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A New Species of Piranha (Serrasalmus, Serrasalmidae) from the Upper Madeira River System, Amazon Basin, Bolivia

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Abstract

A new species of piranha, in the genus Serrasalmus (Characiformes, Serrasalmidae), is described from tributaries of the upper Madeira River drainage (Bolivian Amazon Basin). This new species exhibits a similar caudal-fin color like that observed in S. hollandi, and review of the literature suggested that former studies have misidentified these two species. The new species can be diagnosed morphologically from other congeners, but genetic variation of the COI sequence data showed little difference (~1%) from similar, morphologically recognized species. Since Serrasalmus species are widespread and morphologically difficult to identify, a key for identifying Bolivian species of this genus is presented.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To Robert Hanner, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph (Canada), for his kind collaboration to host the last author in 2013 and obtain COI sequences for the Barcoding Bolivian Fishes project. To Dr. Matt Kolmann for their comments to improve the manuscript, principally in the description of the phylogenetic gene tree inference. To Dr. Machado-Allison for their comments to improve the manuscript, principally in the Serrasalmus classification and phylogenetic results. To an anonymous reviewer for their comments to improve the manuscript content and provided photographs of S. irritans from Colombia and Venezuela. To Adalid Argote, Federico Machicao, and Tamara Perez for their help during field work and fish sampling in the North of Bolivia during 2011 and 2012. To Federico Moreno, Takayuki Yunoki, Dennis Lizarro (in memoriam—2021) (Aquatic Resources Research Center, University Autónoma del Beni José Ballivián, Beni, Bolivia), for loan of material and access to their lab facilities in 2019. To Kathia Rivero (Natural History Museum Noel Kempff Mercado—University Autónoma Gabriel Rene Moreno, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia) for access to material and lab facilities in 2022. We thank all indigenous fishers from Original Indigenous Peasant Territory (Beni, Bolivia) and Multiethnic Indigenous Territory II (Pando, Bolivia) for their precious help and hospitality during sampling in 2011–2012. To Joachim Carosfeld, Alison Magnaugton and Tiffanie Rainville (World Fisheries Trust—Victoria, Canada), and Paul Van Damme (Faunagua—Cochabamba, Bolivia), for their interest and support to obtain fish samples, and sequences of Bolivian fishes in Canada.

Funding

This work was supported by the PPV1 (Peces Para la Vida) and PPV2 (Fish for Life) projects, funded by Internacional Development Research Centre (Ottawa) with the financial support of Global Affairs Canada.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Limnology and Aquatic Resources Unit (ULRA), University Mayor de San Simón (UMSS), Cochabamba, Plurinational State of Bolivia

    F. Gallo-Cardozo, M. Maldonado, M. Careaga & F. M. Carvajal-Vallejos

  2. Alcide d’Orbigny Natural History Museum, Cochabamba, Plurinational State of Bolivia

    M. Careaga

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  1. F. Gallo-Cardozo
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Correspondence to F. Gallo-Cardozo.

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Animal-related experiments were not conducted in this work. Examine the material of the collection were approved by the Limnology and Aquatic Resources Unit (ULRA), University Mayor de San Simón (UMSS), Cochabamba, Plurinational State of Bolivia (March 11, 2020).

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Gallo-Cardozo, F., Maldonado, M., Careaga, M. et al. A New Species of Piranha (Serrasalmus, Serrasalmidae) from the Upper Madeira River System, Amazon Basin, Bolivia. J. Ichthyol. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0032945224700036

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