Dark Sea Catfish

materials_examined

BMNH 1865.4.29.51 - 53, unsexed specimen, 172 mm SL, Rio Motagua, Guatemala, syntype of

Description of Cathorops mapale, a new species of sea catfish (Siluriformes: Ariidae) from the Colombian Caribbean, based on morphological and mitochondrial evidence.

materials_examined

Material examined: AMNH 35241 (2 al, 113 - 140 mm TL), Guatemala, Izabal, rio Motagua, near Finca.

Systematics of the family Ariidae (Ostariophysi, Siluriformes), with a redefinition of the genera.

description

Description. (Tables 1 and 6). Head short and depressed, profile slightly convex at level of frontals and supraoccipital. Body broader rather than deeper on pectoral girdle area. Cephalic shield rugose, relatively short and narrow on lateral ethmoid, frontal, supracleithrum, and epioccipital areas. Osseous bridge formed by lateral ethmoid and frontal long and slender, evident under skin. Dorsomedian groove of neurocranium relatively deep and large, its margins well marked, progressively narrower posteriorly. Supraoccipital process long and wide on posterior portion, profile straight. Nuchal plate crescent-shaped and moderate in size. Snout quite short, rounded on transverse section. Anterior and posterior nostrils close to one another. Eye lateral and relatively large. Interorbital distance and distance between nostrils and orbit short. Maxillary barbel surpassing base of pectoral-fin spine, external mental barbel surpassing margin of gill membrane, internal mental barbel reaching margin of gill membrane. Mouth relatively small, lower jaw arched. Lips relatively thick. Vomerine tooth plates absent. One pair of small, narrow and elongated accessory tooth plates, quite distant from o

Revision of the species of the genus Cathorops (Siluriformes: Ariidae) from Mesoamerica and the Central American Caribbean, with description of three new species

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Cathorops melanopus differs from all congeners by having 16 - 18 gill rakers on first arch (vs. 19 - 20 in C. belizensis, 14 - 15 in C. fuerthii, 37 - 40 in C. hypophthalmus, 20 - 24 in C. mapale, and 19 - 22 in C. tuyra), 19 - 20 rays on anal fin (vs. 21 - 23 in C. agassizii, 21 in C. aguadulce, 21 - 24 in C. arenatus, 22 - 25 in C. fuerthii, 22 - 23 in C. hypophthalmus, 24 - 27 in C. manglarensis, 21 - 24 in C. mapale, 25 - 27 in C. multiradiatus, 22 - 25 in C. spixii, and 22 - 23 in C. steindachneri), snout length 5.3 - 5.5 % SL (vs. 6.9 - 8.9 % SL in C. belizensis, 6.3 - 7.9 % SL in C. fuerthii, 6.1 - 8.0 % SL in C. higuchii, 8.6 - 9.6 % SL in C. hypophthalmus, 6.0 - 8.6 % SL in C. kailolae, 6.2 - 8.0 % SL in C. manglarensis, 7.3 - 7.6 % SL in C. steindachneri, 7.4 - 8.3 % SL in C. taylori), and posterior margin of pectoral-fin spine with prominent serrations (vs. short and inconspicuous serrations in all other species, except in C. aguadulce, C. kailolae, C. multiradiatus, and C. tuyra) (Fig. 20). Cathorops melanopus is further distinguished from C. aguadulce by possessing a shorter snout (5.3 - 5.5 vs. 9.3 - 11.6 % SL), shorter distance from tip of snout to dorsal-

Revision of the species of the genus Cathorops (Siluriformes: Ariidae) from Mesoamerica and the Central American Caribbean, with description of three new species