Nannoptopoma sternoptychum Schaefer, 1996
photo by Vierke, J.

Family:  Loricariidae (Armored catfishes), subfamily: Hypoptopomatinae
Max. size:  3.3 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater
Distribution:  South America: tributaries from the upper Río Amazonas in Ecuador and Peru, and central Río Amazonas, including the upper Rio Madeira basin, in Bolivia and Peru.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 1-1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-7; Anal soft rays: 6-6; Vertebrae: 26-26. This species is distinguished from all congeners except H. spectabile, by the pattern of abdominal plates, consisting of a pair of slender plates posterior to the coracoids followed by a series of 1-3 unpaired medial abdominal plates (vs. 2 or 3 series of abdominal plates); by having the posterior process of the coracoid strongly curved, its distal tip pointing dorsally (vs. posterior process smoothly curved and distal tip pointing posterodorsally); and by the absence of basipterygium fenestrae (vs. with basipterygium fenestrae). This species is distinguished from H. spectabile by the presence of thoracic plates; greater number of total lateral plates 21-22 (21) (vs. 20-22 (20)); greater number of dentary teeth, 21-37 (30) (vs. 20-31 (24)); greater dorsal interorbital distance with mean dorsal interorbital distance 63.5 (vs. 58.5); pelvic fin placed more posteriorly, mean pectoral-pelvic distance 15.5 (vs. 12.7); and longer pectoral fin, length reaching or surpassing the anal-fin origin, the mean pectoral-fin spine length 39.3 (vs. 29.8) (Ref. 84367).
Biology: 
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 09 October 2020 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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