CHARACIDIIN GENUS CHARACIDIUM (TELEOSTEI, CHARACIFORMES) IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL, WITH DESCRIPTION OF 3 NEW SPECIES

Three new species of the characidiin fish genus Characidium are descri bed from southern Brazil. Characidium serrano sp.n., from the upper ri o Uruguay drainage in the Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina states, is diagnosed by the presence of unique oblique bars on the sides of t he body. Characidium orientale sp.n., from the laguna dos Patos draina ge, in eastern Rio Grande do Sul state, and C. occidentale sp.n., from the rio Uruguay drainage in western Rio Grande do SuI, are members of a group of species (also including C. rachovii, which has a short lat eral line) diagnosed by the presence of roundish black marks on the pe lvic, dorsal, anal fins; C. orientale and C. occidentale are distingui shed from each other by the relative size of these marks near the ante rior end of the anal fin (larger in C. occidentale), and their organiz ation in the dorsal fin (forming a band in C. occidentale). The status of the other four species of Characidiinae (C. pterostictum, C. racho vii, C. tenue, and Characidium sp. cf. C. zebra) occurring in the area is briefly reviewed.