The earliest iconographic record of Gobioides broussonnetii La Cepède, 1800 (Gobiiformes: Gobiidae): the species identity of the “Caramuru” paintings of Dutch Brazil (1624-1654)

During the Mauritian period of Dutch Brazil (1637‑1644), a great deal of information about the biota of northeastern Brazil was obtained, consisting of both written records and paintings. Among them is an eel-like fish, depicted in two paintings labeled “Caramurû” and “Caramuru”, whose taxonomic identity is controversial. One of them, attributed to Albert Eckhout, is part of the Theatrum Rerum Naturalium Brasiliae collection, stored at the Jagiellonian University Library, in Poland. This painting was possibly a model for the second “Caramuru”, of unknown authorship, which is deposited at the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences. These paintings are doubtfully identified as the snake eel Echiophis intertinctus (Ophichthidae, Anguilliformes), a proposal likely induced by the vulgar name “caramuru”, which is applied to muraenids and ophichthids in Brazil. After careful examination of these two paintings regarding the anatomical details depicted, we concluded that the fish corresponds, with great certainty, to Gobioides broussonnetii (Gobiidae, Gobiiformes), popularly known as “aimoré” and “tajasica”. Furthermore, we suggest the possibility that the written counterpart of these paintings is the description associated with the woodcut of the fish labeled as “Tajasica” in the Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (Marggraf in de Laet, 1648). The confusion probably stems from mismatches between Georg Marggraf’s descriptions and the images of organisms produced at the time, perhaps before the return of Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen’s entourage to Europe. In an attempt to support our conclusions about the identity of that fish, as well as for historical purposes, we also discuss the vernacular names applied to G. broussonnetii and the authorship of the notes made on those paintings

Trichomycterus maracaya, a new catfish from the upper rio Paraná, southeastern Brazil (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae), with notes on the T. brasiliensis species-complex

Trichomycterus maracaya, a new species of Trichomycteridae, is described from a streamlet in the upper rio Paraná, Poços de Caldas, State of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. The following putative autapomorphies distinguishes T. maracaya from congeneric species: 1) row of lateral blotches not forming a stripe at any phase during ontogeny; 2) superficial layer of pigmentation of juveniles and large (presumably adults) specimens consisting solely of scattered chromatophores. Furthermore, the new species is characterized by a combination of yellow ground color in life and mottled pattern formed by small to medium-sized, brown, irregularly-coalescent, well-defined deeper-lying blotches, and more superficial dots on the body. Trichomycterus maracaya is assigned to the T. brasiliensis species-complex (which includes T. brasiliensis, T. iheringi, T. mimonha, T. potschi, T. vermiculatus, and several undescribed species apparently endemic to the main river basins draining the Brazilian Shield) based on the presence of: 1) blotches in four longitudinal rows of deeper-lying pigmentation on the trunk large, horizontally-elongated, and well-defined; 2) pectoral fin with I+5-6 rays; 3) separation between the anterior and posterior cranial fontanels by the primordial epiphyseal cartilaginous bar being present only in larger specimens; and 4) pelvic-fin bases very close to each other, sometimes in contact.Trichomycterus maracaya, uma espécie nova de Trichomycteridae, é descrita de exemplares obtidos num riacho do alto rio Paraná, Poços de Caldas, Estado de Minas Gerais, sudeste do Brasil. As seguintes supostas autapomorfias distinguem T. maracaya de outras espécies do gênero: 1) fileira de manchas laterais que não se fundem em listra em nenhuma fase da ontogenia; 2) camada superficial de pigmentação de juvenis e exemplares maiores (supostamente adultos) consistindo somente de cromatóforos dispersos. Além disso, a nova espécie é caracterizada pela combinação de coloração de fundo amarela em vida e padrão mosqueado, formado por manchas castanhas pequenas a médias bem definidas e aglutinadas irregularmente, situadas em camada mais profunda do tegumento, além de pontos mais superficiais espalhados pelo corpo. Trichomycterus maracaya é aqui designada ao complexo de espécies T. brasiliensis (que inclui T. brasiliensis, T. iheringi, T. mimonha, T. potschi e T. vermiculatus, além de várias espécies não descritas, aparentemente endêmicas às bacias dos rios principais que drenam o Escudo Brasileiro), com base em: 1) manchas horizontalmente alongadas, grandes e bem definidas, situadas mais profundamente no tegumento e dispostas em quatro fileiras longitudinais no corpo; 2) nadadeira peitoral com I+5-6 raios; 3) separação entre as fontanelas cranianas anterior e posterior, por barra cartilaginosa primordial da epífise, apenas nos exemplares maiores; e 4) bases das nadadeiras pélvicas muito próximas uma da outra, por vezes em contato.617

Phylogenetic relationships of Chanidae (Teleostei: Gonorynchiformes) as impacted by Dastilbe moraesi, from the Sanfranciscana basin, Early Cretaceous of Brazil

Fossil gonorynchiform fishes range from the Lower Cretaceous to the early Miocene, and are represented by a few dozen living species. The order is currently divided into two major clades: Gonorynchoidei, which includes the families Gonorynchidae and Kneriidae, and Chanoidei, encompassing a single family, Chanidae, with a single recent species, the Indo-Pacific Chanos chanos, and several fossil taxa. Chanidae includes some poorly known taxa, such as Dastilbe moraesi, described from the Aptian (Lower Cretaceous) of the Areado Formation, Sanfranciscana basin, Brazil. This species is currently considered to be a junior synonym of the type species of its genus, Dastilbe crandalli, from Santana Formation, Aptian, northeastern Brazil. The analysis of abundant D. moraesi specimens revealed several new morphological features, many of which had previously been misinterpreted. Dastilbe moraesi was incorporated into a gonorynchiform character matrix as revised and modified for the Chanidae. We obtained a single most parsimonious tree in which D. moraesi is distinct and phylogenetically apart from D. crandalli. According our analysis, D. moraesi forms a sister pair with Chanos, a clade which is closely related to Tharrhias, all composing the tribe ChaniniGonorynchiformes fósseis ocorrem desde do Cretáceo inferior ao Mioceno inferior, e são representados por alguns representantes viventes. A ordem está dividida atualmente em dois clados principais: Gonorynchoidei, que inclui as famílias Gonorynchidae e Kneriidae, e Chanoidei, compreendendo uma única família, Chanidae, com uma única espécie vivente, Chanos chanos, do Indo-Pacífico, além de vários representantes fósseis. Chanidae inclui alguns táxons problemáticos, tais como Dastilbe moraesi, descrito do Aptiano (Cretáceo Inferior) da Formação Areado, bacia Sanfranciscana, Brasil. Esta espécie é atualmente considerada um sinônimo júnior da espécie-tipo de seu gênero, Dastilbe crandalli, da Formação Santana, Aptiano do nordeste do Brasil. A análise de abundante material de D. moraesi revelou várias novas características anatômicas, muitas das quais haviam sido previamente mal interpretadas. Dastilbe moraesi foi incorporado em uma matriz revisada de caracteres da família Chanidae. Nós obtivemos uma única árvore mais parcimoniosa na qual D. moraesi é distinto e filogeneticamente distante de D. crandalli. De acordo com nossa análise, D. moraesi é o grupo-irmão de Chanos, um clado intimamente relacionado a Tharrhias, com todos compondo a tribo ChaniniThis study was supported by CNPq (process # 401818/2010-1) and project CGL2013-42643P, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de Españ

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

The taxonomic and nomenclatural status of the nomen Anabates pulvericolor Sclater, 1858 (Aves: Furnariidae), with a neotype designation

Stopiglia, Renata, Dubois, Alain, Bockmann, Flávio A., Raposo, Marcos A. (2019): The taxonomic and nomenclatural status of the nomen Anabates pulvericolor Sclater, 1858 (Aves: Furnariidae), with a neotype designation. Zootaxa 4560 (3): 554-562, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4560.3.

Synallaxis gujanensis subsp. pulvericolor

<i>Synallaxis gujanensis pulvericolor</i> (Sclater, 1858) (new combination) <p> <i>Anabates pulvericolor</i> Sclater, 1858: 62. Holotype, by original monotypy: lost, from “Río Napo, Ecuador ”; according to Paynter (1993) the latitude and longitude are 03°20’S, 76°40’W, respectively. Neotype, by present designation: ANSP 185383 (tissue sample ANSP 19367), adult male, from Río Napo, island at mouth of Río Aguarico, Ecuador, 150 m elevation, netted on September 20, 1992 and prepared by Francisco Sornoza.</p> <p> <i>Synallaxis gujanensis huallagae</i> Cory, 1919: 274. Holotype, by original designation: FMNH 50561, adult male, from “Lagunas, Lower Huallaga River, Peru ”; according to Stephens & Traylor (1983) the latitude and longitude are 05°10’S, 75°32’W, respectively; collected by M. P. Anderson on October 12, 1912.</p> <p> <b>Neotype descriptive notes</b>. Plumage analysis given using the code developed by Smithe (1974, 1981) to define colours and following the topography of Proctor & Lynch (1993: 49, 51): chin and throat white; breast Light Drab (119C); abdomen white with Drab-Gray (119D); flanks Raw Umber (123); forehead, crown and supercilium Grayish Horn Color (91); back Olive-Brown (28) with Amber (36); five pairs of rectrices, wing-coverts and remiges Raw Sienna (136). Morphometric data: bill length, 15.1 mm (exposed culmen from the feathers to tip); bill height, 4.4 mm (at the nares); wing length, 64.1 mm (chord); and tail length, 70.1 mm (using the central pair of rectrices) (see <b>Figure 2</b>).</p> <p> Finally, note that this is a nomenclatural and not a taxonomic work, and therefore the potential validity of <i>Synallaxis gujanensis huallagae</i> Cory, 1919 as the nomen for a separate population (to be extracted from that including Río Napo) is not considered. We are only maintaining here the classification given in the recent world checklists (e.g. Dickinson & Christidis 2014 and del Hoyo <i>et al</i>. 2016).</p>Published as part of <i>Stopiglia, Renata, Dubois, Alain, Bockmann, Flávio A. & Raposo, Marcos A., 2019, The taxonomic and nomenclatural status of the nomen Anabates pulvericolor Sclater, 1858 (Aves: Furnariidae), with a neotype designation, pp. 554-562 in Zootaxa 4560 (3)</i> on page 558, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4560.3.7, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/3993490">http://zenodo.org/record/3993490</a&gt

The salmon, the lungfish (or the coelacanth) and the cow: a revival?

Bockmann, Flávio A., De Carvalho, Marcelo R., Carvalho, Murilo De (2013): The salmon, the lungfish (or the coelacanth) and the cow: a revival? Zootaxa 3750 (3): 265-276, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3750.3.