Three new Pimelodus species (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) from the rio Tocantins drainage, Brazil

Three new species of Siluriformes from the rio Tocantins drainage of Brazil are placed in the genus Pimelodus, P. stewarti, P. joannis, and P. halisodous. Pimelodus halisodous differs from the sympatric P. joannis and P. stewarti by the number of premaxillary tooth rows (13-16 vs. 5-9). Pimelodus joannis differs from P. stewarti by the presence of two dark blotches on the base of the caudal fin. The three new species differ from all other species of Pimelodus by the possession of a uniform gray coloration along flanks; the relatively short distance between the posterior nostril and the anterior orbital border; a short maxillary barbel, that only slightly surpasses the caudal-fin base. Copyright © 2008 Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia

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

Multiple novel prostate cancer susceptibility signals identified by fine-mapping of known risk loci among Europeans

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous common prostate cancer (PrCa) susceptibility loci. We have fine-mapped 64 GWAS regions known at the conclusion of the iCOGS study using large-scale genotyping and imputation in 25 723 PrCa cases and 26 274 controls of European ancestry. We detected evidence for multiple independent signals at 16 regions, 12 of which contained additional newly identified significant associations. A single signal comprising a spectrum of correlated variation was observed at 39 regions; 35 of which are now described by a novel more significantly associated lead SNP, while the originally reported variant remained as the lead SNP only in 4 regions. We also confirmed two association signals in Europeans that had been previously reported only in East-Asian GWAS. Based on statistical evidence and linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure, we have curated and narrowed down the list of the most likely candidate causal variants for each region. Functional annotation using data from ENCODE filtered for PrCa cell lines and eQTL analysis demonstrated significant enrichment for overlap with bio-features within this set. By incorporating the novel risk variants identified here alongside the refined data for existing association signals, we estimate that these loci now explain ∼38.9% of the familial relative risk of PrCa, an 8.9% improvement over the previously reported GWAS tag SNPs. This suggests that a significant fraction of the heritability of PrCa may have been hidden during the discovery phase of GWAS, in particular due to the presence of multiple independent signals within the same regio

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Cnesterodon Garman 1895

<p>Key to species of Cnesterodon</p> <p>1. Minute scales covering lateral and ventral regions of body below pectoral fin, mainly in females (upper portion of the rio Pelotas and rio Canoas of the rio Uruguay drainage, rio Jacuí as well as the headwaters of the rio Maquiné in the Tramandaí system and the headwaters of rio Itajaí - Açu drainage).............................................. C. brevirostratus</p> <p>1’. Scales covering lateral and ventral regions of body below pectoral fin approximately of the same size of adjacent scales.................................................................................... 2</p> <p>2. Caudal peduncle in adult males deep (15.5-17.8 % SL); a prominent dark brown longitudinal band along body sides (rio Cilada, rio Lambari, and rio Guaricanga in upper rio Paranapanema basin, rio Paraná drainage).... C. hypselurus</p> <p>2’. Caudal peduncle in adult males low (10.7-15.1 % SL); longitudinal band along body sides lacking or faint.................3</p> <p>3. Dark brown blotches along body sides circular or irregular......4</p> <p>3´. Darkbrownblotchesalongbodysidesverticalformingbars....5</p> <p>4. Six to nine dark brown circular to irregular blotches along body sides; normal size (18.7-24.8 mm [adult males], 20.0- 30.5 mm [adult females]) (rio das Torres, rio Iguaçu basin)....................................................................... C. omorgmatos</p> <p>4´. Two to four dark brown circular blotches along body sides; minute size (14.6-17.0 mm [adult males], 17.1-23.2 mm [adult females]) (rio Paraguai and lower rio Paraná drainages).................................................................................. C. raddai</p> <p>5. Dark bars on sides of body vertically short, mostly confined to midline, covering less than three scales in a transverse row, never extending to dorsal and ventral profile.............6</p> <p>5´. Dark bars on sides of body vertically elongate, covering more than four scales in a transverse row, occasionally reaching dorsal and ventral profiles......................................7</p> <p>6. Post -gonopodium blotch on ventral profile normally developed; bony style at gonopodium tip in adult males comparatively long and slightly arched; membrane on bony style large and progressively narrowing towards tip forming a distal filament (lower rio Uruguay, laguna dos Patos system, río Negro, río Salado, western drainages of Argentina and small coastal drainages of Uruguay and Argentina)........................................... C. decemmaculatus</p> <p>6’ Post -gonopodium blotch on ventral profile large; bony style at gonopodium tip in adult males comparatively short and very arched; membrane on bony style never forming a distal filament (rio Ribeira de Iguape drainage).... C. iguape</p> <p>7. Twenty -five or 26 caudal-fin rays; 28 to 31 scales on longitudinal series (upper portions of rio Iguaçu and its upper tributaries)....................................................... C. carnegiei</p> <p>7’ Twenty to 22 caudal-fin rays; 25 or 26 scales on longitudinal series (upper rioAraguaia drainage)............ C. septentrionalis</p>Published as part of <i>Lucinda, Paulo H. F., 2005, Systematics of the genus Cnesterodon Garman, 1895 (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae: Poeciliinae), pp. 259-270 in Neotropical Ichthyology 3 (2)</i> on page 267, DOI: 10.1590/s1679-62252005000200003, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/5418097">http://zenodo.org/record/5418097</a&gt

Cnesterodon decemmaculatus

<p>Cnesterodon decemmaculatus (Jenyns, 1842)</p> <p>(Fig. 3)</p> <p>Poecilia decem-maculata Jenyns, 1842: 115, Plate 22. fig. 1, 1a.</p> <p>Type -locality: Maldonado [Uruguay]. BMNH 1917.7.14: 25, lectotype [by present designation]; BMNH 1917.7.14: 26, paralectotype. Maldonado. C. Darwin.</p> <p>Poecilia gracilis Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1846: 133.</p> <p>Type -locality: environs de Montevidéo [Uruguay]. MNHN B-0939.</p> <p>Diagnosis. Cnesterodon decemmaculatus is diagnosed by the following autapomorphies: (1) bony style at gonopodium tip of large adult males relatively long, slightly arched, and covered by a wide membrane progressively narrowing towards tip forming a distal filament (Rosa & Costa, 1993; fig. 10); (2) membranous tip anterior to R4 and R5 absent [111-0]; and (3) membranous tip anterior to R4 and R5 absent [112-0].</p> <p>Furthermore, C. decemmaculatus is readily distinguished from C. omorgmatos and C. raddai by dark brown blotches along body sides (forming bars vs. circular or irregular, respectively). Cnesterodon decemmaculatus is distinguished from C. carnegiei, C. hypselurus, and C. septentrionalis by dark bars on sides of body, mostly confined to midline, covering less than three scales in a transverse row, never extending to dorsal and ventral profiles (vs. dark bars of body very elongate reaching dorsal and ventral profiles, covering more than four scales in a transverse row). The absence of small scales covering lateral and ventral region of body below pectoral fin in adult females and the pointed snout distinguishes C. decemmaculatus from C. brevirostratus. Cnesterodon decemmaculatus is readily distinguished from C. iguape by the smaller post -gonopodium blotch on the ventral profile in adult males.</p> <p>Distribution. Lower rio Uruguay, laguna dos Patos system, Río Negro, Río Salado, western drainages of Argentina and small coastal drainages of Uruguay and Argentina (Fig. 1).</p> <p>Remarks. See Lucinda (2003) for discussion of type-locality.</p>Published as part of <i>Lucinda, Paulo H. F., 2005, Systematics of the genus Cnesterodon Garman, 1895 (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae: Poeciliinae), pp. 259-270 in Neotropical Ichthyology 3 (2)</i> on pages 262-263, DOI: 10.1590/s1679-62252005000200003, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/5418097">http://zenodo.org/record/5418097</a&gt

Fig. 4. Cnesterodon raddai. UMMZ 207503 in Systematics of the genus Cnesterodon Garman, 1895 (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae: Poeciliinae)

Fig. 4. Cnesterodon raddai. UMMZ 207503, small stream at bridge on dirt road to Ayolas, Misiones, Paraguay: (a) male, 16.9 mm SL; (b) female, 23.2 mm SL.Published as part of Lucinda, Paulo H. F., 2005, Systematics of the genus Cnesterodon Garman, 1895 (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae: Poeciliinae), pp. 259-270 in Neotropical Ichthyology 3 (2) on page 263, DOI: 10.1590/S1679-62252005000200003, http://zenodo.org/record/541809

Cnesterodon iguape Lucinda 2005, new species

<p>Cnesterodon iguape, new species</p> <p>(Fig. 5 and 6, Table 2)</p> <p>Holotype. MZUSP 79672, male, Brazil. São Paulo. Apiaí, creek on headwaters of rio Iporanga, inside Mineradora Oxical, 24º24’42"S 48º39’25", W. Buck et al., 4 Apr 1999. Paratypes. MZUSP 54978, 12 / 2*, collected with the holotype.</p> <p>Diagnosis. Cnesterodon iguape is diagnosed by the following autapomorphy: a large post -gonopodium blotch on the ventral profile in adult males.</p> <p>Furthermore, C. iguape is distinguished from its congeners by distal portion of anal-fin proximal radials 2 and 3 in adult males fused [72-1]. Cnesterodon iguape is readily distinguished from C. omorgmatos and C. raddai by dark brown blotches along body sides (forming bars vs. circular or irregular, respectively). It is distinguished from C. brevirostratus by the pointed snout and by the absence of minute scales covering lateral and ventral regions of body below pectoral fin in adult females. The absence of a very prominent dark brown longitudinal band along body sides (longitudinal band along body lacking or faint) distinguishes it from C. hypselurus. Cnesterodon iguape is distinguished from C. carnegiei, C. septentrionalis, and C. hypselurus by the presence of dark bars on sides of body vertically short, mostly confined to midline, covering less than three scales in a transverse row, never extending to dorsal and ventral profiles. Cnesterodon iguape is distinguished from C. decemmaculatus by the configuration of the bony style at gonopodium tip in adult males (relatively long and slightly arched, and bearing a membrane progressively narrowing towards tip forming a distal filament vs. relatively short and very arched. Membrane on bony style never forming a distal filament in C. decemmaculatus) (Fig. 6).</p> <p>Description. Morphometric data in Table 2. Range of SL: 18.5 to 24.9 mm (females); 18.5 to 22.4 mm (males). Body compressed, width in predorsal region uniform, about half body depth. Post -dorsal region compressed towards caudal peduncle. Predorsal profile convex. Dorsal -fin base convex. Postdorsal profile slightly concave. Pre -anal profile very convex. Anal -fin base oblique. Post -anal profile concave in females, and almost straight in males. Dorsal fin with semicircular border, located posteriorly to mid-body. Origin of dorsal fin in females on vertical passing through base of third anal - fin ray; in males, origin of dorsal fin posterior to vertical passing through origin of anal fin. Pectoral fin with high insertion in horizontal passing through orbital center. Longest ray reaching about seventh scale in longitudinal series. Pelvic fin small, pointed and not reaching origin of gonopodium in adult males; not reaching origin of anal fin in females. Anal fin of females with straight border. Origin of anal fin of females closer to caudal peduncle than to snout tip. Origin of anal fin of males closer to snout tip than to caudal peduncle. Mouth superior, almost aligned with upper border of pupil.</p> <p>Dorsal -fin rays: 7 [1], 8* [9], 9 [1]. Pectoral -fin rays: 10* [2], 11 [7], 12 [2]. Pelvic -fin rays: 4* (males), 5 (females).Anal - fin rays (females): 10 [4]; Gonopodial rays: 8 [5]. Caudal -fin rays: 26 [1], 27 [5], 28* [6]. Pre -dorsal scales: 12 [4], 13* [2], 14 [3]. Longitudinal series scales: 27 [1], 28 [6], 29* [2], 30 [1], 33 [1]. Scales around caudal peduncle: 16* [13]. Scales in transverse row: 10 [9], 11 [2], 12* [2]. Pleural ribs: 15 [2]. Epipleural ribs: 8 [2]. Vertebrae: 32 [1], 33 [1].</p> <p>Gonopodial complex composed of 10 gonactinosts. Functional gonapophyses absent. Gonactinosts 2, 3, 4 fused. Gonactinost 4 with wing -like expansions. Ligastyle absent. Gonopodium symmetrical. Eight gonopodial rays. Rays 1 and 2 unbranched and short. Ray 1 with 5-7 segments. Ray 2 with 7 or 8 segments. Ray 3 with 23 or 24 segments. At tip, long slender bony style bearing narrow membrane produced in terminal filament. Four or five paired retrorse spines on distal segments of ray 4p. Ray 5a with subdistal and discrete dorsal curvature and terminated by retrorse claw. Dorsal convexity located between segments 11 to 19 of ray 5p. Rays 6, 7 and 8 branched. Distal segments of rays 6 and 7 partially ankylosed.</p> <p>Color in alcohol. Eye black with greenish brown pupil. Background color cream yellow. Scale borders and subjacent skin replete with brown chromatophores, conferring reticulate pattern to body sides. Dorsum darker than ventral region. Head dorsum dark brown. Median dark brown line along predorsal surface. Median dark brown line along preanal surface (inconspicuous in large females). Fins hyaline. Fin rays with two rows of brown chromatophores on each side, along entire ray. Seven to nine dark brown vertical bars along body sides, mostly confined to midline. Large blotch on each side of ventral portion of body near gonopodium, meeting midventral post -anal line.</p> <p>Distribution. Known only from the type-locality in the upper rio Iporanga (Fig. 1).</p> <p>Etymology. Cnesterodon iguape is named after the rio Ribeira de Iguape, in whose headwaters is the type-locality.</p>Published as part of <i>Lucinda, Paulo H. F., 2005, Systematics of the genus Cnesterodon Garman, 1895 (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae: Poeciliinae), pp. 259-270 in Neotropical Ichthyology 3 (2)</i> on pages 263-264, DOI: 10.1590/s1679-62252005000200003, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/5418097">http://zenodo.org/record/5418097</a&gt