Rhinotocinclus Variola

📖 Overview

Facultative air-breathing in the genus ; Occurs in Quebrada Tacana, a blackwater creek with sandy bottom. Average rainfall in the sampling area is 3,400 mm/year and average temperature is 25.5° C .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal soft rays: 6. Parotocinclus variola can be distinguished from all other congeners from northeastern to southeastern Brazilian rivers in having the cheek canal plate elongated posteriorly on the ventral surface of head and contacting the cleithrum. It differs from P. collinsae (Essequibo River basin, Guiana) and P. halbothi (rio Trombetas basin, Brazil and Marowijne River, Suriname), by the presence of a triangular patch of dark pigmentation on the anterior portion of the dorsal-fin membrane, by the absence of unicuspid accessory teeth on both the premaxilla and dentary, and by having a Y-shaped light mark on the snout . It can be separated from all other species of Parotocinclus from Amazon, Orinoco and the Guianas by possessing a pigmentation pattern consisting of conspicuous dark dots smaller than a pupil diameter, broadly distributed dorsally and ventrally. It further differs from P. eppleyi (Orinoco basin), P. longirostris, P. amazonensis (Amazon basin) and P. britskii (Orinoco and coastal drainages of the Guianas) by having the central abdominal plates arranged in a single series between the lateral abdominal plates, from the coracoid to the preanal plate and with a wide naked area at the pelvic-fin base (vs. arranged in two or more series between the lateral abdominal plates and without wide naked area at the pelvic-fin base). It can be further diagnosed from P. eppleyi, P. longirostris, and P. polyochrus by having a Y-shaped, light mark on the snout only (vs. Y-shaped, light mark present on both the snout and head). It can be further distinguished from its congeners in having more oral teeth: 38-46 premaxillary and 39- 46 dentary teeth .: elongated.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Rhinotocinclus Variola is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Rhinotocinclus Variola is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Reproduction data for Rhinotocinclus Variola is currently being compiled.

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; demersal. Tropical South America: Quebrada Tacana, a tributary to the Amazon River in Colombia.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🐠 Related Species

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