A new species of Moenkhausia Eigenmann (Characiformes: Characidae) from the upper rio Machado at Chapada dos Parecis, rio Madeira basin, Brazil

ABSTRACT A new species of Moenkhausia is described from the upper rio Machado at Chapada dos Parecis, rio Madeira basin, Rondônia State, Brazil. Among congeners, the new species is similar to Moenkhausia chlorophthalma, M. cotinho , M. lineomaculata , M. plumbea, and M. petymbuaba by having dark blotches on the anterior portion of the body scales, which are absent in the remaining species of the genus. The new speciesdiffers from aforementioned species by possessing blue eyes in life, 15-18 branched anal-fin rays, and a well-defined, round caudal-peduncle spot that does not reach the upper and lower margins of the caudal peduncle and does not extend to the tip of the middle caudal-fin rays.