Archolaemus blax Korringa, 1970
photo by de Santana, C.D.

Family:  Sternopygidae (Glass knifefishes)
Max. size:  43.5 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater
Distribution:  South America: Previously known only from the Tocantins drainage in Brazil, but has recently been reported in many localities of the Amazonas basin, Rio Branco and Amapa, Brazil.
Diagnosis:  Anal soft rays: 193-222. Distinguished from other congeners in having the following combination of characters: gape relatively long and rictus extending posteriorly beyond the vertical through the posterior naris; length of coronomeckelian bone less than 20% the length of Meckel’s cartilage; length of the posterior ceratohyal 1.5 times the length of the ventral hypohyal; approximately six irregularly distributed teeth on the internal surface of the endopterygoid; anteroposterior length of premaxilla greater than the transverse width; teeth on the dentary restricted to the anterior half or slightly more of the dorsal margin; depth of the caudal filament 5.0-6.5% CL; presence of a narrow dark stripe along the lateral line and a broad dusky to dark band of pigmentation overlying the basal pterygiophores of the anal fin; pectoral-fin rays 19-22; total number of anal-fin rays 193-222 (Ref. 93148). Description: Pectoral-fin rays ii, 19 to ii, 22; anal fin with 23-27 unbranched rays and 193-222 total fin rays (Ref. 93148).
Biology:  Its elongated, laterally compressed body is completely covered with scales and is without a caudal fin (Ref. 27188).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 07 November 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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