new species:
Astyanax tumbayaensis Miquelarena & Menni, 2005
type locality:
Argentina, Province of Jujuy, río Grande basin, man-made channel near the road crossing the village of Tumbaya (23°51’S 65°28’W); Holotype: ILPLA 1702 (68,8 mm SL, male); Paratypes: ILPLA 1513 (7), ILPLA 1703 (2), MHNG 2652.90 (2)
published in:
Miquelarena, A.M. & R.C. Menni (2005):
Astyanax tumbayaensis, a new species from northwestern Argentina highlands (Characiformes: Characidae) with a key to the Argentinean species of the genus and comments on their distribution.
Revue Suisse de Zoologie 112 (3): 661-676
abstract (from publication):
A new species of the characid genus Astyanax is described from a man-made small channel connected with the Río Grande basin, in Jujuy Province, northwestern Argentina. This species can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: body relatively high (39.2-45.3% SL); head short and heavy (24.0-26.7% SL); snout very short (16.1-20.8% HL); eye small (28.9-35.0% HL): interorbital very wide (38.8-44.1% HL); mouth sub-superior; maxilla short with 1-2 teeth; iii-v, 19-22 anal-fin rays; 33-36 perforated scales on the lateral line, and a distinctive color pattern, consisting in a reticulated body, with dorsal, pelvic, anal, and caudal fins with dark margins. A very narrow lateral dark stripe ending in a caudal spot, and one large vertically elongated humeral spot. In addition the males of Astyanax tumbayaensis have bony hooks in the dorsal, pelvic, anal and caudal fins. A key for Argentinean species of Astyanax is provided. The primary traits of the distribution of species in the country are discussed, with reference to the main basins and some zoogeographically important localities.
distribution and habitat (from publication):
Astyanax tumbayaenesis is only known from the type locality, a channel pouring into Río Grande, in the Quebrada de Humahuaca, Jujuy Province, Argentina.
Astyanax tumbayaenesis lives in a small man made, 17-20 cm deep, irrigation channel, beside the road that crosses the small village of Tumaya (23°51’S 65°28’W, 2.094 m a.s.l.) in northwestern Argentina. The channel has a muddy bottom, with abundant organic deposits that are nearly totally covered by algae, with a few floating plants. Banks vegetated with grass and other plants The environmental variables recorded in the same place some years after the original collection (19/10/98) indicate pH 8.1, water temperature 18.5°C (advanced spring) and low conductivity.