Gymnogeophagus missioneiro

This species is distinguished from its congeners, G. balzanii, G. meridionalis, G. rhabdotus, G. setequedas, G. labiatus, G. lacustris by the absence of an oblique dark band from the eye to the origin of the dorsal fin; differs from the remaining species by the absence of an oblique dark band from the eye to the anterior border of the head in mature males (vs. present in gymnogenys and mekinos), the unpaired fins colored red (vs. yellow in lipokarenos), the soft dorsal fin rarely scaled (vs. scaled in australis), presence of large white dots sometimes forming stripes distally in the soft dorsal fin (vs. dorsal fin of males with spaced small silvery to bright blue dots in caaguazuensis, and dorsal fin of males with three longitudinal bands colored of yellow proximally, white/red at middle length of dorsal fin spines and rays and dark gray distally in tiraparae), caudal fin covered with white dots (vs. covered with dots proximally and stripes distally in constellatus); and the lips not developed (vs. developed in pseudolabiatus) (Ref. 118066).

Dorsal spines (total): 13 - 15; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 11; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 8 - 9; Vertebrae: 29

Gymnogeophagus missioneiro is a species of geophagine cichlid. It inhabits parts of the Uruguay and Río Negro rivers. It is characterised by the absence of supraneural bones, the presence of a forward spine in its first dorsal fin pterygiophore, the absence of an oblique bar between the eye and nape, possessing a black marking near the dorsal fin origin that projects to its dorsum, as well as other features.