Dark Blotches Research Articles

A new species of Paralithoxus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae: Ancistrini) from the highlands of Serra da Mocidade, Roraima State, Brazilian Amazon

ABSTRACT A new species of Paralithoxus is described from the Ajarani River, a small tributary of the Branco River basin, Roraima State, Brazilian Amazon. The genus Paralithoxus comprises species described from the Essequibo drainage in Guyana, Approuague and Maroni in French Guiana, Suriname River in Surinam, and more recently, from Jari and Amapá rivers, in Brazil. Despite occurring in a rock-bottomed fast-flowing stream as the other species of Paralithoxus, this is the first species of the genus collected at 900 m altitude, in the Serra da Mocidade highlands, an isolated and poorly accessible small mountain chain at the southern border of the Guiana Shield. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by having truncate teeth, color pattern with green spots on dark olive-brown background, alternating dark and light blotches on fins and by the pelvic fin being as long as or longer than the pectoral fin. Sex dimorphism of the species is described. Comments on morphology and osteology are provided and compared with congeners.

Breeding biology of the White-throated Kingbird (Tyrannus albogularis) in Brazil and Bolivia

ABSTRACT The White-throated Kingbird (Tyrannus albogularis) is a widespread species in north-central South America, where it inhabits a variety of open to semi-open habitats. The breeding biology of the species is almost unknown. We describe the reproduction of the species based on 34 nests found in southeastern Brazil and eastern Bolivia since 2004, and eggs and nests found in museum collections. The breeding season lasts from mid-September to mid-February throughout its breeding range. The nest is cup shaped and supported from below. Nests were built with woody stems, grass stems, rootlets, and palm fibers. Mean clutch size was 2.3 eggs, which were ovoid with a pink ground coloration, covered by dark spots and blotches of variable size and color concentrated at the rounded end. The mean incubation period was 16.3 d and the nestling period was 18 d.

A new species of grouper, Epinephelus craigi (Perciformes: Epinephelidae), from the South China Sea

A new species of grouper, Epinephelus craigi. sp. nov., from the South China Sea is described from 17 specimens (104–250 mm SL). The new species is distinguished from Epinephelus stictus (Randall and Allen 1987) with which it has historically been conflated, based on coloration, meristics, morphology, and genetics. Epinephelus craigi sp. nov. has a unique color pattern of irregular squarish, dark brown blotches interrupting lighter brown bars along the lateral midline of the body, and small dots on the dorsal surface of the body. Additionally, E. craigi sp. nov. has a longer upper jaw, shorter snout length, narrower interorbital width, and shorter caudal peduncle than E. stictus. Both E. stictus and the new species are relatively deep-water species, with the new species occurring to at least 93 m. Epinephelus craigi sp. nov. is known from the South China Sea and E. stictus is known from Western Australia and southern Indonesia, suggesting allopatric and anti-equatorial distributions. DNA sequence divergence data of the mitochondrial COI gene further supports the distinction of E. craigi sp. nov. from E. stictus.

The snakehead fish Channa aurolineata is a valid species (Teleostei: Channidae) distinct from Channa marulius.

Channa aurolineata is a valid species of the Marulius group. Previously treated as a synonym of C. marulius, C. aurolineata is readily distinguished from C. marulius by a different colour pattern, in which a conspicuous white posterior margin is present on the black scales that form the dark lateral blotches in larger juveniles and adults (vs. scales without white margin but with white spots in C. marulius). Channa aurolineata also differs from C. marulius by having more lateral line scales (65-71 vs 62-65), more dorsal-fin rays (55-58 vs 52-56) and more vertebrae (63-66 vs 59-63). In addition to these morphological differences, C. aurolineata is genetically more than 8% different (uncorrected p-distance) from C. marulius at the COI barcoding gene, a difference consistent with levels of genetic divergence observed among different species. The same characters that distinguish C. aurolineata from C. marulius also distinguish it from C. pseudomarulius, the other Indian member of the Marulius group. Channa aurolineata has a widespread distribution in larger rivers in Myanmar, including the Chindwin, Ayeyarwaddy, Sittaung and Thanlwin river basins. The Indo-Burman ranges appear to delineate the western geographical limit of this species, with C. marulius restricted to the western side of this mountain chain.

Identification of a large-effect QTL associated with kernel discoloration in barley

Three barley mapping populations sharing the parental line SusPtrit suffered from an unknown condition affecting grain quality and germination. Grains showed dark blotches or even whole-grain discoloration and shrivelling. Symptoms were similar to kernel discoloration as reported in wheat and barley. Some covered-seed lines affected by this quality condition produced grains that were either not covered at all or in which partial hull loss was observed, a phenotype that resembles that of grain skinning. No fungal or bacterial agent was identified as causal organism, and we demonstrate that the poor quality phenotype is not transmitted to the next generation – therefore unlikely due to a seed borne pathogen. A major effect QTL on chromosome 6H was mapped independently in all three populations, with the poor quality allele contributed by SusPtrit. A second, minor effect QTL, was mapped on chromosome 2H in the SusPtrit x Golden Promise population, with Golden Promise as the parent donor of the allele conferring poor quality. The grain quality disorder is not linked to the nud gene on chromosome 7H for the naked/covered seed trait.

Two New Species of the GenusLeptobrachella(Amphibia: Anura: Megophryidae) from Kalimantan, Indonesia

Two new species of the dwarf litter frog genus Leptobrachella are described from North and Central Kalimantan, Indonesian part of the Borneo Island. Leptobrachella fusca n. sp. from Bulungan Regency, differs from all congeneric species in the following combination of characters: body small (SVL: 16.3 mm in a male); dorsum uniformly dark brown; sides of body without marking; a series of elongate ventrolateral glands present on flank; ventrum darkly pigmented except for throat and posterior portion; lineae masculinae invisible through ventral skin in preservative; and toe webs rudimentary. Leptobrachella bondangensis n. sp. from Gunung (=Mt.) Bondang of Murung Raya Regency, is distinct in possessing the following combination of characters: body large as this genus (SVL: 17.8 mm in a male); dorsum grayish brown; sides of body without dark blotches; a sparse series of rounded ventrolateral glands present on flunk; ventrum pale gray with dark mottles; lineae masculinae invisible through ventral skin in preservative; and toe webs rudimentary.

Hazeus ingressus sp. nov. a new goby species (Perciformes: Gobiidae) and a new invasion in the Mediterranean Sea

A new species of gobiid, Hazeus ingressus sp. nov. (Teleostei: Gobiidae) is described from the Levantine coast of Turkey. The species probably originates from the Red Sea and represents the 11th alien gobiid species in the Mediterranean Sea. The new species is distinguished from its Indo-Pacific congeners by a combination of the following characters: no dark blotch on the first dorsal fin; caudal fin coloration; scales in lateral series 25-28 (modally 27); second dorsal fin rays I,8; anal fin rays I,8-9; predorsal scales ctenoid 7; short, stout gill rakers 2+8. This finding suggests that the Lessepsian invasion intensely continues with the inclusion of the known species as well as undescribed species.

Platydoras birindellii, new species of striped raphael catfish (Siluriformes: Doradidae) from the Xingu Basin, Brazil

A new species of Platydoras is described from the rio Xingu Basin, Brazil. Platydoras birindellii is distinguished from congeners by having gas bladder simple (vs. with posterior secondary chamber) and dorsal and caudal fins uniformly dusky (vs. with distinct marks composed of dark broad band or blotch on central portion of dorsal fin and pair of dark broad stripes on caudal fin, one central to each lobe). Platydoras birindellii shares a simple gas bladder with the sister taxon to Platydoras,Centrochir crocodili, a monotypic genus endemic to the Magdalena Basin. With respect to the caudal skeleton, the parhypural is incompletely fused to hypurals 1+2 in P. birindellii, a condition that is intermediate between those of Centrochir (parhypural typically separated from hypurals 1+2 by distinct suture) and Platydoras (parhypural typically fully fused to hypurals 1+2). Platydoras birindellii is commonly found in rocky clearwater rapids and apparently endemic to the middle and upper portions of the Xingu draining the Brazilian Shield.

A new species of Hyphessobrycon Durbin from northeastern Brazil: evidence from morphological data and DNA barcoding (Characiformes, Characidae).

A new species of Hyphessobrycon is described for the upper Munim and Preguiças river basins, northeastern Brazil, supported by morphological and molecular species delimitation methods. This new species belongs to the Hyphessobrycon sensu stricto group, as it has the three main diagnostic character states of this assemblage: presence of a dark brown or black blotch on the dorsal fin, absence of a black midlateral stripe on its flank and the position of Weberian apparatus upward horizontal through dorsal margin of operculum. Our phylogenetic analysis also supported the allocation of the new species in this group; however, it was not possible to recover the species sister-group. Pristella maxillaris and Moenkhausia hemigrammoides were recovered as the sister-clade of the Hyphessobrycon sensu stricto group.

A new species of Amolops (Anura: Ranidae) from southwestern Guangdong, China.

A new species, Amolops yunkaiensis sp. nov. is described based on a series of specimens from Ehuangzhang Nature Reserve and Yunkaishan Nature Reserve, southwestern Guangdong Province, China. The new species can be distinguished from all known congeners by molecular divergence in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA, 12S rRNA and CO1 genes, and a combination of the following characters: relatively small body size, SVL 31.8-34.1 mm in adult males, 35.2-39.0 mm in adult females; numerous raised large warts on dorsum and flanks; dorsal body olive-brown or light brown with dark brown blotches; absence of vomerine teeth; absence of tarsal glands; presence of a pair of subgular vocal sacs, nuptial spines on the first finger, and sparse translucent tubercles on the lower jaw, forechest, posterior belly and ventral thigh in male. Hence, the genus Amolops contains 52 species, 29 of which occur in China.

Alternaria alternata: A new seed-transmitted disease of coriander in South Africa

This is the first report of Alternaria leaf spot disease on coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) in South Africa. Using the agar plate method, Alternaria alternata was isolated from coriander seed lots together with four other fungal genera, which included Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium and Rhizopus. Standard seed germination tests of coriander seed lots infected with seed-borne mycoflora showed a positive correlation with the number of diseased seedlings (r = 0.239, p < 0.01). Pathogenicity tests demonstrated that this seed-borne A. alternata was pathogenic on coriander and symptoms on leaves first appeared as small, dark brown to black, circular lesions (<5 mm diam.) that enlarged and coalesced to form dark brown blotches as time progressed. Leaf spot disease was most severe (64%) on wounded leaves inoculated with A. alternata. Re-isolation of A. alternata from diseased coriander plants satisfied the Koch’s postulates, thus confirming it as the causal agent of Alternaria leaf spot disease. Parsimony analysis based on rpb2 (GenBank Accession No. KT895947), gapdh (KT895949) and tef-1α (KT895945) sequences confirmed identity of the Alternaria isolate, which grouped within the A. alternata clade. Alternaria alternata was shown to be transmitted from infected coriander seed to the developing plants.

Hisonotus devidei, a new species from the São Francisco basin, Brazil (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)

A recent expedition to headwaters of the Rio Pandeiros, a left-bank tributary of the Rio São Francisco revealed the presence of a fourth species of Hisonotus from that basin. Hisonotus devidei sp. nov. differs from congeners by the presence of conspicuous dark blotches of distinct shapes irregularly arranged along lateral and dorsal surfaces of the body and scattered throughout all fins, by possessing small plates in lateral portions of the abdomen and adjacent areas between pelvic fins without development of dermal plates and by morphometric ratios. The putative phylogenetic placement of the new species is discussed based on morphological comparisons with species of related Hypoptopomatinae genera and the Hisonotus species diversity within the Rio São Francisco Basin is compared with that of adjacent basins.

A New Species of Miniature Fish of the GenusMicrophilypnus(Gobioidei: Eleotridae) from the Upper Rio Negro Basin, Amazonas, Brazil

A new species of the eleotrid genus Microphilypus from the Upper Rio Negro basin is described herein. It differs from all congeners in the presence of 5–6 arched rows of melanophores on the abdominal region, posterior to the base of the pelvic fins, followed by six large irregularly oval black blotches, with the tips of the three posteriormost blotches visible in lateral view; a dark teardrop-shaped blotch on the caudal peduncle, extending to the base of the ventral caudal rays; five light brown blotches along the dorsal profile of the body, between the origin of the second dorsal fin and the caudal peduncle; and the poorly developed laterosensory system on the head, with horizontal rows of head papillae b and d absent. A key to the species of Microphilypnus is presented.

Nephelaphyllum maliauensis (Orchidaceae; Collabiinae), a new species from the Maliau Basin, Sabah, Borneo, with a discussion of the taxonomic identities of N. pulchrum, N. latilabre and N. flabellatum

Nephelaphyllum is a relatively small genus, containing only 11 species distributed from China through Indochina to Thailand and from Peninsular Malaysia eastwards through Indonesia to the Philippines (Chan et al. 1994). The species are easily recognised, even when not in flower, by their characteristic light green or yellowish leaves and dark green venation and blotches (Comber 1990). All species grow in deep, well-drained humus in dark conditions on the forest floor, especially in areas without severe dry seasons (Comber 1990).

Chelidoperca tosaensis, a new species of perchlet (Serranidae) from Japan and the Philippines, with geographic range extension of C. stella to the northwestern Pacific Ocean

Chelidoperca tosaensis is described as a new species based on 84 specimens from Japan and the Philippines taken from depths of 60–302 m. The species can be distinguished from all known congeners by having the following combination of characters: scale rows between lateral line and base of spinous dorsal fin 3; pored lateral-line scales 37–42 (modally 39); scale rows in longitudinal series 39–43 (modally 40); no longitudinal dark stripe or row of dark blotches on body side. The new species is additionally characterized by having a combination of numerous, scattered, yellow spots on dorsal and anal fins with red streak or cluster of reddish spots over bases of about 4–6th dorsal-fin spines; large ocellated red spot with pinkish white border present on membrane between opercular spines; pelvic fin with middle area yellow with whitish spine, and whitish first, second and fifth soft rays; caudal fin with about three transverse rows of yellow spots centrally and posteriorly, two fan-shaped rows of red blotches on basal third, and a pair of white blotches with a pair of yellow blotches between white blotches on the base. Diagnostic characters of Chelidoperca stella, previously known only from its type locality in the Andaman Sea, are updated based on 12 specimens from Taiwan, the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam and the Philippines. These specimens represent the first records of the species from the Pacific Ocean.

A new species of Phrynopus (Amphibia, Anura, Craugastoridae) from upper montane forests and high Andean grasslands of the Pui Pui Protected Forest in central Peru.

We describe a new species of Phrynopus from the upper montane forests and high Andean grasslands (puna) of the Pui Pui Protected Forest and its close surroundings (Región Junín, central Peru) and compare it morphologically and genetically with other species of Phrynopus. Phrynopus inti sp. n. is known from four localities outside and two localities inside the Pui Pui Protected Forest between 3350 and 3890 m a.s.l. Studied specimens of the new species are characterized by a snout-vent length of 27.2–35.2 mm in males (n = 6), and 40.4 mm in a single female, by having the skin on dorsum and flanks smooth with scattered tubercles, venter smooth, by lacking a tympanum, and males without vocal slits and nuptial pads. In life, the dorsum is pale grayish brown with or without dark brown blotches, or dorsum blackish brown with small yellow flecks, throat, chest and venter are pale grayish brown with salmon mottling, groin is pale grayish brown with salmon colored flecks, and the iris is golden orange with fine dark brown reticulations. The new species is morphologically most similar to Phrynopus kauneorum and P. juninensis. For the latter we describe the coloration in life for a specimen obtained at the type locality. A molecular phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences inferred that the new species is most closely related to Phrynopus kauneorum, P. miroslawae, P. tautzorum, and an undescribed species distributed at high elevation in Región Pasco, central Peru.

Correction to 'The role of climatic and geological events in generating diversity in Ethiopian grass frogs (genus Ptychadena)'.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170021.].

A new species of Astyanax Baird &amp;amp; Girard (Characiformes: Characidae) from the upper rio Araguaia, Central Brazil

We describe a new species of Astyanax from the upper rio Araguaia basin, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. The new species presents a combination of characters that indicates its allocation within the A. scabripinnis species complex. The new species differs from congeners belonging to the A. scabripinnis species complex by a combination of the following characters: lateral dark stripe beginning immediately behind the upper margin of the opercle; a single vertical humeral dark blotch; a scattered pattern of dark chromatophores below lateral line, at the abdominal region; 15 to 20 branched anal-fin rays; lateral line with 33 to 36 perforated scales; dentary teeth decreasing abruptly in size from the fourth or fifth tooth onwards; and 13 or 14 circumpeduncular scales.

New species of the anthiadin genus Sacura (Perciformes: Serranidae) from the Andaman Sea

Sacura sanguinea n. sp. (Serranidae: Anthiadinae) is described on the basis of two male and one female specimens from the Andaman Sea. The new species is characterized by the following characters: dorsal-fin rays X, 15; pored lateral-line scales 34; gill rakers 8 + 23 = 31; body depth 42.6–44.7% of SL; head length 39.5–41.4% of SL; pectoral-fin length 32.4–33.1% of SL; poorly defined broad yellow band from anterior profile of head to middle of body, the band gradually becoming red around middle of body and ending at caudal-fin base; caudal fin with distinct red spots centrally; and large dark red blotch posteriorly on spinous portion of dorsal fin in females.

Hyphessobrycon platyodus (Teleostei: Characiformes), a new species from the Rio Madeira basin, Brazil, with comments on how multicuspid teeth relate to feeding habits in Characidae.

A new species of Hyphessobrycon is described from the Rio Juma, a tributary of the lower Rio Aripuanã-Rio Madeira basin, Amazonas, Brazil. Hyphessobrycon platyodus can be distinguished from its congeners by the: presence of an elongated dorsal fin in adult males, 25-28 branched anal-fin rays and absence of dark blotches from the dorsal fin and caudal peduncle. The presence of multicuspid teeth in species of Characidae and its relation with feeding habits are briefly commented on.