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Mark Henry Sabaj (3)

Description: Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Anal soft rays: 6. Spatuloricaria tuira distinguished from all other congeners except Spatuloricaria nudiventris by its abdominal surface completely naked or rarely with few, very small plates (vs. abdominal region covered with plates) and by the absence of preanal plates (vs. presence of one to four preanal plates). It can be differentiated from S. nudiventris and S. fimbriata by having five transversal dark brown bands on the dorsal region (vs. four transversal dark brown dorsal bands in S. nudiventris and S. fimbriata) and by having dark-brown irregular stripes on the dorsal region of the head and predorsal area (vs. absence of such stripes in S. nudiventris and S. fimbriata). This species has the smallest males recorded among species of Spatuloricaria, with mature individuals ranging from 8.55 to 15.39 cm SL and seems to be the only one in the genus where mature males are smaller than mature females (the opposite is the case in other species of Spatuloricaria). However, additional materials of some of the other species are needed to further verify these observations, (Fichberg et.al 2014). Habitat: Occurs on the bottom of medium to large rivers, in association with rocky or sandy substrates in fast-flowing sectors. Aquarium Care: The Spatuloricria genera all grow to a considerable length and are not the easiest Loricaria species to keep in the home aquarium. Good water quality and a spacious tank are a must and also the water needs to be well oxygenated. Diet: A mixed diet, foods that will find their way to the substrate including vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber and cauliflower.

Tuira's Whiptail, Marbled Xingu Whiptail

None

Loricariidae

Brazil: Rio Xingu and the Rio Tapajós drainages.

16.5cm. (6½ins)

24-28°c (75-83°f)

6.0-7.5.

Evers, H.-G. & I.Seidel: Mergus, Baensch Catfish Atlas Volume 1, 1st English edn., 2005. Pp.944.
Fichberg, I., O.T. Oyakawa and M. de Pinna, 2014. The end of an almost 70-year wait: a new species of Spatuloricaria (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the Rio Xingu and Rio Tapajós basins. Copeia 2014(2):317-324.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2019. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (25/01/19).