Trichomycterus potschi Barbosa & Costa, 2003

Family:  Trichomycteridae (Pencil or parasitic catfishes), subfamily: Trichomycterinae
Max. size:  8.05 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater
Distribution:  South America: coastal basins between Mangaratiba and ItaguaĆ­ in Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-12; Anal soft rays: 9-10; Vertebrae: 37-39. Posterior tip of posterior ceratohyal slender, its depth 2.3-6.5% of longitudinal length of the hyoid bar; ventroposterior process of posterior ceratohyal absent or vestigial (1.7%, or less when present, of longitudinal length of the hyoid bar); opercular patch of odontodes slender, its depth 44.0-73.7% of base length of opercular dorsal projection; first pectoral-fin ray 28.8-37.0% of pectoral-fin length); 7 pectoral fin rays; 8 branchiostegal rays; 14-15 pleural ribs; infraorbital sensory pores i1 and i3 present; supraorbital sensory pores s6 nearer to each other than to eye; dorsal-fin origin in vertical through centrum of 20th or 21st vertebra; anal-fin origin in vertical through centrum of 23rd or 24th vertebra; pelvic fins anteriorly placed; prepelvic length 53.9-57.8% SL; orbital diameter 6.7-7.5% of head length; head length 20.0-21.8% SL; interorbital width 28.1-30.8% of head length; caudal peduncle depth 13.8-15.3% SL; body width 9.7-12.3% SL; body depth 15.1-16.4% SL; dorsal-fin base 10.6-11.4% SL; anal-fin base 8.6-10.2% SL; and pectoral-fin length 9.9-12.5% SL (Ref. 52913).
Biology:  Inhabits clear water, shallow stream (about 0.6 m deep), with sandy bottom (Ref. 52913). Some specimens were encountered entirely buried in the bottom (Ref. 52913).
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 07 November 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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