Abstract
A new species of Profundulus, Profundulus kreiseri (Cyprinodontiformes: Profundulidae), is described from the Chamelecón and Ulúa Rivers in the northwestern Honduran highlands. Based on a phylogenetic analysis using cytochrome b and the presence of synapomorphic characters (dark humeral spot, a scaled preorbital region and between 32-34 vertebrae), this new species is placed in the subgenus Profundulus, which also includes Profundulus (Profundulus) oaxacae, Profundulus (Profundulus) punctatus and Profundulus (Profundulus) guatemalensis. Profundulus kreiseri can be distinguished from other members of the subgenus Profundulus by having less than half of its caudal fin densely scaled. Profundulus kreiseri can further be differentiated from Profundulus (Profundulus) oaxacae and Profundulus (Profundulus) punctatus by the absence of rows of dark spots on its flanks. The new species can further be differentiated from Profundulus (Profundulus) guatemalensis by the presence of fewer caudal- and pectoral-fin rays. The new species is distinguished from congeners of the profundulid subgenus Tlaloc (viz., Profundulus (Tlaloc) hildebrandi, Profundulus (Tlaloc) labialis, Profundulus (Tlaloc) candalarius and Profundulus (Tlaloc) portillorum) by having a scaled preorbital region and a dark humeral spot. Profundulus kreiseri and Profundulus portillorum are the only two species of Profundulus that are endemic to the region south of the Motagua River drainage in southern Guatemala and northwestern Honduras.
Highlights
The genus Profundulus Hubbs, 1924, is a depauperate lineage of northern Central American and southern Mexican (Fig. 1) cyprinodontiforms that belong to Profundulidae
Based on a phylogenetic analysis using cytochrome b and the presence of synapomorphic characters, this new species is placed in the subgenus Profundulus, which includes P. (P.) oaxacae, P. (P.) punctatus and P. (P.) guatemalensis
The southernmost boundary of the genus is delimited by the distributional range of P. portillorum Matamoros and Schaefer, 2010, which is found in the headwaters of the Ulúa and Nacaome River basins in the Atlantic and Pacific slopes of Honduras (Matamoros et al 2009; Matamoros and Schaefer 2010; Matamoros et al 2012)
Summary
The genus Profundulus Hubbs, 1924, is a depauperate lineage of northern Central American and southern Mexican (Fig. 1) cyprinodontiforms that belong to Profundulidae. The northernmost distributed species, Profundulus oaxacae (Meek, 1902), is found in the Río Verde basin, in the Mexican Pacific slope in the state of Oaxaca (Miller et al 2005). The subgenus Tlaloc was diagnosed by having a preorbital region that has either two inconspicuously embedded scales or is naked, small scales on the body, and a high vertebral count. The subgenus Profundulus is diagnosed by having a preorbital region covered with conspicuous (not deeply embedded) scales, a prominent humeral spot, and at least half (the anterior half) of the caudal fin densely scaled (Miller 1955). The subgenus Profundulus includes four species; P. (P.) punctatus (Günther, 1866), P. (P.) guatemalensis (Günther, 1866), P. (P.) oaxacae and the new species described
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