Platydoras brachylecis, a new species of thorny catfish (Siluriformes: Doradidae) from northeastern Brazil

Platydoras brachylecis, new species, is described from coastal drainages of northeastern Brazil (Pindare to Parnaiba rivers), and diagnosed from congeners by the unique combination of. pale yellow to white stripe beginning above orbits, continuing midlaterally on body and onto middle rays of caudal fin; skin in axil of each midlateral thorn without concentration of pigment forming small dark spot, midlateral scutes shallow (depth of 1011 scute 8.8-11.9% of SL), and midlateral scutes on caudal peduncle distinctly separated by strip of skin from middorsal and midventral caudal-peduncle plates. Three additional species of Plattydoras are recognized as valid: P. armatulus (lower Orinoco, Amazon and Paraguay-Parana drainages), P. costatus (coastal drainages of Suriname and French Guiana), and P. hancockii (upper Orinoco, Negro, Essequibo and Demerara drainages). The nominal species P. dentatus and P helicophilus are tentatively treated as junior synonyms of P. costatus. A key to species of Platydoras is provided.