Fluviphylax wallacei Bragança, 2018

Family:  Fluviphylacidae (American lampeyes)
Max. size:  1.48 cm SL (male/unsexed); 1.26 cm SL (female)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater; depth range 0 - 1 m
Distribution:  South America: Brazil.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 5-7; Anal soft rays: 7-9; Vertebrae: 27-28. This species is distinguished from its congeners by having a sexual dimorphic pattern on cephalic lateral line system, males have whole opened sensory canals while females have the anterior section of supra-orbital, posterior infra-orbital and preopercular canal dorsal portion closed; males with pointed dorsal fin (vs. rounded). It is similar to F. gouldingi and differs from all other congeners by having a slender retroarticular (vs. deep) and with triangular opercle (vs. scale-like); the head free neuromasts not placed in shallow grooves (vs. in shallow grooves) and with orange colouration on the posterior region of the pectoral fin in males (vs. absent); also it has 2-4 black bars on the anterior portion of the flank in preserved male (vs. absent); males with anal fin elongate and pointed, reaching vertical to dorsal-fin tip (vs. short and rounded); male pelvic-fin reaching base of the fifth anal-fin ray (vs. reaching base of third anal-fin ray); ventral process of posttemporal short (vs. long); mesethmoid rounded; presence of sexual dimorphism in urogenital papillae morphology (vs. absent) (Ref. 123788).
Biology:  In the Igarapé Mauaú, this species was collected in a shallow area, about 30-70 cm deep, in a slow flowing high transparency black-water stream, with sandy beaches and leaf litter areas on the bottom near stream margin. It was found forming shoals of about 15-20 individuals that were swimming near the surface. This species was found sympatrically with the Hyporhamphus brederi (Ref. 123788).
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 Not for publication.