Rineloricaria from Paraguay River drainage

[Silurus]

Vera-Alcaraz, HS,CS Pavanelli & CH Zawadzki, 2012. Taxonomic revision of the Rineloricaria species (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the Paraguay River basin. Neotropical Ichthyology 10: 285–311.

[bekateen]

Key to the species of Rineloricaria from the Paraguay River basin

1. a. Five lateral plate series in longitudinal rows below the dorsal fin, composed by the dorsal, mid-dorsal, median, mid-ventral, and ventral series (Fig. 4c); abdominal plates of anterior complex projected toward lip, surpassing horizontal line around pectoral-fin insertion .....
   Rineloricaria cacerensis
   
   
   • b. Four lateral plate series in longitudinal rows below the dorsal fin, the mid-dorsal plate series absent (Fig. 4a); abdominal plates of anterior complex not projected toward lip, ending just about horizontal line around pectoral-fin insertion ..... 2
2. a. Lateral region of the body just posterior to the pectoral-fin insertion with a slender area of naked skin, narrower than the caudal peduncle width (Fig. 4b and 4c); tip of the snout with a wide naked area without odontodes on the rostral plate, which is extended laterally and surpass the sensorial pore ventrally exposed of the infraorbital 1; pectoral, dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins with the unbranched ray conspicuously longer than the branched rays; breeding male specimens with short hypertrophied sexually dimorphic odontodes developed only on the sides of the head and on dorsum of the pectoral fin, not developed on the dorsum of the head and predorsal plates (Fig. 12) .....
   Rineloricaria parva
   
   
   • b. Lateral region of the body just posterior to the pectoral-fin insertion with a broad area of naked skin, similar in thickness to the caudal peduncle width (Fig. 4a); tip of the snout with a narrow and short naked area without odontodes on the rostral plate, which does not surpass the sensorial pore ventrally exposed of the infraorbital 1; dorsal, pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins with the unbranched ray not much longer than the branched rays; breeding male specimens with long hypertrophied sexually dimorphic odontodes developed on the sides of the head, dorsum of the head and predorsal plates, and dorsum of the pectoral fin (Figs. 3 and ..... 3
3. a. Dorsum of the head rough, with pronounced ridges from nasal plates to the interorbital region; pectoral and dorsal fins with irregular dark stripes over rays, a dark spot on base of first branched rays and another distally, caudal fin with a transversal dark band on distal region; tip of the snout pointed in a dorsal view .....
   Rineloricaria aurata
   
   
   • b. Dorsum of the head slightly rough, without ridges between nostrils and interorbital region; pectoral, dorsal, and caudal fins with a broad longitudinal dark band running parallel to the first rays; tip of the snout rounded in a dorsal view .....
     Rineloricaria lanceolata