Taxonomy and systematics of the herichthyins (Cichlidae: Tribe Heroini), with the description of eight new Middle American Genera
Author
Mcmahan, Caleb D.
Author
Matamoros, Wilfredo A.
Author
Piller, Kyle R.
Author
Chakrabarty, Prosanta
text
Zootaxa
2015
3999
2
211
234
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3999.2.3
8f47b303-98a7-43ce-b5bb-d1b4bf02555b
1175-5326
237045
E4B0B754-1C94-4B61-B612-848804B059A8
Genus
Paraneetroplus
Regan 1905
(
Fig. 5
)
Inclusive species.
P
.
bulleri
(
type
species),
P
.
gibbiceps
,
P
.
nebuliferus
Diagnosis.
Paraneetroplus
is diagnosed by having an elongate body with a narrow, sub-terminal mouth and a caudal peduncle that is longer than it is deep. In addition, the jaw teeth are enlarged anteriorly, and anterior teeth are conical or spatulate in shape. The lower jaw teeth are oriented more anteriorly as opposed to dorsally in other herichthyin genera. Five or six lateral blotches are present along the sides of the body between the base of the pectoral fin and the posterior end of the dorsal fin; these blotches often appear as a moderately complete longitudinal stripe (as in
P
.
nebuliferus
). A medium-sized, dorso-ventrally elongate, dark spot is present at the base and center of the caudal peduncle with the lower lateral line continuing through the center of the spot. The caudal fin is truncate or slightly emarginate.
FIGURE 5
.
Paraneetroplus bulleri
, FMNH 63937, 183.22mm SL.
Distribution.
Atlantic slope of
Mexico
from the Río Papaloapan to Río Grijalva drainages.
Comments.
McMahan
et al
. (2010)
recovered
P
.
nebuliferus
outside of
Paraneetroplus
; however, as pointed out by
Paepke
et al
. (2014)
, this was based on a misidentification of a GenBank sequence of ‘
Cichlasoma’
sieboldii
.
Říčan
et al
. (2013)
included single samples of both
P
.
nebuliferus
and
P
.
omonti
in their phylogeny; however, inclusion of these sole sequences in our dataset was problematic with low support for their phylogenetic positions. Voucher specimens are not reported for these tissue samples, and no other sequence data is available from wild-caught or museum-vouchered specimens of these two species. Given the problematic nature of including these individuals in the present study, they have been excluded. However, morphology of
P
.
nebuliferus
allies this species with
Paraneetroplus
as currently recognized. Based on examination of the poorly preserved
types
of
P
.
omonti
,
Miller
et al
. (2005)
regarded this species as a synonym of
P
.
gibbiceps
. Without further evidence or voucher specimens of recently collected individuals from the wild, we follow
Miller
et al
. (2005)
and do not include the sole
P
.
omonti
individual from
Říčan
et al
. (2013)
in our phylogeny, nor do we recognize this species as valid. Several studies have recovered the
type
species of
Paraneetroplus
,
P
.
bulleri
, nested within
Vieja
, prompting the naming of the entire mixed group as
Paraneetroplus
, given that
Paraneetroplus
should be recognized as the senior synonym of
Vieja
in this case. However, given the phylogenetic relationships recovered in this study, as well as the morphological distinctiveness of this genus, we rediagnose
Paraneetroplus
, excluding species of
Vieja
and
Maskaheros
.
Material examined.
P
.
bulleri
;
BMNH
1890.10.10.94 [n=1 (
Holotype
),
Mexico
: Río de Sarabia],
FMNH
63937 [n=2,
Mexico
: Río Papaloapan],
UMMZ
208263 [n=1,
Mexico
: Río Grijalva-Usumacinta tributary];
P
.
nebuliferus
;
SLU
8619 [n=3,
Mexico
: Río Coatzacoalcos].