Systematics of the Neotropical characiform genus Cyphocharax Fowler (Pisces:Ostariophysi)

Van, Richard P., Systematics of the Neotropical Characiform Genus Cyphocharax Fowler (Pisces: Ostariophysi). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 529, 137 pages, 93 figures, 15 tables, 1992. —The curimatid characiform genus Cyphocharax Fowler (1906) is revised. Cyphocharax has three synonyms: Xyrocharax Fowler (1913), Hemicurimata Myers (1929), and Curimatoides Fowler (1940a). Thirty-three species are recognized in Cyphocharax: C. abramoides (Kner, 1859a) of the northern Amazon and southern Orinoco basins; C. aspilos, new species, a Lago Maracaibo basin endemic; C. festivus, new species, of the Amazon basin, Guyana, and eastern Venezuela; C. gangamon, new species, of the Rio Tapajos; C. gilbert (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824) of coastal Brazil from Rio de Janeiro to Bahia; C. gillii (Eigenmann and Kennedy, 1903) of the Rio de La Plata; C. gouldingi, new species, of Amapa\ the Rio Capim, Rio Tocantins, and Rio Xingu; C. heHeri (Steindachner, 1910) of eastern Venezuela, the Guianas, and Amapa, Brazil; C. leucostictus (Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 1889) of the Amazon and Amapa, Brazil; C. magdalenae (Steindachner, 1879a) ranging from Costa Rica to Colombia; C. meniscaprorus, new species, of the Rio Orinoco; C. mestomyllon, new species, of the Rio Negro in Brazil; C. microcephalus (Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 1889) of Surinam and Guyana; C. modest us (Femandez-Yepez, 1948) of the upper Rio Parana; C. multilineatus (Myers, 1927) of the central Amazon; C. nagelii (Steindachner, 1882) endemic to the upper Rio Parana; C. nigripinnis, new species, from the central Amazon; C. notatus (Steindachner, 1908) widely distributed in the Amazon; C. oenas, new species, of the Rio Orinoco; C. pantostictos Van and Barriga (1990) of the western Amazon; C.platanus (Giinther, 1880) of most of the Rio de La Plata basin; C. plumbeus (Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 1889) widely distributed in the Amazon; C. punctatus (Van and Nijssen, 1986) of the Marowijne River; C. saladensis (Meinken, 1933) of southeastern Brazil and part of the Rio de La Plata basin; C. santacatarinae (Fernandez-Yepez, 1948) of the coastal rivers of Santa Catarina, Parana, and Sao Paulo, Brazil; C. signatus, new species, of the Rio Araguaia; C. spilotus (Vari, 1987) of the Rio de La Plata basin; C. spiluropsis (Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 1889) of the central and western Amazon; C. spilurus (Giinther, 1864) of southeastern Venezuela, the Guianas, the upper Rio Branco in Brazil, and perhaps the Rio Orinoco; C. stilbolepis, new species, of the Rio Xingu and Rio Tocantins; C. vanderi (Britski, 1980) of the upper Rio Parana^ C. vexillapinnus, new species, of the central and western Amazon; and C. voga (Hensel, 1869) of Uruguay, southeastern Brazil and portions of the Rio de La Plata basin. Keys to the species of Cyphocharax are provided. Fourteen species and subspecies are synonymized. Pseudocurimata steindachneri Fema"ndezY6pez (1948) described from the Rio Magdalena is a synonym of Cyphocharax magdalenae. Curimatus albula Liitken (1874) from the Rio Sao Francisco, and Pseudocurimata grandocule Fem&idez-Ye'pez (1948) from Espfrito Santo, Brazil, are considered synonyms of Cyphocharax gilbert. Curimata gnaca Azpelicueta and Braga (1988) from Resistencia, Argentina is tentatively synonymized into Cyphocharax spilotus. Curimatus Vandeli Puyo (1943) from French Guiana and Curimatus (Hemicurimata) esperanzae pijperzi Gery (1965) of Surinam are synonyms of Cyphocharax helleri. Curimatopsis maculatus Ahl (1934) described from Argentina is a juvenile Cyphocharax voga. Curimatus hermanni Ahl (1931) described from the Rio Capim is a synonym of Cyphocharax notatus. Curimatus (Curimatella) xinguensis Steindachner (1908), based on a specimen from the Rio Xingu, is a synonym of Cyphocharax leucostictus. Curimatella rehni Fowler (1932) from the Mato Grosso is synonymized in Cyphocharax gillii. Curimatus surinamensis Steindachner (1910) from Surinam is a synonym of Cyphocharax spilurus. Curimatus stigmaturus Fowler (1913) from the Rio Maranon, Curimatoides ucayalensis Fowler (1940a) from the Rio Ucayali, and Curimata esperanzae Myers (1929) based on juveniles that originated in the Rio Madeira basin are all synonyms of Cyphocharax spiluropsis. Lectotypes are designated for Curimatus albula Liitken, Curimatus (Hemicurimata) esperanzae Myers, Curimatus leucostictus Eigenmann and Eigenmann, Curimatus Magdalenae Steindachner, Curimatus microcephalus Eigenmann and Eigenmann, Curimatus platanus (Giinther), Curimatus plumbeus Eigenmann and Eigenmann, Curimatus spiluropsis Eigenmann and Eigenmann, Curimatus spilurus Giinther, and Curimatus voga Hensel. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION DATE is handstamped in a limited number of initial copies and is recorded in the Institution's annual report, Smithsonian Year. SERIES COVER DESIGN: The coral Montastrea cavernosa (Linnaeus). Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Vari, Richard P. Systematics of the Neotropical characiform genus Cyphocharax Fowler (Pisces: Ostariophysi) / Richard P. Vari. p. cm. (Smithsonian contributions to zoology ; no. 529.) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Cyphocharax. 2. Cyphocharax-Classification. I. Title. II. Series. QL1.S54 no. 529 [QL638.C89] 591 s-dc20 [597\52] 91-45327 ® The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.48—1984.