Acantopsis dinema Boyd & Page, 2017
Peppered horseface loach

Family:  Cobitidae (Spined loaches)
Max. size:  11.67 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater
Distribution:  Asia: tributaries of the Mekong River draining the Khorat Plateau and Mekong Delta ecoregions in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia; and Songkhram River in eastern Thailand to the Prek Thnot River south of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-11; Vertebrae: 41-42. Acantopsis dinema is distinguished from all congeners by the combination of the following characters: absence of large spots on side of head; many black specks beneath midlateral row of black spots from head to caudal fin; 2 pairs of labial barbels; absence of distinct small black spot on upper margin of caudal-fin base; absence of large black spots on dorsal or caudal fins; dorsal fin usually with 10½ branched rays and pectoral fin with 10 rays; 8-17 dark saddles along dorsal midline; 6-12 black spots along side of body; 41-42 total vertebrae; and body depth 12.0-14.5% SL, body width 8.0-10.3% SL, caudal-peduncle length 12.1-14.3% SL (Ref. 116755).
Biology: 
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:  Known from the tributaries of the Mekong River draining the Khorat Plateau and Mekong Delta ecoregions and from Prek Thnot River south of Phnom Penh (Ref. 116755).


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