A new species of characid, Hyphessobrycon vinaceus, is described from the upper rio Pardo, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The new species is distinguished from all other Hyphessobrycon species by the combination of the following characters: the body red or reddish pigmented in live specimens, an anterior and conspicuous vertically elongate black humeral spot followed by a second faint humeral spot, 5 teeth in the inner series of premaxilla, maxilla with 2-3 pentacuspidate teeth, 15-17 branched anal-fin rays, 4-5 scale rows above and 3-4 scale rows below lateral line, lateral line with 10-26 perforated scales, 32-34 scales in a longitudinal series, and by a smaller head length in relation to standard length (23.9-26.7%).
Hyphessobrycon hamatus; Taxonomy; Fin hooks; Sexual dimorphism
