Boehlkea weitzmani Soares, Bertaco, Ito & Zuanon, 2017

Family:  Characidae (Characins; tetras), subfamily: Stevardiinae
Max. size:  3.48 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater
Distribution:  South America: Rio Japurá drainage, rio Solimões basin in Amazonas, Brazil.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-10; Anal soft rays: 21; Vertebrae: 36-38. Boehlkea weitzmanican be distinguished from B. fredcochui by the following characters: complete lateral line (vs. incomplete); four rows of scales below lateral line (vs. three); a conspicuous vertically elongated humeral spot present (vs. a humeral spot absent); and 17-21 branched anal-fin rays (vs. 22-25). It can be diagnosed from B. orcesiby having 13-14 maxillary teeth (vs. 5-12), head length 27.9-29.9% (vs. 24.3-27.5% of SL), and color pattern consisting of black chromatophores in the basal half of dorsal fin, distal portion of pelvic fin, lower caudal-fin lobe and anal fin (vs. unpigmented fins) (Ref. 118101).
Biology:  Occurs in small upland forest streams with 1.1-2.7 m width, 0.07-0.33 m depth, and 0.20-0.42 m/s) current velocity draining to both margins of the rio Japurá. The streams are characterized by the following: clear to yellowish; acidic (pH <6.6); cool (23.8-25.3°C); well oxygenated water (3.49-7.8 mg/l); low electrical conductivity (<33.3 μS/cm), almost completely shaded by the forest canopy; and channel substrate mainly consisted of white silica sand and pebbles, with interspersed litter banks. Occurs in the streams together with other fishes such as characids Bario steindachneri, Bryconella pallidifrons, Hemigrammus bellottii, H. marginatus, Knodus orteguasae, Moenkhausia agnesae, Tyttocharax madeirae; lebiasinid Pyrrhulina semifasciata; heptapterid Nannoglanis fasciatus, and Myoglanis koepckei; cetopsids Denticetopsis seducta, and Helogenes marmoratus; rhamphichthyid knifefish Gymnorhamphichthys rondoni, and some cichlids Aequidens pallidus, and Bujurquina cf. robusta (Ref. 118101).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.