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 caudalfin base spot, a conspicuous wide longitudinal stripe, head with depression in the region above the eyes, tip of pelvic fin reaching vertical through third to sixth anal fin spine base, fewer dorsal-fin spines, fewer pectoral-fin rays, fewer caudal vertebrae, fewer proximal radials on dorsal-fin base, more proximal radials on anal-fin base, more pleural ribs, a longer caudal peduncle, a deeper caudal peduncle, a wide ectopterygoid, a longer last anal-fin 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.

Cichlinae, Heroini, middle Doce River basin, Minas Gerais state, Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, Pisces, South-American cichlids, Taxonomy, biology, diet.