Pseudotothyris , Britski & Garavello 1984
Creators: name: Martins, Fernanda O.
name: Britski, Heraldo A.
name: Langeani, Francisco
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Actinopterygii
Siluriformes
Loricariidae
Pseudotothyris

description: PSEUDOTOTHYRIS BRITSKI & GARAVELLO, 1984   
 Pseudotothyris Britski & Garavello, 1984: 232 (Otocinclus obtusus Miranda-Ribeiro, 1911, type species by original designation) (distribution: coastal rivers of south-eastern Brazil, from Rio de Janeiro to Santa Catarina state); Schaefer, 1997: 41 (identification key); Eschmeyer, 1998: 2099 (catalogue); Schaefer, 2003a: 327 (catalogue); Ferraris, 2007: 290 (catalogue).   
 Diagnosis: Pseudotothyris differs from all other Hypoptopomatinae by having odontodes on anterior region of snout unequal in size, those on dorsal surface well developed, longer and wider than the other on ventral portion, which are more similar to the odontodes on the rest of the head (Fig. 1B) (vs. either small or well-developed odontodes on both surfaces of the snout or well-developed odontodes restricted to ventral portion). Additionally, Pseudotothyris can be diagnosed from all hypoptopomatines except Otothyris by having the compound pterotic with an elongate posterior extension, easily distinguished from the main body of the bone, its distal portion surpassing the rib of the sixth vertebra [vs. posterior extension absent, or if present never surpassing the rib of the sixth vertebra (Fig. 2)]. Pseudotothyris is readily distinguished from Otothyris by having 14 branched rays on the caudal fin (vs. 12); abdominal plates, when present, numerous and small (vs. abdomen plates always present, few and large); anterior portion of snout with four elongate plates (Fig. 3C) [vs. two quadrangular plates (Fig. 3B)]; canal of the second infraorbital present (Fig. 4B) [vs. absent in most specimens (Fig. 4C)]; and mesethmoid extending beyond the condyle, with the anterior portion rounded and narrow (Fig. 5B) [vs. mesethmoid never extending beyond the condyle, the anterior portion truncated and laterally expanded (Fig. 5A)].   
 Additionally, Pseudotothyris can be easily distinguished from Schizolecis by having the arrector fossae entirely closed and pectoral girdle often totally exposed, sometimes with a small median area without odontodes, covered only by skin (vs. arrector fossae partially open and pectoral girdle exposed only laterally); a raised tuft of well-developed odontodes on the parietosupraoccipital in adults (vs. absent); and first pelvic-fin ray with a dorsal fleshy flap in males (vs. absent). Finally, Pseudotothyris differs from Otothyropsis by having the anterior portion of snout with four elongate plates (vs. a single plate); iris operculum absent (vs. present); and upper pharyngeal toothplate small and rounded, its length less than 50% of the length of ceratobranchial 5 (vs. upper pharyngeal toothplate relatively large and wedgeshaped, its length more than 50% of the length of ceratobranchial 5).   
 Distribution: Pseudotothyris occurs in southern and south-eastern Brazilian coastal drainages, from Rio de Janeiro to Santa Catarina state (Fig. 6). The region includes three subareas as defined by Abell et al. (2008): Fluminense (from Rio de Janeiro mountain region, near Macaé, to Santos); Ribeira de Iguape (from Santos to São Paulo and Paraná state limits), and Sudeste Mata Atlântica (from São Paulo and Paraná states’ division to Florianópolis). In the transition between Fluminense and Ribeira de Iguape subareas there is a gap in the genus distribution. This region is known to have low richness (Sabino & Castro, 1990; Esteves & Lobón-Cerviá, 2001; Ribeiro et al., 2006), not having many species that are common in neighbouring areas. This is probably related to the geographical formation of the area, which is characterized by a reduced coastal plain, with numerous waterfalls and drainage area reduced, which could decreases the habitat for many species of fishes, including Pseudotothyris species.
description: Published as part of Martins, Fernanda O., Britski, Heraldo A. & Langeani, Francisco, 2014, Systematics of Pseudotothyris (Loricariidae: Hypoptopomatinae), pp. 822-874 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 170 (4) on pages 824-825, DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12107, http://zenodo.org/record/5303243