Rineloricaria microlepidogaster (Regan, 1904)
photo by Rodriguez, M.S./R.E. Reis

Family:  Loricariidae (Armored catfishes), subfamily: Loricariinae
Max. size:  19.29 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater; pH range: 5.80000019073486 - 7.80000019073486; dH range: 20
Distribution:  South America: Laguna dos Patos basin (Ref. 36389). Reported from the ParanĂ¡ basin in Argentina (Ref. 56308).
Diagnosis:  Possesses the characters of the rocky group and can be diagnosed within the species of the rocky group by the following characters: asymmetrical tooth cusps (vs. almost symmetrical cusps in Rineloricaria aequalicuspis); spotted color pattern in all fins (vs. a unique color pattern composed of one dark, wide band covering most of the distal one-half of all fins in Rineloricaria baliola); narrower head, head width 74.7-83.5 (vs. 83.7-93.6% of head length in Rineloricaria jaraguensis); 5-11 teeth in both dentary and premaxilla (vs. 12-16 teeth in each jaw in Rineloricaria latirostris); plated abdomen (vs. naked or almost naked in Rineloricaria malabarbai and Rineloricaria maquinensis); and short dorsal unbranched principal caudal-fin ray (vs. dorsal unbranched principal caudal-fin ray produced in a filament in Rineloricaria pentamaculata) (Ref. 75788).
Biology:  Occurs in watercourses with slow to fast flow, clear to brown water with rocky, sandy, or muddy bottom (Ref. 75788). Encountered in polluted waters (Ref. 75788).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 07 November 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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