Makunaima, Terán & Benitez & Mirande, 2020

MAKUNAIMA gen. nov.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F38D65AB-344D-4752-84B3-801D7F9E613B

Type species: Astyanax guaporensis Eigenmann, 1911 .

New combinations: Makunaima guaporensis ( Eigenmann, 1911) c o m b. n o v., M a k u n a i m a g u i a n e n s i s (E i g e n m a n n, 1 9 0 9) c o m b. n o v., Makunaima multidens ( Eigenmann, 1908) comb. nov.

Diagnosis: Makunaima is diagnosed from the remaining Stethaprioninae by the following combination of characters: presence of two rows of teeth in the premaxilla, with five or six in the inner row, a naked caudal fin, circuli absent on posterior field of scales, more than five maxillary teeth, dorsal expansion of the rhinosphenoid present, base of the teeth from inner premaxillary row as broad as distal portion, a single tubule for passage of blood vessels on lamellar portion of the maxilla, complete lateral line with 31 to 35 perforated scales and the caudal fin hyaline or with a blotch but always lacking a black longitudinal stripe.

S y n a p o m o r p h i e s: M a k u n a i m a i s r e c o v e r e d a s monophyletic, supported by four morphological synapomorphies: posterior laterosensory pore of pterotic aligned with ventral pore (119:1), dentary teeth abruptly decreasing in size (207:1), posterior margin of quadrate reaching a vertical line through tip of symplectic (234:0) and the opercle with pronouncedly concave posterior margin (252:1).

Etymology: Makunaima (also spelled as Macunaima or Makonaima) is a god of creation in the mythology of several Amazonian tribes. According to legend, Makunaima created animals and a great tree from which all food plants grew. Gender: masculine.