Rineloricaria quilombola: a new species of whiptail catfish (Siluriformes, Loricariidae, Loricariinae) from upper and middle Tocantins River basin, Brazil.

The genus Rineloricaria comprises 69 valid species and has been considered monophyletic by some authors. The taxonomic history of Rineloricaria is quite complex, especially concerning its wide distribution and morphological plasticity that make it difficult to diagnose and describe new species. Even with the great species-richness of the genus and the huge diversity of the system, the Tocantins-Araguaia River basin hosts only three formally described species of Rineloricaria: R.

Three new species of Harttia (Loricariidae: Loricariinae) from Serra do Cachimbo, Rio Xingu basin, Pará, Northern Brazil.

Three new species of Harttia from the Rio Xingu basin in the region of Serra do Cachimbo, Pará State, Brazil, are described. Harttia rondoni n. sp.

A preliminary index of biotic integrity for monitoring the condition of the Rio Paraiba do Sul, southeast Brazil.

The biodiversity of many Brazilian rivers is seriously threatened by industrial and municipal pollution, and Rio Paraiba do Sul, located between two major industrial centers is one example of this situation. A survey of the fish assemblage was conducted from October 1998 to September 1999 and the data were used to develop an index of biotic integrity (IBI). We sampled three zones in bracketing a large urban-industrial complex to evaluate water quality changes and the usefulness of the IBI as a monitoring tool.