A new species of Gymnogeophagus Miranda Ribeiro from Uruguay (Teleostei: Cichliformes)

• Main Author: Loureiro, Marcelo Ehlers
• Publication Date: 2016
• Other Authors: Zarucki, Matías, Malabarba, Luiz Roberto, González Bergonzoni, Iván
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositório Institucional da UFRGS
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10183/147291
• topic: Gymnogeophagus Miranda Ribeiro; Cichlidae; Gymnogeophagus meridionalis; Gymnogeophagus rhabdotus; Substrate brooding; Systematics

We describe a new species of a substrate-brooding Gymnogeophagus, based on coloration characters. The new species can be distinguished from the remaining substrate-brooding species in the genus by the unique pigmentation of the dorsal fin which consists of light blue, diagonal stripes over a red background in the spiny section and a combination of round, elliptic, and elongated bright blue spots over a red background in the soft section. It can be further distinguished from all other species of Gymnogeophagus by the following combination of characters: a discontinuous bright blue band above the upper lateral line in the humeral area, light blue roundish spots over a red to orange background on the anal fin, and conspicuous bright blue horizontal bands on body. The new species inhabits a wide range of freshwater habitats in the lower rio Uruguay basin, Rio de la Plata coastal drainages and Atlantic Ocean coastal drainages in Uruguay.