Characidium amaila Lujan, Agudelo-Zamora, Taphorn, Booth & López-Fernández, 2013

Family:  Crenuchidae (South American darters), subfamily: Characidiinae
Max. size:  8.55 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater
Distribution:  South America: upper Kuribrong River (Potaro-Essequibo drainage), upstream of Amaila Falls in Guyana.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-12; Anal soft rays: 8-8; Vertebrae: 35-35. It is distinguished from most congeners by lacking scales on the isthmus and chest, and by having 8-13 premaxillary teeth, the first four pectoral-fin rays noticeably thickened, 34-36 lateral line scales, and branchiostegal membranes that are free from each other across the isthmus. It differs further by its large adult body size (max. = 85.5 mm SL), and by having a tan body base color with a dark midlateral stripe that originates on the upper lip and continues posteriorly to the base of the middle caudal-fin rays, a gray to dark-black dorsum with two horizontal rows of small light spots formed by aligned light-colored scale centers, a dark humeral spot, up to 15 irregular black bars that extend from dorsum to lower sides, a light opercular margin, and fins that are uniformly dusky. Several cranial, vertebral, and swim bladder characteristics make this species distinct from other congeners (Ref. 94269)
Biology:  Collected from each of five separate rapids habitats encountered in the upper Kuribrong watershed. Inhabits shallow sandstone bedrock rapids with abundant attached macrophytes, including a representative of the Podostemaceae, a representative of the Eriocaulaceae (Rhondonanthus capillaceus), and a third species with long grass-like leaves (Ref. 94269).
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 Not for publication.