Systematic assessment of the Leporinus desmotes species complex, with a description of two new species

This dataset contains the digitized treatments in Plazi based on the original journal article Burns, Michael D., Chatfield, Marcus, Birindelli, José L. O., Sidlauskas, Brian L. (2017): Systematic assessment of the Leporinus desmotes species complex, with a description of two new species. Neotropical Ichthyology 15 (2), No. e 160166: 1-24, DOI: 10.1590/1982-0224-20160166, URL: dx.doi.org/10.1590/1982-0224-20160166 Members of the Leporinus desmotes species complex can be distinguished from other barred or banded congeners by the combination of nine distinct black bars across the head and trunk and long, pointed, laterally compressed and upward curving symphyseal dentary teeth.

A taxonomic reassessment of this complex revealed two new species, one from the Orinoco and Negro rivers of Venezuela and Brazil, and the other from the Xingu and Tapajós rivers of Brazil. Both species are similar to L. desmotes and L. jatuncochi, but differ significantly in body shape morphology, coloration, and/or circumpeduncular scale counts. Genetic evidence also contributes to the recognition of both new species.