A new species of the aspredinid catfish tribe Hoplomyzontini Micromyzon is described from two specimens collected with trawl nets in two localities, at 10 and 18 m depth, in the main channel of the lower Orinoco River in Venezuela almost 40 years ago. The new species is distinguished from its only congener, Micromyzon akamai, by the: straight anterior margin of the mesethmoid; open posterior cranial fontanel; ossified first pectoral-fin radial; single tubular infraorbital bone; infraorbital sensory canal entering neurocranium via the frontal; enclosed foramen for the abductor superficialis muscle in the coracoid; higher vertebral count (33 vs. 28–32); higher anal-fin ray count (10 or 11 vs. 7–9); and some morphometric features. The holotype of the new species was scanned using High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography to illustrate, describe, and compare its bony skeleton to other hoplomyzontins.
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29 December 2016
A new species of the blind and miniature genus Micromyzon Friel and Lundberg, 1996 (Silurifomes: Aspredinidae) from the Orinoco River: describing catfish diversity using high-resolution computed tomography
Tiago P. Carvalho,
John G. Lundberg,
Jonathan N. Baskin,
John P. Friel,
Roberto E. Reis
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Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
Vol. 165 • No. 1
December 2016
Vol. 165 • No. 1
December 2016
Anophthalmic
Miniaturization
neotropical
River Channels
taxonomy