Astyanax fasciatus (Cuvier, 1819)

Mirande, Juan Marcos & Several, Stefan Koerber Abstract, 2015, On some species of Astyanax reported erroneously from Argentina., Ichthyological Contributions of PecesCriollos 35, pp. 1-8 : 2-3

Astyanax fasciatus (Cuvier, 1819)

original Chalceus fasciatus

type locality Brazil

synonyms Tetragonopterus viejita Valenciennes, 1850 | Laguna de Maracaibo, Venezuela Salmo lambari Natterer, 1859 | Irisanga, Brazil

Tetragonopterus aeneus Günther, 1860 | freshwaters of Oaxaca, Mexico Tetragonopterus humilis Günther, 1864 | Lake Amatitlan, Guatemala

? Tetragonopterus microphthalmus Günther, 1864 | Pacific coast of Guatemala Tetragonopterus panamensis Günther, 1864 | Pacific coast of Panama Tetragonopterus belizianus Bocourt, 1868 | environments de Belize Tetragonopterus cobanensis Bocourt, 1868 |

Tetragonopterus finitimus Bocourt, 1868 |

Tetragonopterus oaxacanensis Bocourt, 1868 |

Astyanax carolinae Gill, 1870 |

Tetragonopterus cuvieri Lütken, 1875 |

Tetragonopterus oerstedii Lütken, 1875 |

Tetragonopterus rutilus var. jequitinhonhae Steind., 1877 |

Astyanax albeolus Eigenmann, 1908 |

? Tetragonopterus macrophthalmus Regan, 1908 |

Astyanax regani Meek, 1909 |

Astyanax grandis Meek & Hildebrand, 1912 |

Astyanax heterurus Eigenmann & Wilson, 1914 |

Astyanax aeneus var. costaricensis Meek, 1914 |

? Astyanax hanstroemi Dahl, 1943 |

Astyanax fasciatus orteguasae Fowler, 1943 |

Astyanax fasciatus is actually a complex of species whose diversity is far to be completely discovered yet. Apparently this species has been cited from Argentina since Cuvier & Valenciennes (1849) have published their doubts about the identities of Astyanax rutilus and A. fasciatus .

The type locality of A. rutilus is in the Río Paraná, whereas Astyanax fasciatus was primarily described from the Rio São Francisco basin in Brazil, but subsequently cited for most basins from Mexico to central Argentina.

Melo & Buckup (2006) restricted Astyanax fasciatus to the Rio São Francisco basin, leaving most other populations as A. aff. fasciatus . They said that A. rutilus is probably a valid species and mentioned some differences in the number of vertebrae, supporting that idea. Also, Melo & Buckup (2006: fig. 5) showed a male specimen of A. fasciatus having an elongation of the dorsal fin that was neither observed by us nor mentioned in any population of Astyanax living in Argentina. Therefore, since that paper, specimens from Argentina once identified as A. fasciatus are named A. rutilus by most authors. Protogino et al. (2006) described Astyanax aramburui , which distinguishes from A. rutilus mainly by the presence of bony hooks in all fins of males. At least until a revision of the A. fasciatus complex might be conducted, we assume that the specimens from Argentina and Uruguay once identified as A. fasciatus are either A. aramburui or A. rutilus .