Cyphocharax multilineatus (Myers 1927)

In flooded areas.

aquarium: commercial

Cyphocharax multilineatus (Myers)

Curimatus multilineatus Myers, 1927:109 [type locality: Brazil: Rio Negro, Bucury (= Bucuri)].—Vari, 1989a, tables 2, 3 [assignment to Cyphocharax].

Curimatorbis multilineatus.—Fernández-Yépez, 1948:43 [reference].—Mago-Leccia, 1970:75 [reference].—Fowler, 1975:370 [reference].

Curimata multilineata.—Fowler, 1950:287 [literature compilation].—Géry, 1977:235 [illustration].

DIAGNOSIS.—Other than for Cyphocharax multilineatus, only two other species of Cyphocharax, C. pantostictos and C. helleri, have dark pigmentation arranged in multiple discrete longitudinal rows on the body. Cyphocharax pantostictos of the western portions of the Rio Amazonas system in Ecuador and Peru, has a pattern of multiple horizontal series of discrete rotund spots rather than solid wavy horizontal lines such as in C. multilineatus (compare Figures 12 and 19). Furthermore, the dark stripes in C. multilineatus are positioned along the regions of overlap of horizontal rows of scales along the body, rather than being aligned along the center of the scale rows as are the spots in C. pantostictos. Cyphocharax multilineatus also has a discrete dark band across the midlateral surface of the head anterior and posterior to the orbit, a pigmentation pattern lacking in C. pantostictos. Cyphocharax pantostictos, in turn, is characterized by a well-developed, midlateral, horizontally elongate patch of dark pigmentation on the caudal peduncle that is absent in C. multilineatus. The two species also differ in the relative length of the postorbital portion of the head (0.35–0.40 of HL in multilineatus versus 0.42–0.46 in pantostictos), relative gape width (0.18–0.23 of HL versus 0.24–0.28) and to a lesser degree in relative orbital diameter (0.31–0.37 of HL versus 0.27–0.32). Cyphocharax helleri shares with C. multilineatus a pattern of dark horizontal lines on the dorsal and dorsolateral surfaces of the body. Cyphocharax multilineatus lacks the large, dark spot on the caudal peduncle of C. helleri. The species also differ in relative body depth (0.31–0.36 of SL in C. multilineatus versus 0.38–0.45 in C. helleri).

DESCRIPTION.—Body moderately elongate, somewhat compressed laterally. Dorsal profile of head slightly convex from upper lip to vertical line through posterior nostril; straight or very slightly convex from that line to tip of supraoccipital spine. Dorsal profile of body smoothly curved from tip of supraoccipital spine to origin of dorsal fin; straight and posteroventrally slanted at base of dorsal fin, straight or gently convex from base of last dorsal-fin ray to caudal peduncle. Dorsal surface of body with indistinct median keel anterior to dorsal fin, smoothly rounded transversely posterior to fin. Ventral profile of body gently curved from tip of lower jaw to caudal peduncle. Prepelvic region indistinctly flattened, with median series of scales not enlarged relative to those on adjoining portions of body. Obtuse median keel posterior to origin of pelvic fin. Indistinct secondary obtuse keel on each side of postpelvic portion of body about two scales dorsal of ventral midline.

Greatest body depth at origin of dorsal fin, depth 0.31–0.36 [0.33]; snout tip to origin of dorsal fin 0.47–0.51 [0.47]; snout tip to origin of anal fin 0.80–0.87 [0.86]; snout tip to origin of pelvic fin 0.54–0.59 [0.56]; snout tip to anus 0.77–0.82 [0.80]; origin of dorsal fin to hypural joint 0.52–0.57 [0.54]. Dorsal fin obtusely pointed in profile distally; last unbranched and first branched rays three to three and one-half times length of ultimate ray. Pectoral fin obtusely pointed in profile distally; length of pectoral fin 0.17–0.22 [0.17], extending approximately one-half distance to vertical line through origin of pelvic fin. Pelvic fin pointed in profile distally; length of pelvic fin 0.22–0.24 [0.23], reaching about one half to two-thirds of distance to origin of anal fin. Caudal fin forked. Adipose fin well developed. Anal fin emarginate, anteriormost branched rays three to three and one-half times length of ultimate ray. Least depth of caudal peduncle 0.12–0.13 [0.12].

Head profile distinctly pointed overall, head length 0.26–0.31 [0.28]; jaws equal, or upper very slightly longer than lower, mouth terminal; snout length 0.27–0.34 [0.31]; nostrils of each side very close, anterior circular, posterior crescent-shaped with aperture closed by thin flap of skin separating nares; orbital diameter 0.31–0.37 [0.37]; adipose eyelid present, with broad ovoid opening over center of eye; length of postorbital portion of head 0.35–0.40 [0.40]; gape width 0.18–0.23 [0.19]; interorbital width 0.40–0.44 [0.43].

Pored lateral-line scales from supracleithrum to hypural joint 30 or 31 [31]; all scales of lateral line pored, canals in scales straight; 3 or 4 series of pored scales extend beyond hypural joint onto caudal-fin base; 4 [4] scales in transverse series from origin of dorsal fin to lateral line; 4 [4] scales in transverse series from lateral line to origin of anal fin.

Dorsal-fin rays ii,9 [ii,9]; anal-fin rays ii,7 [ii,7]; pectoral-fin rays 13 to 15 [13]; pelvic-fin rays i,7 or i,8 [i,8].

Total vertebrae 31 (12).

COLOR IN LIFE.—(Based on color transparency of a recently collected specimen from a tributary of the Río Casiquiare, Amazonas, Venezuela (USNM 269987).) Overall coloration of body brassy, with definite purplish tint dorsally. Dorsal, dorsolateral, and lateral surfaces of body with a series of narrow, longitudinal, wavy, dark stripes situated along regions where adjoining rows of body scales overlap. Head with a purple tint dorsally, brassy ventrally, with distinct stripe of pigmentation both anterior and posterior to orbit. All fins with a definite red tint.

COLOR IN ALCOHOL.—Overall ground coloration of head and body tan, darker on dorsal portions. Upper lip, snout, dorsal half of opercle, and dorsal surfaces of head covered by field of small, dark chromatophores. Particularly dark horizontal band extending across midlateral surface of preorbital portion of head from upper lip to orbit. Somewhat irregular, slightly posteroventrally inclined dark band extending from rear of orbit to posterior margin of opercle. Body with series of eight or nine longitudinal narrow, wavy, dark stripes oriented along region of vertical overlap of horizontal series of scales. Ventral stripe somewhat irregular, consisting in some specimens of a series of unconnected dark spots. Dorsal and caudal fins very dusky, with fin rays outlined by series of small dark chromatophores. Adipose fin dusky. Pectoral and pelvic fins hyaline in juveniles, dusky in adults.

DISTRIBUTION.—Upper Río Negro in both Brazil and Venezuela and upper portions of Río Orinoco in Venezuela (Figure 18).

AUTAPOMORPHIES OF Cyphocharax multilineatus.—The stripe of dark pigmentation on the midlateral surface of the head anterior and posterior to the orbit in C. multilineatus is unique to the species within Cyphocharax. The only other curimatid known to have a similar pigmentation pattern is Steindachnerina atratoensis (Eigenmann), a species endemic to the Río Atrato system of northwestern Colombia (Vari, 1991). The pigmentation posterior to the orbit in the two species differs in both shape and position (compare Figure 19 herein and fig. 37 in Vari, 1991) and is apparently non-homologous. Although the pigmentation anterior to the orbit in Cyphocharax multilineatus and Steindachnerina atratoensis is evidently identical, it is judged an independent acquisition in the two species under the most parsimonious hypothesis of relationships within Steindachnerina (Vari, 1991). The stripe of dark pigmentation on the midlateral surface of the head in Cyphocharax multilineatus is thus considered autapomorphic.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—25 (23, 32.4–109.3).

BRAZIL. Amazonas: Rio Negro below Daraá, USNM 274102, 1 (40.6); USNM 274103, (41.4). Rio Negro at Bucuri, CAS 58605, 1 (38.7, holotype of Curimatus multilineatus, formerly IU 17672); CAS-SU 58986, 1 (48.7). Rio Paduari, MZUSP 21161, 1 (47.8).

VENEZUELA. Territorio Federal Amazonas: Caño La Esmeralda, tributary of Río Orinoco, SE of La Esmeralda, MBUCV V-4479, 1 (34.4). Río Sipapo, near mouth of Río Guayapo, FONAIAP-AMZ 0672, 2 (35.1–36.8). Río Mawarinuma (0°55′N, 66°10′W), AMNH uncat., 5 (60.2–109.3). Río Urumi, tributary to Río Negro upstream of Santa Lucia (1°17′N, 66°51′W), USNM 270241, 1 (50.0); AMNH uncat., 3 (32.4–32.6). Caño Tremblador where crossed by road from San Carlos de Río Negro to Solano, USNM 269987, 7 (6, 57.2–109.1; 1 specimen cleared and counterstained for cartilage and bone). Río Barria (00°50′N, 66°10′W), MBUCV V-14898, 1.