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Trichomycterus macrophthalmus Barbosa & Costa, 2012

Image contributors to this species:

Costa et al. 2022 (3)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Description: Dorsal soft rays (total): 11; Anal soft rays: 9; Vertebrae: 35 - 36. Distinguished from all congeners from southeastern Brazil by having nine pleural ribs (vs. 10- 17). This is similar to Trichomycterus travassosi and distinguished from all other species of southeastern Brazil by having shorter nasal barbel, its tip reaching eye (vs. between middle of the distance eyeopercular patch of odontodes and pectoral-fin base). Can be separated from T. travassosi by having larger eye (13.2 - 14.6% of head length, vs. 8.5- 10.7 %) and dorsal and lateral midline spots coalesced to form transverse bars (vs. lateral midline spots not confluent to dorsal spots), (Barbosa, M.A. and W.J.E.M Costa, 2012). Habitat: Found actively swimming during day time in shallow places (20-40 cm deep) with fast flowing water, usually on gravel substratum, sometimes partially burrowed in the sand. Sympatric with Trichomycterus claudiae, (Barbosa, M.A. and W.J.E.M Costa, 2012). Diet: Will feed on most aquarium fare such as tablet, frozen and live foods. It is an opportunistic predator that mainly feeds on insects, but also will take small crustaceans and plant material (algae and remains of phanerogams). Etymology: Specific name of macrophthalmus is derived from the Greek makrós (large) and ophthalmós (eye), an uncommon condition among species of Trichomycterus.

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Trichomycteridae

Distribution:

South America: Upper Rio Piraí drainage, middle Rio Paraíba do Sul basin. Type Locality: Known only from the type locality, a small stream tributary to upper Piraí river, Araras hill, upper Paraíba do Sul river basin, Brazil.

Size:

6.0cm. (2½ins)

Temp:

24-27°c (75-81°f.)

p.H.

6.0-7.0.

Reference:

Barbosa, M.A. and W.J.E.M Costa, 2012. Trichomycterus macrophthalmus (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae), a new species of catfish from the Paraíba do Sul river basin, southeastern Brazil. Verteb. Zool. 62(1):79-82.
Costa, W.J.E.M.; Mattos, J.L.; Vilardo, P.J.; Amorim, P.F.; Katz, A.M. Perils of Underestimating Species Diversity: Revisiting Systematics of Psammocambeva Catfishes (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) from the Rio Paraíba do Sul Basin, South-Eastern Brazil †. Taxonomy 2022. 2, 491-523.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2022. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 08/2022 )

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

Trichomycterus macrophthalmus
Paratype, 56.2 mm SL

Trichomycterus macrophthalmus
Dorsal view-Paratype, 56.2 mm SL

Trichomycterus macrophthalmus
Ventral view-Paratype, 56.2 mm SL

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