Australoheros perdi , new species ( Teleostei : Labroidei : Cichlidae ) from the lacustrine region of the Doce River Valley , southeastern Brazil , with biological information

Australoheros perdi is a new species herein described from the lacustrine region of the middle Doce River basin, Doce River Valley, southeastern Brazil. The new species is distinguished from all its congeners by having only 25 vertebrae and by a combination of characters states listed below: three abdominal bars in all stages of life, a conspicuous, rounded caudalfi n base spot, a conspicuous wide longitudinal stripe, head with depression in the region above the eyes, tip of pelvic fi n reaching vertical through third to sixth anal fi n spine base, fewer dorsal-fi n spines, fewer pectoral-fi n rays, fewer caudal vertebrae, fewer proximal radials on dorsal-fi n base, more proximal radials on anal-fi n base, more pleural ribs, a longer caudal peduncle, a deeper caudal peduncle, a wide ectopterygoid, a longer last anal-fi n spine and a longer lower jaw. The available phylogenetic tree of the genus does not include the species from southeastern Brazil, thus impeding any discussion of the phylogeny of these species.

Recently collected specimens from the lagoa Gambazinho (Fig. 1) in the Parque Estadual do Rio Doce (PERD) differ from all known species.Thus a new species is herein described for the middle Doce River basin, Doce River Valley, southeastern Brazil (Fig. 1).
The PERD is located in the eastern region of Minas Gerais (19° 29′ 24′′ -19 ° 48′ 18′′ S; 42 ° 28′ 18′′ -42° 38′ 30′′ W) and has an area of 36,000 hectares with altitudes ranging from 230 to 515 m inserted in the largest remnant of the Atlantic Forest in Minas Gerais state.The human impacts from mining, farming activities, steel plants and cultivation of Eucalyptus sp. can be see on its surroundings.The region has a tropical climate, warm and semi-humid, with 4 to 5 months of dry season (GODINHO, 1996;TUNDISI, 1997;BARBOSA & MORENO, 2002).

Methods
Measurements and counts follow Kullander (1986) and Ottoni (2010) Weitzman (1974).The nomenclature of osteological characters follows Costa (2006).Bars are grouped in head and trunk bars, numbered from the caudalfi n to the snout, following Kullander (198 3).Spots are numbered as well as bars.Midlateral stripe sensu Kullander (1983) is here called as longitudinal stripe.All specimens of DZUFMG 073 were sexed, with male and females present, as well as some specimens of DZUFMG 074-077, for sexual dimorphism evaluation.For species delimitation we adopted here the method described by Davis & Nixon (1992) for practical reasons and discriminate species on divergent diagnostic character states (or on a specifi c combination of different character states).
The biological analysis used the chi square test to determine the sex ratio (Zar, 1999), followed Le Cren (1951) in determining the length-weight relationship and qualitative and quantitative methods (Hynes, 1950) and the food index (IAi) (Kawakami-Vazzoler, 1980) to assess the diet species.

Materials
Specimens were collected in the Lagoa Gambazinho (PERD) (Fig. 1) bimonthly from September 2006 to September 2007 with traps and batteries of gillnets (mesh size: 3.0 to 12.0 cm) with 10 m length and traps during 24 h, and trawls and sieves in January and September 2008.
The material is deposited in: DZUFMG, De partamento de Zoologia da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; MZUSP, Museu de Zoologia, Uni versidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil and UFRJ, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.mula minuscule roman numerals (for undivided rays) + Arabic numerals (for divided rays) to the dorsal rays, ";" and another, equal formula, to the ventral rays of the fi n.The ( 19) "scales of dorsal-fi n origin serie" is the vertical count of scales from the upper lateral line to the dorsal-fi n base origin (not counting the lateral line scale).The ( 20) "scales of the end of superior lateral line to dorsal fi n series" is the number of series of scales above the last scale of the upper lateral line series (not counting the lateral line scales).The (21) scales of anal fi n origin series is the vertical count of scales from anal-fi n origin to lower lateral line (not counting this).The ( 22) longitudinal series of scales from the posterior bony margin of opercle through the inferior lateral line to the end of caudal peduncle is herein called "E0".The (23) longitudinal series of scales from the posterior bony margin of opercle through the superior lateral line to the end of the series is herein called "E2".The (24) longitudinal series of scales between the upper and lower lateral line series is herein called "E1" and includes the series of scales from the posterior bony opercle margin to the end of caudal peduncle, including the smallest caudal peduncle scales (as in E0 and E2).Gill rakers (25) from the fi rst gill arch are in two series, one in the inner side and the other in the outer side, all of whom may fall out of the specimen easily under manipulation and can only be correctly studied in cleared, stained and dissected specimens; the count is expressed as a formula (x + y; where x refers to the ceratobranchial rakers and y those from the epibranchial together with possible rakers from the intermediary cartilage); inner and outer rakers from each bone are added and expressed by a single number.
Osteological studies were made on cleared and stained (C&S) specimens, prepared according to Taylor & Van Dyke (1995) and dissected as in

A B
terminal, distal tip of maxilla not reaching vertical tangent to anterior margin of orbit.Lower lip fold covering portion of upper lip.Lower jaw slightly shorter than upper one.Jaw teeth caniniform.Teeth hyaline, red at tip.Outer row teeth increasing in size symphysiad, anteriormost teeth longer in upper jaw than in lower jaw.Nostrils in the middle between the tip of snout and anterior margin of orbit.Opercle not serrated.
Body scales ctenoid, except those underlying the dorsal-fi n base and just in front of it; at least some of the smallest scales underlying anal-fi n base and gular region (including ventral region), which are cycloid.Trunk and caudal peduncle covered with ctenoid scales.Head and ventral region of body covered with cycloid scales.Scales on head and chest slightly smaller than on fl anks.Two scale rows between the lateral lines.Number of cheek scales series 2 -4 (above those of preopercle and below eye; 12 specimens).Dorsal-fi n base scaled from 13 -14° dorsal-fi n spine.Anal-fi n base scaled from 6° anal-fi n spine.
Dorsal fi n origin placed at level of posterior margin of opercle.Dorsal fi n rounded, pointed on pos terior region.Tip of dorsal fi n reaching vertical through half of caudal fi n.Dorsal fi n basal half scaled from about last dorsal-fi n spine to end.Anal fi n rounded anteriorly, pointed posteriorly.Anal-fi n basal third scaled from about last anal-fi n spine.Tip of anal fi n reaching vertical between half and posterior border of caudal fi n.
Caudal fi n long with distal margin rounded.Caudal fi n with smaller ctenoid scales covering the basal half of the fi n.Pectoral fi n with a rounded tip, extending to about fi rst anal-fi n spine or vertical trunk bar 4. Pectoral-fi n base on vertical through second or third spine of dorsal fi n.Pelvic fi n pointed.Pelvic-fi n base on vertical through or slightly posterior to pectoral fi n origin.Tip of pelvic fi n reaching vertical through third or sixth anal fi n spine.
Osteology.Epibranchial 2 with two long tubular processes (Ottoni & Costa, 2008; fi g. 4C), and anterior arm of epibranchial 1 long (Ottoni & Costa, fi g. 4A); a wide ectopterygoid (Ottoni & Costa, 2008; fi g. 3B).Ceratobranchial 4 with microbranchiospines only on its caudal side.Ceratobranchial 5 partially sutured medially, relatively robust, dorsally toothed; triangle-shaped in dorsal view, with slender lateral tips (which are not toothed) each with a minute cartilage laterally; midline teeth series 4 -6; posterior border teeth 10 -12 + 10 -12; teeth bicuspid, sickleshaped, usually directed forward (those anteriorly on bone, curved backward); posterior and medial teeth larger than lateral and anterior teeth and tend to be laterally compressed.longer last anal-fi n spine (last anal-fi n spine length 14.4 -20.8 % SL vs. 12.2 -13.3 % SL); and from A. ipa tinguensis by having a longer lower jaw (lower jaw length 19.6 -28.4 % SL vs. 17.0 -19.2 % SL).Description.Morphometric data are in Table 1 and meristic ones in Table 2. Sexual dimorphism was not found.Body elongated and laterally compressed.Dorsal head profi le sloping straight upward and backward in small specimens, with a depression on the level of eye; larger specimens also with depression in the region above eyes, however progressively with more convex profi le from this point backward to form a hump (already present in specimens with 63 mm SL).Ventral profi le slightly convex from snout to caudal peduncle origin.Caudal peduncle approximately straight and horizontal ventrally and dorsally.Mouth in very small specimens) and a second spot on junction between longitudinal stripe and trunk bar 4; and a third spot on posterior margin of opercle and longi tudinal stripe.An interrupted brown longitudinal stripe running from trunk bar 1 to anterior margin of opercle, lighter and in conspicuous between trunk bars 1 -5, darker between trunk bar 4 and vertical head bar 1. Dorsal side of head with three brown bars: head bar 1 on post-orbital region close to the eye, extending to an horizontal tangent to dorsal margin of the eye; head bar 2 on supra-orbital zone between the eyes, head bar 2 extending to posterior orbital margin touching the ventral margin of head bar; head bar 3 slightly anterior to the eye and extending to an horizontal tangent to it's ventral margin.
Dorsal fi n hyaline in small specimens and brown in large ones, slightly invaded by dark brown trunk bars.Anal and caudal fi ns color pattern similar to dorsal fi n.Pectoral fi n hyaline.Pelvic fi n hyaline in small specimens, darkening in large ones, specially at it's distal portion.
Distribution.So far only know from the type locality (Fig. 1), Parque Estadual do Rio Doce (PERD), lacus trine region of the middle Doce River basin, Doce River Valley, southeastern Brazil (Fig. 3).
Coloration in alcohol (Fig. 2A and 2B) (also see a schematic illustration of the color pattern in OTTONI et al. (2008); fi g. 2B).Body and head ground color cream (brown in large specimens).Side of body with seven dark brown trunk bars, between caudal peduncle and posterior margin of opercle, herein numbered in this direction.
All vertical trunk bars continuous, except ver tical trunk bars 6 -7 which are interrupted above longi tu dinal stripe.Three abdominal bars.Trunk bar 1 somewhat arched.Trunk bars 2 -4 curved with concavity posteriorly.Trunk bar 5 vertically hori zontally connected to trunk bar 6, just above upper lateral line.Trunk bar 5 dorsally forked in some specimens.Vertical trunk bar 7 forked, y-shaped, dorsally.Verti cal trunk bar 7 its posterior arm with same width as the anterior one.Trunk bars not forked ventrally, except very rarely.A horizontal conspicuous and wide dark brown longitudinal stripe may be present slightly above middle of fl ank, uniting all vertical trunk bars in small specimens and at least 5 -7 in adults; sometimes pro longing through upper region of opercle.
Three dark spots: fi rst spot conspicuous, rounded and visible on caudal-fi n peduncle (caudal-fi n base spot), and on lower vertically elongated and passing by lateral line (a well developed round spot roundish ingested item was shrimp (Macrobrachium jelskii) (IAi = 0.85) followed by fi sh scales and fi sh remains (IAi = 0.12), sediment (IAi = 0.02) and aquatic (Chironomidae larvae, Odonata nymph) and terrestrial (Hy me no ptera, Coleoptera) insects (IAi = 0.01), plant material and other invertebrates.In addition, in the intestines of immature specimens zooplankton, mainly cladocerans, was also found.

Discussion
A new species of the genus Australoheros is herein described from the lacustrine region of the middle Doce River basin, Doce River Valley, southeastern Brazil.The lacustrine system is located in the interplanaltic depression of the Doce River Valley.The origin of these lakes is associated with the ancient tributaries whose mounths have been closed through several mechanisms and due to their or igins, exhibiting a typical dendritic confi guration (Suguio & Kohler, 1992).This system has about 140 lakes of which 42 of them are located within the PERD (Latini et al., 2004).One of the most serious problems in the Parque Estadual do Rio Doce is biological invasion.According to Latini et al. (2004), only three lakes of the PERD do not contain introduced species.One of the lakes without introduced species is the Lagoa Gambazinho (Fig. 1), habitat of Australoheros perdi and some species that have who disappeared in other lakes in the system that contain invasive species as peacock bass (Cichla kelberi Kullander & Ferreira, 2006) and the red piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri Kner, 1858).Thus, species of small and medium size, like the species of this paper, are seriously threatened in this system invaded by alien fi sh species.The new species was described as a member of Australoheros because it fi ts perfectly with the color pattern (presence of interruptions on trunk bar 6 -7, above longitudinal stripe) described as the main diagnostic character state of the genus (Rícan & Kullander, 2006).It also has a color pattern similar to that described for A. ribeirae, characterized by having seven trunk bars, trunk bar seven dorsally forked, trunk bar 5 not dorsally forked, a conspicuous and rounded caudal-fi n base spot and a wide and conspicuous longitudinal stripe (Ottoni et al., 2008), as well as mostly of its congeners from southeastern Brazil, however some specimens presented the trunk bar 5 dorsally forked.
Australoheros perdi posses a unique characters state distinguishing it from all the other congeners: 25 total vertebrae.Among the 21 valid species of Etymology.perdi refers to the Parque Estadual do Rio Doce (PERD), the locality were the new species was collected.

Biology and Ecology.
A total of 150 specimens were collected, 87 immature with undetermined sex.The range of total length was 1.3 to 16.7 cm.The sex ratio for this population was signifi cantly equal to 1 : 1 (p > 0,05) for the entire study period.The macroscopic analysis of gonads revealed that adults with mature gonads were collected in the rainy season.The smallest females and males captured with gonads in maturation were respectively 5.0 and 7.2 cm in total length.According to length-weight relationship, the species showed positive allometric growth with values of b = 3.082 for females and b = 3.292 to males.
For diet analysis the stomach contents of 80 specimens (33 adult and 47 immature ones) was exam ined.Most of the immature fi shes had empty stomachs.In addition several intestines were analyzed in order to supplement the list of items ingested by this species.There was a wide variety of items ingested, but a large amount of sediment suggests an om ni vorous-benthophagous feeding habit.The main : Measurements were made pointto-point with a caliper and are (1) standard length, from the upper jaw symphysis to base of middle caudal peduncle; (2) head length, from the upper jaw symphysis to posteriormost bony margin of opercle; (3) head width, measured in the wider part of head, usually the opercular region; (4) preorbital depth, measured in an imaginary vertical through anteriormost eye margin; (5) snout length, from the upper jaw symphysis to bony anteriormost eye margin; (6) horizontal orbital diameter; (7) upper jaw length, from symphysis of premaxillary bone to posterior end of maxillary bone; (8) lower jaw length, from symphysis of dentary bone to the posterior edge of lower jaw; (9) interorbital width, between osseous upper margins of orbits; (10) head depth, taken on an imaginary vertical line passing by the pos terior most eye margin; (11) body depth, taken on an imaginary vertical line passing by the pelvic-fi n origin; (12) pectoral-fi n length, from base of fi rst ray to tip of longest ray; (13) length of last dorsal-fi n spine; (14) length of last anal-fi n spine; (15) pelvic-fi n spine length; (16) pelvic-fi n length, from its origin to tip of longest ray; (17) dorsal-fi n base length, from origin to end of fi n base; (18) anal-fi n base length, from origin to end of fi n base; (19) predorsal length, from the upper jaw symphysis to dorsal-fi n origin; (20) prepelvic length, from the upper jaw symphysis to pelvic-fi n origin; (21) depth of caudal peduncle, at approximately the middle of peduncle; (22) length of caudal peduncle, from the end of anal-fi n base to the base of caudal-fi n rays; (23) caudal-fi n length, from the end of caudal peduncle to the end of the caudalfi n.Auto-explicative counts are (1) dorsal-fi n spines; (2) dorsal-fi n rays; (3) anal-fi n spines; (4) anal-fi n rays; (5) pelvic-fi n spines; (6) pelvic-fi n rays; (7) pectoral-fi n rays; (8) total vertebrae; (9) rib pairs; (10) precaudal vertebrae; (11) caudal vertebrae (vertebrae counts include the hypural complex); (12) scales of upper lateral line series; (13) scales of lower lateral line series; (14) proximal radials on dorsal-fi n base; (15) proximal radials on anal-fi n base; (16) scales between lateral lines; (17); scales of caudal-peduncle depth; The (18) caudal-fi n rays are split into dorsal and ventral rays and are counted respectively upsidedownward and downside-upward, following the for-Vertebrate Zoology ■ 61 (1) 2011