| Family: |
Loricariidae (Armored catfishes), subfamily: Hypostominae |
| Max. size: |
17 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
demersal; freshwater |
| Distribution: |
South America: Rupununi River, Essequibo River and Takutu and Ireng Rivers (Negro River drainage) along the Guyana-Brazil border. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 2-2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-7; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 4-4. Distinguished from all other Hypostomus except the species of the H. cochliodon group based on the presence of large, spoon-shaped teeth; and from all members of the H. cochliodon group except H. cochliodon, H. ericae, H. ericius and H. paucipunctatus by the presence of very widely spaced black spots on a light background. Can be separated from H. cochliodon by absence of a longitudinal ridge on the pterotic-supracleithrum and absence of longitudinal dark stripes; from H. ericius by lacking keels formed from sharp odontodes on the lateral plates; from H. ericae and H. paucipunctatus by lacking a buccal papilla; from H. ericae by having spots in the distal dorsal and caudal fins not combining (vs. spots combining to form wavy lines); and from H. paucipunctatus by having medium to large spots. It is further distinguished by having seven to eight adipose-caudal plates and by generally having no odontodes on the opercle (zero to 10), vs. having a patch of greater than 10 odontodes on the opercle (Ref. 54531). |
| Biology: |
Occurs among submerged, dead wood in modest to swift flowing water (Ref. 54531). Inhabiting largest part of freshwaters, from headwaters to upstream of the lower falls, with rocky substrate consisting of boulders, stones, gravels, and sand; the exposed wet rocks are also often covered by the Podostemaceae Mourera fluviatilis and Apinagia richardiana (Ref. 90186). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 12 November 2020 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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