Astronotus mikoljii Lozano, Lasso-Alcalá, Bittencourt, Taphorn, Perez & Farias, 2022
Mikolji’s Oscar
Astronotus mikoljii
photo by Mikolji, I.

Family:  Cichlidae (Cichlids), subfamily: Astronotinae
Max. size:  24.012 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater
Distribution:  South America: Venezuela and Colombia.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 17-21; Anal soft rays: 16-20. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: 2-3 supraneural bones (vs. two); no spinous process (hypurapophysis) on the anterosuperior border of the parahypural bone (hypural complex) (vs. present); sagitta otolith oval with strongly crenulated ventral and dorsal margins (vs. elliptical and smooth-lobed margins in A. crassipinnis while elliptical and smooth-dentate in A. ocellatus), rostrum projected with an elongated process (vs. rostrum process short), posterior region of the otolith rounded (vs. straight or flat), the aspect ratio of sagitta otoliths (AR = 0.665) is higher and the differences are statistically significant at P < 0.05 (vs. AR = 0.606 in A. ocellatus and AR = 0.585 in A. crassipinnis), the roundness index is highest with Rd = 0.597 (vs. Rd = 0.545 in A. ocellatus and Rd = 0.543 in A. crassipinnis) (P < 0.05); morphometric index showed higher values in A. mikoljii (0.837) to A. ocellatus (0.767) and A. crassipinnis (0.735): mean head length of A. mikoljii (36.72% SL) is longer (vs. 35.01% SL in A. crassipinnis and 33.26% SL in A. ocellatus), mean diameter of the orbit 9.06% SL is greater (vs. 7.36%SL in A. ocellatus and 7.73% SL in A. crassipinnis), mean pre-orbital depth 14.22% SL is greater (vs. 0.14% SL in A. crassipinnis) but less than 15.91% SL in A. ocellatus, mean snout length 11.53% SL is longer (vs. 5.36% SL in A. crassipinnis and 10.67% SL in A. ocellatus) (Ref. 126783).
Biology: 
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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