The Neotropical whale catfishes (Siluriformes: Cetopsidae: Cetopsinae), a revisionary study

Abstract

The catfishes of the subfamily Cetopsinae of the Neotropical family Cetopsidae are revised. Four genera, Cetopsidium new genus, Cetopsis, Denticetopsis, and Paracetopsis Bleeker are recognized as valid. Bathycetopsis, Hemicetopsis, and Pseudocetopsis are considered synonyms of Cetopsis and Paracetopsis Eigenmann & Bean and Cetopsogiton synonyms of Paracetopsis. Thirty-seven species are recognized in the Cetopsinae. Cetopsidium includes six species: C. ferreirai, new species, rio Trombetas; C. minutum, Essequibo River; C. morenoi, central and western portions of río Orinoco; C. orientale, coastal rivers of Suriname and French Guiana, and tentatively rio Tocantins and rio Xingu; C. pemon, new species, río Caura, río Caroni, río Meta, and rio Branco; and C. roae, new species, Rupununi River. Cetopsis includes 21 species: C. amphiloxa, río San Juan, río Atrato, and río Patia, western Colombia, and rivers of northwestern Ecuador; C. arcana, new species, rio Tocantins; C. baudoensis, río Baudo; C. caiapo, new species, rio Tocantins; C. candiru, Amazon basin; C. fimbriata, new species, río Truando; C. coecutiens, rio Amazonas, rio Tocantins, and río Orinoco; C. gobioides, upper rio São Francisco, rio Paraná, río Uruguay, and rio Juquiá; C. jurubidae, río Jurubidá; C. montana, new species, western portions of Amazon basin; C. motatanensis, Lago Maracaibo basin; C. oliveirai, Amazon basin; C. orinoco, río Orinoco, río Aroa, and río Yaracuy; C. othonops, río Magdalena and río Sinú; C. parma, western Amazon basin; C. pearsoni, new species, upper portions of rio Madeira; C. plumbea, western portions of rio Amazonas; C. sandrae, new species, rio Tapajós; C. sarcodes, new species, rio Tocantins; C. starnesi, new species, northwestern río de La Plata and southern rio Madeira; and C. umbrosa, new species, western río Orinoco. Cetopsis chalmersi is a synonym of C. gobioides. Cetopsis macroteronema is a synonym of C. plumbea. Denticetopsis includes seven species: D. epa, new species, rio Tocantins; D. iwokrama, new species, Siparuni River; D. macilenta, Potaro River; D. praecox, río Baria; D. royeroi, upper río Negro; D. sauli, upper río Negro; and D. seducta, new species, western portions of rio Amazonas and río Orinoco. Paracetopsis consists of three species: P. atahualpa, new species, río Tumbes, northwestern Peru, and río Zarumilla, southwestern Ecuador; P. bleekeri, río Guayas and río Santa Rosa, south-western Ecuador; and P. esmeraldas, new species, rivers of northwestern Ecuador. Cetopsis ventralis and C. occidentalis are synonyms of Paracetopsis bleekeri. A neotype is designated for Paracetopsis bleekeri. Lectotypes are designated for Cetopsis candiru, Cetopsis chalmersi, and Cetopsis plumbeus.