Fig 1.
Karst outcrops and threats observed at Posse region, Goiás Brazil.
a, Typical karst outcrops observed in the Posse region; b, deforestation in the front and mining in the back, observed close to the Anésio III cave in August of 2016. Photographs: Maria E. Bichuette.
Fig 2.
Habitat of Aspidoras mephisto at Anésio III cave, Posse Goiás, Brazil, showing (a), a small stretch of the drainage showing the roots reaching the water, lentic and formed by small roots and silt (Photograph: Maria E. Bichuette); (b), a pool with rocky in the border and silty-bottom, the black arrow indicates an adult specimen (Photograph: Maria E. Bichuette); and (c), small stretch stream where the juvenile specimens were observed with a large amount of organic matter in the margin (Photograph: Maria E. Bichuette).
Fig 3.
Aspidoras mephisto, holotype, MNRJ 48268, 45.6 mm SL, in dorsal (a), lateral (b) and ventral (c) views.
Fig 4.
Predorsal portion of trunk of (a) Aspidoras mephisto, c&s paratype, NUP 18760, 31.7 mm SL, showing the absence of contact between the process of the parieto-supraoccipital and nuchal plate, which is entirely covered by a thick layer of skin, and (b) Aspidoras velites c&s, LIRP 4479, 25.1 mm SL, showing the more posterior parieto-supraoccipital fontanel (red arrow). Dotted lines in (a) indicate the limits of the tip of the posterior process of the parieto-supraoccipital, which is covered by thick layer of skin, and anterior tip of the nuchal plate. Abbreviations: np: nuchal plate, pso: parieto-supraoccipital. Black arrows indicate the dorsal-fin spinelet in (a), and where it should be in (b). Scale bar = 1.0 mm.
Fig 5.
Lateral view the head of Aspidoras mephisto, c&s paratype, NUP 18760, 31.7 mm SL, showing right (a) and left (b) sides of its head; io2 absent only on the left side of the head. The white arrow in (b) indicates the parieto-supraoccipital fontanel. Abbreviations: io1: infraorbital 1, io2: infraorbital 2, sph: sphenotic, cpt: compound pterotic, f: frontal, n: nasal, op: opercle, prh: posterodorsal ridge of hyomandibula, pop: preopercle, pso: parieto-supraoccipital. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.
Fig 6.
Ventral surface of trunk of (a) Aspidoras mephisto c&s paratype, NUP 18760, 31.7 mm SL, showing clearly smaller and rounded or irregular platelets, and (b) Aspidoras velites c&s, LIRP 4479, 25.1 mm SL, showing clearly larger and striated platelets. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.
Fig 7.
Right pectoral-fin spine of Aspidoras mephisto, c&s paratype, NUP 18760, 31.7 mm SL, showing the serration pattern of its posterior margin.
Arrows indicate the small laminar expansions on base of first branched rays; dotted line indicates the limit of the conspicuously ossified portion of the pectoral spine. Abbreviations: clt: cleithrum. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.
Fig 8.
Variations in the general color pattern of Aspidoras mephisto, showing the more intensely pigmented pattern, with distinct midlateral blotches (a, NUP 18759, 34.7 mm SL); an intermediary pigmented pattern, with more diffuse but distinct midlateral blotches (b, ZUFMS-PIS 4965, 26.0 mm SL); and another possible intermediary pattern, with a longitudinal diffuse brownish stripe along midline of flank instead of midlateral blotches (c, NUP 18759, 34.9 mm SL).
Fig 9.
Live uncatalogued specimen of Aspidoras mephisto from the Anésio III cave, Posse, Goiás, Brazil.
Photograph: Danté Fenolio.
Fig 10.
Juvenile paratype of Aspidoras mephisto, LESCI 333, 19.0 mm SL, in lateral view (a) and detail of the dorsal view of the anterior portion of the body (b), showing general morphology and color pattern. Arrow indicates the well-developed papillae on barbel. Scale bar = 1.0 mm. Photograph: Luciana B. R. Fernandes.
Fig 11.
Map of the type-locality of Aspidoras mephisto, showing the Anésio-Russão cave-system, Posse, Goiás Brazil.
Author: Diego M. von Schimonsky.
Fig 12.
Foraging habitat observed for Aspidoras mephisto.
(a), touching the bottom parallel to; (b), touching the silty-bottom + roots showing a 60° angle to; (c), starting to foraging under the small roots; and (d), foraging behavior under the roots (arrow). Photographs: Maria E. Bichuette.
Fig 13.
Preadipose azygous plates (arrows) of (a), Aspidoras mephisto, holotype, MNRJ 48268, 45.6 mm SL, and (b) Aspidoras fuscoguttatus, DZSJRP 14959, 35.1 mm SL, showing the clearly smaller plates in the new species. Scale bar = 1.0 mm. Photographs: Bruno F. dos Santos.
Fig 14.
Detail of the head of Aspidoras mephisto in lateral view, showing the variations on eye morphology.
In (a), NUP 18759, 34.7 mm SL orbit is slightly reduced, clearly smaller than in congeners; in (b), NUP 18759, 34.9 mm SL, orbit is conspicuously reduced but distinguishable and externally opened; and in (c), ZUFMS-PIS 4965, 26.0 mm SL, orbit is strongly reduced, indistinguishable and not externally opened. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.
Table 1.
Morphometric data of holotype and 19 paratypes of Aspidoras mephisto.
Length of maxillary barbel value is absent in a single paratype. N = number of measured specimens and SD = standard deviation.