| Family: |
Anostomidae (Headstanders) |
| Max. size: |
27.1 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
benthopelagic; freshwater |
| Distribution: |
South America: Río Orinoco system in Venezuela and Colombia. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-12; Anal soft rays: 9-9; Vertebrae: 40-42. Can be separated from all congeners, except Schizodon isognathus, Schizodon knerii, and Schizodon nasutus, by the presence of a dark stripe running along the lateral-line-scale row from the rear of the opercle to the caudal peduncle (vs. absence of midlateral stripe in Schizodon altoparanae, Schizodon australis, Schizodon borelli, Schizodon corti, Schizodon dissimilis, Schizodon fasciatus, Schizodon intermedius, Schizodon platae, and Schizodon rostratus), and midlateral stripe extending no further anteriorly than to vertical drawn through dorsal-fin origin in Schizodon jacuiensis and Schizodon vittatus). Differs from Schizodon nasutus by a terminal or slightly upturned mouth (vs. a strongly subterminal mouth). Can be differentiated from Schizodon isognathus and Schizodon knerii by having 4 or 4.5 transverse scale rows above the lateral line to the dorsal-fin origin (vs. 6.5 scale rows [rarely 5.5 in Schizodon knerii]), 4 or 4.5 transverse scale rows below the lateral line to the anal-fin origin (vs. 5.5 scale rows [rarely 4.5 in Schizodon knerii]) and seven branched anal-fin rays (vs. eight). Differs further from Schizodon isognathus by the presence of three or four vertical dark blotches on the lateral surfaces of the body intersecting the prominent lateral stripe (vs. vertical blotches absent) and a terminal mouth in adults (vs. a slightly subterminal mouth in adults); and Schizodon knerii by having only 16 circumpeduncular scales (vs. 18-20) (Ref. 75767).
Description: Dorsal fin with 2 unbranched rays and 9-10 branched rays; anal fin with 2 unbranched rays and 7 branched rays (Ref. 75767). |
| Biology: |
Found in lagoons, pools, small caños and cattle pastures, all relatively lentic habitats (Ref. 75767). Herbivorous, preferring macrophytes (Ref. 75767). Distinct pairs breed on densely grown weedy places (Ref. 205). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 17 November 2020 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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