Key to Colombian species of Parodon from
Taxonomic review of Colombian Parodon (Characiformes: Parodontidae), with descriptions of three new species
by Alejandro Londoño-Burbano, César Román-Valencia and Donald C. Taphorn
Neotropical Ichthyology, 9(4): 709-730, 2011
https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-62252011000400003

1. Sides of body with independent vertical bars, lateral stripe absent .................................................................................... 2
1’. Sides of body without independent vertical bars, lateral stripe present ......................................................................... 3
2. Sides of body with 14-17 vertical bands, each band about one scale in width; premaxillary teeth with 14-26 small cusps; adults often with first dorsal-fin rays elongated, sometimes reaching adipose fin when depresse ...................................................... P. apolinari (Orinoco basin)
2’. Sides of body with 6-8 vertical bands, each band two to three scales in width; premaxillary teeth with 13-15 small cusps; first dorsal-fin rays not elongated, never reaching adipose fin when depressed ................................ P. caliensis
(Upper río Cauca drainage) 3. Lateral stripe brown, with projections that have indistinct margins; lower caudal-fin lobe without bars or dark spots .................................................................................................. 4
3’. Lateral stripe black, with well-defined margins, without projections; lower caudal-fin lobe with black spot ......................… P. pongoensis (Middle río Amazonas basin)
4. Lateral stripe with both dorsal and ventral projections; all fins hyaline or with few chromatophores that never form distinct spots or bars; base color of body dark or light yellow, white or light brown ................................................ 5
4’. Ventral projections of lateral stripe extending down to level of axillary scale; area above lateral stripe dusk, almost black; pectoral fin with black distal spot; base color of body gray, darker than many congeners ...................... P. magdalenensis
(Middle río Magdalena and upper río Cauca drainages) 5. Dorsal stripe present on either side of body; spots present on body above lateral stripe; 22-27 preanal scales; no silvery spot below eye .......................................................... 6
5’. Dorsal stripes absent; no spots above lateral stripe; 27-30 preanal scales; conspicuous silvery spot below eye ............. ........................ P. alfonsoi (Lower río Magdalena drainage)
6. Lateral stripe extending to tips of middle caudal-fin rays; proximal third of caudal fin covered with scales; pectoral fin with 11-14 branched rays ............................................... 7
6’. Lateral stripe not continuing to tips of middle caudal-fin rays; less than one third of caudal fin covered with scales; pectoral fin with 14-17 branched rays ......... P. suborbitalis (Lake Maracaibo Basin)
7. Projections of lateral stripe not reaching dorsal part of body; transverse dorsal spots present from one or two scales posterior to tip of supraoccipital process to adipose-fin origin; premaxillary teeth with 12-13 small cusps; lateral line with 37-38 pored scales .............................. P. atratoensis (río Atrato drainage)
7’. Projections of lateral stripe anterior to dorsal fin extending over dorsum of body to connect with those of other side, forming continuous bands; dorsal spots present from tip of supraoccipital process to caudal fin; premaxillary teeth with 16-18 small cusps; lateral line with 39-40 pored scales ........................................................................ P. buckleyi (Middle río Amazonas Basin)