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Harttia trombetensis Rapp Py-Daniel & Oliveira, 2001

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Description: Abdominal covering unique, 2 unplated areas separated by a transversal thin chain of platelets in adults. Short pectoral spine 3.5-5 times in SL. Caudal peduncle length with postanal length 2-2.6 in SL. Tubular stomach; intestine long, about 14 times in SL. Keeled lateral plates, 29-30. Aquarium Care: Not the easiest genera to keep as they will need clean, oxygen rich water and a strong current. Does not do well in imports due to its difficulty in traveling containers. Sexual Differences: Males tend to have odontodes (hair like structures) on the first ray of the pectoral fins and the head in males is broader. Diet: Grazes on microscopic algae, mostly diatoms and green algae growing on rugged and light-coloured rocks, and submersed vegetation. Chironomid and simuliid larvae, as well as tiny crustaceans, are recorded in its diet. When scraping algae off the substrate, the fish makes vigorous mouth movements and jerky movements, probably related to its mouth making alternate grazing and attaching to the substrate. In the aquarium feed dry foods, algae wafers, Spirulina and normal tablet foods. Frozen foods, Artemia nauplii, glass worms and Daphnia. Etymology: The genus name Harttia: –ia, belonging to: Charles Frederick Hartt (1840-1878), geologist, paleontologist and naturalist, who collected many specimens that Steindachner studied during the Thayer Expedition (1865-1866) to Brazil. The specific name trombetensis: –ensis, suffix denoting place: Trombetas River basin, above Cachoeira Porteira falls, Brazil, where it appears to be endemic. Remarks: Harttia trombetensis is endemic to Brazil, in the Trombetas River basin, occurring in rapids environments with rocky slab bottoms. Although the construction of planned hydroelectric plants will alter part of its natural environment, it is suspected that a possible population decline does not represent a threat to the species, due to its wide distribution in the basin. For this reason, Harttia trombetensis has been categorised as Least Concern (LC), (IUCN 2022).

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Loricariidae

Distribution:

South America: Trombetas River basin, above Cachoeira Porteira falls, Amazonas - Guiana Shield, Brazil. Type locality: Brazil: Pará: rio Trombetas, Cachoeira Vira-Mundo (57º03'38"W, 1º02'04"S).

Size:

17.5cm. (7ins)

Temp:

22-25°c (71-77°f.)

p.H.

6.0-7.5.

Reference:

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2023. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version.
Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio). 2022. Harttia trombetensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022.
Rapp Py-Daniel, L.H. and E.C. Oliveira, 2001. Seven new species of Harttia from the Amazonian-Guyana region (Siluriformes: Loricariidae). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 12(1):79-96.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.

Family: Loricariidae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Harttia trombetensis
Dorsal view

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