Phreatobius Sanguijuela

📖 Overview

Occurs in artificial wells with transparent water, depth range 6 to 12 m and diameter of approximately 1 m . The water in the wells is used locally for human consumption. This fish is often mistaken for parasitic leeches " sanguijuelas" due to its bright, blood-red color and vermiform shape. For this reason, this is killed upon incidental capture when extracting drinking water from wells.

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal soft rays: 19 - 20; Vertebrae: 45 - 46. Distinguished from other siluriform genera by having the following combination of characters: dorsal and ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays extended rostrally, dorsally reaching a vertical position on dorsal-fin base posterior to dorsal-fin insertion, ventrally continuous with anal fin; caudal fin round; all anal-fin rays unbranched; mouth prognathous, with jaws displaced dorsally on head; adductor mandibulae muscle hypertrophied, covering most of skull and inserting posteriorly onto first neural spine; first pectoral-fin ray soft, not spinous; bright red in life. Differs uniquely from its congeners by the absence of eyes, presence of 25-34 dorsal procurrent caudal fin rays; 14-16 ventral procurrent caudal fin rays; 45-46 vertebrae .: elongated; Cross section: circular.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Phreatobius Sanguijuela is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

🥚 Reproduction

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; demersal. Tropical South America: artificial wells near Río Paraguá, a tributary of the Río Iténez in Bolivia.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🐠 Related Species

👥 Community & Contribute