| Family: |
Characidae (Characins; tetras), subfamily: Cheirodontinae |
| Max. size: |
3.23 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
benthopelagic; freshwater |
| Distribution: |
South America: Rio Ceará-Mirim basin, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-11. Serrapinnus potiguar can be diagnosed from all congeners by the shape and arrangement of the ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays of mature males, where the hypertrophied elements are scimitar-shaped and arranged in a semi-circle through the ventral profile of the caudal peduncle (vs. hypertrophied elements rod-shaped or pointed distally, arranged parallel to each other). It differs further by having 5 cusps in the premaxillary and dentary teeth (vs. 7 to 9 in S. calliurus, S. micropterus, and S. piaba, 9 to 11 in S. sterbai, and 10 to 12 in S. gracilis and S. littoris), terminal mouth (vs. slightly superior mouth in S. microdon), an incomplete lateral line (vs. complete lateral line in S. heterodon), dorsal fin mostly hyaline (vs. dorsal fin with an anterior and proximal dark blotch in S. notomelas), and by lacking black spot in the posteroventral region of the abdomen (vs. present in S. kriegi) (Ref. 96867).
Description: dorsal-fin rays ii,9; anal-fin rays ii-iv,17-20; pectoral-fin rays i, 10-12; pelvic-fin rays
i,7-8; scale rows from lateral line to pelvic-fin origin 4 or 5; abdominal vertebrae 15; and caudal vertebrae 18 or 19 (Ref. 96867). |
| Biology: |
The type locality, the rio Ceará-Mirim, is characterized by clear and transparent water, sandy
bottom high depth 1.2 m, slow to moderate water current and dense floating and submerse vegetation. Sympatric and synotopic with Compsura heterura, Serrapinnus heterodon and S. piaba in the type locality. Feeds mainly on vegetal matter and algae, but also takes insects and microcrustaceans (Ref. 96867). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 07 November 2018 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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