest diversity of Sternopygidae. The monophyly of the family was previously supported by two synapomorphies (Lundberg and Mago-Leccia, 1986; Mago-Leccia, 1994): (1) infraorbitals 1-4 enlarged and (2)

slender or viliform teeth in both jaws. Recently, a series of papers (Albert and Fink, 1996; Albert and Campos-da-Paz, 1998; Albert, 2001) reinvigorated the idea of a monophyletic Sternopygidae family including the five previously cited genera, and Albert (2001) listed a total of 14 synapomorphies for this family. Nevertheless, Alves-Gomes et al. (1995) and Alves-Gomes (1998) using molecular informations disagree with the previous morphological hypotheses and proposed Sternopygus as a separate clade, which is not the sister group of the Eigenmanninae. The Guiana Shield is a geographical region of the northeastern South America that shows a specific geological history, a high characteristic biological diversity and endemicity (Funk and Kelloff, 2009). Among the 1168 fishes listed in the Guiana Shield, 52 species are Gymnotiformes, 15 of which belong to the sternopygid family (Albert, 2003b; Vari and Ferraris, 2009). Since thirty years, many inventories were made in French Guiana by several institutions: National Museum of Natural History of Paris, National Institute of Research in Agronomy (INRA, France) and IRD (Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement) (Keith, 1997;

(1) Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, UMR CNRS 7208-DMPA, CP 026, 43 rue Cuvier, F-75231 Paris cedex 05, France. [[email protected]] [[email protected]] * Corresponding author [[email protected]] Cybium 2011, 35(1): 47-53.

Japigny kirschbaum, a new sternopygid of French Guiana

Meunier et al.

Jégu and Keith, 1999). Numerous specimens of Gymnotiforms were collected. The number of Gymnotiforms species registered from French Guiana is about 17. Four belong to Sternopygidae family: Sternopygus macrurus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), Eigenmannia virescens (Valenciennes, 1836), Archolaemus blax Korringa, 1970 and Rhabdolichops jegui Keith & Meunier, 2000 (Planquette et al., 1996; Keith and Meunier, 2000; Keith et al., 2000). During these field trip expeditions, numerous specimens of a new genus were also caught in three rivers of French Guiana: Approuague (Boujard et al., 1990), Mana and Maroni (Planquette et al., 1996). The aim of this paper is to describe this new genus and species (Sternopygidae).

202 mm TL; MNHN 1999-1027, 212 mm TL; MNHN 19991028, 177 mm TL; MNHN 1999-1030, 125 mm TL; MNHN 1999-1031, 113 mm TL Litany River (Maroni), Antecume Pata, 3°17’45”N- 54°04’13”W, Jégu coll., 12 Oct. 1998. MHNG 2607.45, 184 mm TL, Mana River, Saut Fracas, 4°46’N-53°39’W, Keith, Planquette and Le Bail coll., Sep. 1994. MNHN 1998-2010, 277 mm TL, Mana River, Saut Fracas, Planquette et al. coll., 23 Sep. 1994. Sternopygus macrurus. - MNHN 2001-1622, 2 spms, 95 and 106 mm, Crique limonade, Maroni, Planquette coll., 5 Sep. 1984; MNHN 2001-1615, 1 spm, 177 mm, Citron, Mana, Planquette, Lamotte coll., 5 Sep. 1984.

Material and methods

Japigny, new genus (type species: Japigny kirschbaum, new species) (Tabs I, II; Figs 1, 2).

Measurements and counts follow Mago-Leccia (1978). Measurements were taken with a dial calliper to the nearest tenth of a millimetre. Measurements are presented as percentage of head length (HL) or length to anal fin (LAF) except for parts of total length (TL). Counts of fins rays were made with dissecting microscope with light transmitted through the fins and confirmed with radiographs. Vertebrae counts are made with radiographs. Bone terminology follows Mago-Leccia (1978) and Albert and Fink (1996). Anatomical observations were improved with two fishes cleared and stained with alizarin red (Taylor and Van Dyke, 1985): MNHN 2000-5954. Abbreviations used to represent institutions and collections cited follow Leviton et al. (1985). 32 specimens from the different rivers of French Guiana were examined with the comparative material below. Comparative material Archolaemus blax. - Brazil: MNHN 1998-1209, 13 specimens, Xingu River, 10 Oct. 1992, Jégu coll.; Brazil: MNHN 2008-2479, 3 spms (Alizarin red staining), Xingu River, Jégu coll., 10 Oct. 1992. Distocyclus conirostris. - Bolivia: MNHN 1988-1030, 4 spms, 205-250 mm TL, Mamore river, 26 Aug. 1983; Brazil: MNHN 1997-0173, 2 spms, Rio Cueiras, Labbish Ning Chao coll., 4 Jul. 1994. Eigenmannia virescens. - French Guiana: MNHN 20061785, 8 spms, 93-183 mm TL, Litany River (Maroni), Antecume Pata, Fermon et al. coll., 4 Jun. 2001; MNHN 19991362, 4 spms, 113-154 mm TL, Saul, Duranton coll., 1983. Rhabdolichops jegui. - French Guiana: Holotype, MNHN 1999-1024, 215 mm TL, Litany River (Maroni), Antecume Pata, 3°17’45” N-54°04’1’”W, Jégu coll., 12 Oct. 1998. Paratypes: MNHN 1998-1576, 113 mm TL, MNHN 1999-1022, 318.5 mm TL; MNHN 1999-1023, 222.5 mm TL; MNHN 1999-1025, 198.5 mm TL; MNHN 1999-1026, 48

Japigny, new genus

Diagnosis The new genus Japigny is characterized by the presence of enlarged infraorbitals and viliform teeth on both jaws (Sternopygidae sensu Lundberg and Mago-Leccia, 1986); by a scapula with foramen (Fig. 1), post-temporal and supracleithrum fused and 14-15 precaudal vertebrae (Eigenmanninae) (versus 11-14 in Eigenmannia). It can be distinguished from the other Sternopygidae by anal fin rays 132-164 (versus 160-270 in all other known Sternopygids; 160-240 in Eigenmannia) (Tab. I); snout short (less than one third head length), mouth subterminal, fused orbital rim and the presence of seven to eight large dark and clear alternating wide vertical bands on whole body (Fig. 2). Etymology The new genus name is Japigny. It is dedicated to river Japigny, a tributary of Approuague River in French Guiana, where the species was first found. It is defined here as a feminine noun. Distribution The new genus is known from French Guiana (Approuague, Mana and Maroni rivers). Japigny kirschbaum, new species (Figs 1, 2; Tabs I, II) Material examined Thirty-one specimens from French Guiana. Holotype. - MNHN: 2008-1201, 156 mm TL, French Guiana, Mana River, Saut Fracas, Keith, Le-Bail and Planquette coll., Oct. 1994. Cybium 2011, 35(1)

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Japigny kirschbaum, a new sternopygid of French Guiana

Figure 1. - Japigny kirschbaumi MNHN 2000-5954 (Alizarin red). Right pectoral girdle in mesial view showing three radials (1, 2 and 3-4) and the scapular foramen (asterisk). Scale bar = 2 mm (Photograph, C. Ferrara).

Figure 2. - Japigny kirschbaumi, in vivo. MNHN 2008-1201, 156 mm, French Guiana, Mana River, Saut Fracas, Oct. 1994, P. Keith, P.Y. Le-Bail and P. Planquette coll. (Photograph, P. Planquette).

Paratypes. - MNHN 1999-1301, 5 spms, 103-176 mm TL, French Guiana, Approuague drainage, Crique Japigny, 17 Nov. 1988, Boujard et al. coll.; MNHN 2000-5914, 1 spm, 206 mm TL, French Guiana, Maroni drainage, Litany, Oct. 2000, Jégu et al. coll.; MNHN 2000-5911, 2 spms, 159220 mm TL, French Guiana, Maroni drainage, Tampoc at Saut Pierkuru, Oct. 2000, Keith et al. coll.; MNHN 20005915, 3 spms, 136-174 mm TL, French Guiana, Maroni drainage, Litany, Oct. 2000, Jégu et al. coll.; MNHN 2006-1793, 4 spms, 105-136 mm TL, French Guiana, Maroni drainage, Litany, Oct. 2000, Jégu et al. coll.; MHNG 2722.091, 2 spms (2 ex MNHN 2006-1793), 131-165 mm TL, French Guiana, Maroni drainage, Litany, Oct. 2000, Jégu et al. coll.; IAvH-P 11199 (2 ex MNHN 1999-1334), 122-146 mm TL, French Guiana, Mana drainage, Saut Fracas, Oct. 1994, Keith, LeBail and Planquette coll; IAvH-P 11200 (2 ex MNHN 20061793), 194-212 mm, French Guiana, Maroni drainage, Litany, Oct. 2000, Jégu et al. coll.; MNHN 1999-1334, 7 spms, 72-160 mm TL, French Guiana, Mana drainage, Saut Fracas, Oct. 1994, Keith, Le-Bail and Planquette coll. Alizarin staining specimens: MNHN 2000-5954, 2 spms, 99 and 111 mm, French Guiana, Maroni drainage, Litany, Oct. 2000, Jégu et al. coll.

table I. Below the holotype counts are given first, followed, by the paratypes counts in brackets. Anal rays 156 (132-164); pectoral rays ii19 (ii18-19); pectoral fins with 3 radials, the two last ones (number 3 and 4) partly fused. 14 (14-15) precaudal vertebrae and a total number of 70 (70-82) vertebrae. Mouth subterminal and snout short. Presence of a scapular foramen. Fused orbital rim. Body and tail compressed; head length 5.48-6.83% of LEA; greatest body depth 4.96-6.68% of LEA and about 6.39-8.93% of TL; head depth at nape 1.13-1.52%, and at eyes 1.53-2.30% of its length; snout length 2.66-3.8%; interocular distance 3.29-4.91% and postorbital distance 1.623.30% of HL; distance from eye to posterior nare 7.06-25%; internarial distance 7-15.9% and distance from tip of snout to posterior nare 3.82-6.33% of HL; eye diameter 4.268.3% of HL; mouth small, its gape 2.75-6.58% of HL; lower jaw equals to upper jaw; minute teeth, villiform, present on both jaws; snout short (less than one third head length) and mouth subterminal; anus located behind the eyes; gill opening 2.45-4.1% of HL; origin of anal fin below pectoral fin base.

Diagnosis The new species is characterized by presence of seven to eight dark and clear alternating wide vertical bands on body (Fig. 2); presence of a foramen in the scapula (Fig. 1); 14-15 precaudal vertebrae; anal fin rays 132-164 (versus more than 160 in all known Sternopygids); snout short (less than one third head length) and mouth subterminal.

Coloration in life Body brownish to dusky with dark and clear alternating large wide vertical bands on the whole body (Fig. 2); a similar pattern is also present in another species, Sternopygus astrabes Mago-Leccia, 1994 from the Orinoco river and upper Negro river, but with fewer bands; pectoral fins translucent and anal fin with a dark band in the base. The alternating body bands are extended in the anal fin. Head blackish dorsally; eyes black.

Description Morphometrics in Japigny kirschbaum is presented in

Etymology Japigny kirschbaum is dedicated to Dr Frank Kirsch-

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MNHN 2008-1201 Metric data Holotype Total length (TL) 156.00 Length to anal fin (LAF) 117.00 Head length to gill opening (HL) 19.54 Distance from snout to anus 11.94 Preanal fin distance 24.53 Prepectoral fin distance 21.12 Greatest body depth 20.42 Anal fin base 93.00 Pectoral fin length 14.15 Tail length 39.00 Snout length 7.35 Orbital diameter 2.35 Interorbital distance 4.70 Postorbital distance 12.09 Internarinal distance 2.38 Distance from posterior nares to eye 2.37 Distance from snout to posterior nares 4.87 Head depth at eye 10.00 Head depth at nape 13.82 Head length to nape 16.14 Mouth length 5.51 Gill opening 5.58 Pectoral fin base 3.43 Meristic data Anal rays count 156 Pectoral rays count ii18 Precaudal vertebrae 14 Total number vertebrae 70

50 2 160.00 121.00 19.58 12.61 25.76 21.75 21.85 94.00 13.80 39.00 7.14 2.62 5.22 11.14 2.50 2.60 4.50 10.33 14.52 15.98 6.03 6.03 3.71 159 ii17 15 76

1* 145.00 140.00 23.78 13.00 28.00 25.00 25.00 112.00 16.63   8.70 3.07 6.00 14.33 2.90 2.77 5.79 11.21 17.23 18.10 6.70 7.09 4.60 155 ii18 15 61

154 ii18 15 54

148 ii18 14 53

156 ii18 14 58

MNHN 1999-1334 5* 6* 9* 128.00 129.00 115.00 94.00 107.00 87.00 16.00 19.54 14.94 8.48 9.11 7.58 20.55 24.50 19.52 17.38 20.64 16.01 16.86 19.34 14.93 75.00 86.00 67.00 10.92 13.16 10.66 34.00 21.81 26.66 5.91 6.73 5.51 2.19 2.39 2.00 4.38 4.54 4.00 8.61 10.76 7.58 2.16 2.40 1.88 1.93 2.43 1.92 4.04 4.89 3.08 7.87 9.71 7.68 11.75 13.65 11.40 13.55 16.18 12.00 4.60 5.06 4.40 4.19 5.22 4.05 2.83 3.41 2.84

Table I. - Morphometric data for type series of Japigny kirschbaumi and holotype. * Regenerated fish.

154 ii19 14 73

12* 72.00 65.00 12.00 8.00 15.00 12.50 10.00 52.00 7.50   3.77 1.67 3.25 6.35 1.66 1.38 2.80 6.13 8.27 9.70 3.12 3.10 2.00 144 ii19 14 71

13* 86.00 74.00 12.60 9.50 16.50 13.56 13.00 60.00 7.50 15.00 4.38 1.60 3.50 7.40 1.80 1.30 3.05 5.70 9.30 9.67 3.00 3.08 1.99 158 ii19 14 79

161 ii18 14 51

157 ii17 14 62

152 ii19 14 59

154 ii19 14 50

149 ii18 14 80

MNHN MNHN MNHN 2000-5915 2007-0032 2000-5911 1 2* 3* 1* 1* 2 136 172 174 189 159 220 98 138 135 134 120 170 16.86 24.12 23.69 22.74 20.3 28.23 11 13.6 11.56 11.4 12 13.5 20.5 27.7 27.7 26.43 24.7 31.67 17.86 24.47 25 23 21.9 27.6 15.81 25.8 27.24 23.2 22.3 29.9 75.91 111 110 107 95 135 11 15.2 14.65 15.2 13.2 17.85 39 35 39 56 39 52 5.85 7.57 8.2 7 7 9.51 2.89 3.9 3 2.9 3.2 4 4.55 6.44 6.56 5.4 5.9 7.2 9.41 12.61 13.25 12.15 12 15.12 2.03 2.95 2.853 2.3 2.6 3.15 1.9 2.94 3 2.52 2.8 4 3.51 5 4.95 5.45 4 5.86 8.08 12 12.14 11.53 10.42 14.86 11.54 17.35 17.75 15.81 14.86 20.43 13.54 19.73 18.9 16.8 16.53 21.6 4.77 7 6.2 6 6.25 8.24 4.7 6.5 6.1 6.3 5.53 7.92 3.05 4.33 4.7 4.21 3.47 4.75

Japigny kirschbaum, a new sternopygid of French Guiana Meunier et al.

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Cybium 2011, 35(1)

Metric data 1* Total length (TL) 105 Length to anal fin (LAF) 77 Head length to gill opening (HL) 13 Distance from snout to anus 9.33 Preanal fin distance 15 Prepectoral fin distance 13.32 Greatest body depth 13.43 Anal fin base 62 Pectoral fin length 8.5 Tail length 30 Snout length 4 Orbital diameter 2.3 Interorbital distance 3.62 Postorbital distance 7 Internarinal distance 1.5 Distance from posterior nares to eye 1.26 Distance from snout to posterior nares 2.4 Head depth at eye 6 Head depth at nape 9.5 Head length to nape 10.3 Mouth length 3.7 Gill opening 4 Pectoral fin base 2.4 Meristic data Anal rays count 146 Pectoral rays count ii19 Precaudal vertebrae 15 Total number vertebrae 62

Table I - Continued.

baum a specialist of Gymnotiform fishes who has obtained experimental spawning and breeding of several gymnotid species (from Institut für Nutztierwissenschaften, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany). It is defined as a noun in apposition.

Distribution and habitat Japigny kirschbaum is known from French Guiana in 152 ii19 15 78

155 ii17 14 60

152 ii18 14 77

4 136 96 16.5 10.6 19.6 16.5 17 76 11.8 5 5.15 2.4 3.9 9 1.8 1.5 3.2 8.1 12.1 13.9 4.7 4.6 2.95

MNHN 2006-1793 2* 3 110 126 80 90 13 15.3 9.88 7.83 16.78 18.19 15 16 14 16.26 65 70 10.2 10.56 30 37 4.75 4.7 1.77 2.54 3.5 3.61 7.4 8.2 1.65 1.7 1.36 1.42 3.4 3.5 7 6.93 9.9 11.31 10.94 12.63 4 4 3.8 4.2 2.27 2.62 143 ii18 15 67

144 ii18 14 66

162 ii19 14 82

132 ii18 14 49

MNHN MNHN MHNG 2004-1229 2000-5914 2722.91 1* 1* 1 2* 149 206 165 131 110 154 114 96 19.8 26 19.8 16.5 10 15.67 13 9.23 21.57 33.4 23.51 21.35 19.73 27.74 20 18 19.5 28.75 19.75 17 87 120 90 76 13.58 18.5 13 11.3 38 55 5 3.6 6.3 9.1 6.6 5.63 3 3.42 2.67 2.53 5 6 5.13 4.56 10.75 15.81 11 10 2.18 2.57 2.5 1.95 1.9 3.6 2.2 1.8 4 5.9 4.32 3.6 9.8 12.75 8.8 7.9 13.9 18.8 13.74 12.1 15.92 20.8 15.46 13.7 5.5 7.15 5.8 5.61 5.1 7.15 5.9 4.43 3.55 4.7 13.2 3.15 164 ii18 14 45

1* 146.00 106.00 21.54 10.18 25.15 23.36 20.54 90.00 13.50 31.60 7.40 2.65 4.69 11.45 2.46 2.60 5.10 9.41 14.52 17.72 5.76 6.10 4.00 149 ii18 14 72

155 ii17 14 77

150 ii18 14 53

2* 212 157 26 15.4 32.38 27.18 29.42 125 17.8 57 8.71 3.24 6.76 14.17 3.21 3.14 5.89 13.27 19 21.61 9.46 8.35 5.15

IAvH-P 11200

2 1 122.00 194 85.00 138 14.82 23.52 8.00 13.4 20.00 30 15.80 25.4 15.20 24 66.00 110 9.30 16 37.00 57 5.00 8 2.00 3.43 3.85 6.16 8.08 13.83 1.90 2.8 1.42 2.56 3.32 5.3 6.90 11.45 11.27 17.3 11.86 19 4.32 6.8 4.22 6.8 2.51 4.5

IAvH-P 11199

Meunier et al. Japigny kirschbaum, a new sternopygid of French Guiana

Approuague, Mana and Maroni (Tampoc and Litany tributaries) rivers. In French Guiana it was caught with Anostomus brevior and Cynopotamus essequibensis (Planquette et al., 1996).

Regeneration of the caudal skeleton Like numerous Gymnotiformes, especially the Sternopygidae, the specimens of J. kirschbaum caught show accurate

51

Japigny kirschbaum, a new sternopygid of French Guiana Table II. - Comparative morphometry and meristic of Sternopygidae genera.

Genus Precaud. vert. Archolaemus 14-15 Japigny 14-15 Distocyclus 11 to 14 Eigenmannia 11 to 14 Rhabdolichops 11 to 14 Sternopygus 19-30

morphological marks of regeneration process for the caudal appendage and the anal fin (more than 50% of the studied fish). When the posterior part of the body is wounded, because of predator attacks for example, the anal fin regenerates, and the lost vertebrae are replaced by a more or less ossified cylindrical rod (Meunier and Kirschbaum, 1978; Kirschbaum and Meunier, 1981; Gayet et al., 1994); in that case the total number of vertebrae is obviously lower according to the importance of the removal: 45-67 vertebrae in the present study (Tab. I). These high regenerative potentialities add some difficulties for the estimation of meristic data, specially for the anal rays count, and the total number of vertebrae (see Tab. I). Key of the Sternopygidae genera 1a. - More than 19 precaudal vertebrae. . . . . . . Sternopygus 1b. - Less than 16 precaudal vertebrae . . (Eigenmanninae) 2 2a. - 14-15 precaudal vertebrae. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2b. - 11-14 precaudal vertebrae. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3a. - Body uniformly brown with a wide white stripe running from a point near to the head backward to the caudal peduncle; more than 175 anal fin rays. . . . . . . . . . . . . Archolaemus 3b. - Body with transverse band and saddle mark across the back at mid-body; less than 165 anal fin rays. . . . . . Japigny 4a. - Snout blunt, nares not close together; pectoral fins ii 11-16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 4b. - Snout conical, nares close together; pectoral fins ii 15-19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Distocyclus 5a. - Presence of scales on the anterior part of the dorsum; small mouth (27-35% HL); 160-240 anal fin rays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eigenmannia 5b. - Absence of scales on the anterior part of the dorsum; large mouth (35-50%HL); 180-200 anal fin rays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhabdolichops Acknowledgements. - We acknowledge Romain Causse and Patrice Pruvost (MNHN, UMR CNRS 7208- DMPA, Paris) for specimens loan; Mélyne Hautecoeur, Claude Ferrara and Laurent Nandrin (MNHN, Service des Collections and UMR 7208) for X-rays and coloration. We want to acknowledge our field trip friends: T. Boujard, M. Pascal, P.Y. Le Bail, S. Fisch-Müller and Y. Fermon. We thank also J.A. Maldonado O. and, finally, for their 52

Meunier et al. Anal rays > 175 132-164 200-260 160-240 180-200 180-300

Pectoral rays ii/17-19 ii/17-19 ii/15-19 ii/11-17 ii/11-16 iii-iv/10-14

Radials 3 3 3 3 3 4

Scap. foramen yes yes yes yes yes no

advices and comments about Sternopygidae, D.J. Stewart and D. Santana. References Albert J.S., 2001. - Species diversity and phylogenetic systematics of American knifefishes (Gymnotiformes, Teleostei). Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool., Univ. Michigan, 190: 1-127.

Albert J.S., 2003a. - Family Sternopygidae (Glass knifefishes, Rattail knifefishes). In: Check List of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America (Reis R.E., Kullander S.O. & Ferraris C.J., eds), pp. 487-491. Porto Alegre: Edipucrs. Albert J.S., 2003b. - Gymnotiformes: Apteronotidae - Ghost knifefishes. In: Check List of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America (Reis R.E., Kullander S.O. & Ferraris C.J., eds), pp. 497-502. Porto Alegre: Edipucrs.

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Reçu le 12 novembre 2010. Accepté pour publication le 18 mars 2011.

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