A new species of Tometes Valenciennes 1850 (Characiformes: Serrasalmidae) from Tocantins-Araguaia River Basin based on integrative analysis of molecular and morphological data

PLoS One. 2017 Apr 19;12(4):e0170053. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170053. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

A new large serrasalmid species of Tometes is described from the Tocantins-Araguaia River Basin. Tometes siderocarajensis sp. nov. is currently found in the rapids of the Itacaiúnas River Basin, and formerly inhabited the lower Tocantins River. The new species can be distinguished from all congeners, except from T. ancylorhynchus, by the presence of lateral space between 1st and 2nd premaxillary teeth, and by the absence of lateral cusps in these two teeth. However, T. siderocarajensis sp. nov. can be differentiated from syntopic congener T. ancylorhynchus by an entirely black with mottled red body in live specimens, densely pigmented pelvic fins with a high concentration of dark chromatophores, and the presence of 39 to 41 rows of circumpeduncular scales (vs. silvery body coloration with slightly reddish overtones on middle flank during breeding period in live specimens, hyaline to slightly pale coloration on distalmost region of pelvic fins, and 30 to 36 rows of circumpeduncular scales). Additionally, molecular sequence shows that T. siderocarajensis sp. nov. is reciprocally monophyletic, and diagnosable from all congeners by having two autapomorphic molecular characters in the mitochondrial gene COI. The phylogenetic reconstruction still show that T. siderocarajensis sp. nov. is closely related to T. trilobatus. This is the first molecular study using an integrative taxonomic approach based on morphological and molecular sequence data for all described species of Tometes. These findings increase the number of formally described species of Tometes to seven. A key to the Tometes species is provided.

MeSH terms

  • Animal Fins / anatomy & histology
  • Animals
  • Brazil
  • Characiformes / anatomy & histology
  • Characiformes / classification*
  • Characiformes / genetics
  • Electron Transport Complex IV / genetics*
  • Female
  • Genetic Speciation*
  • Male
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / genetics*
  • Phylogeny*
  • Rivers
  • Tooth / anatomy & histology

Substances

  • Mitochondrial Proteins
  • Electron Transport Complex IV

Grants and funding

MCA: Coordenação de Aproveitamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior # grant 6666/2015-9. TG: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico # grant 308278/2012-7, Coordenação de Aproveitamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Programa Nacional de Pós Doutorado, Fundação Amazônia de Amparo a Estudos e Pesquisa do Pará # grant 011/2015. IPF: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico # CNPq/PRONEX/FAPEAM. This research was supported by PROPESP-UFPA (# grant 23073.004649/2017-06).