| Family: |
Loricariidae (Armored catfishes), subfamily: Hypoptopomatinae |
| Max. size: |
1.99 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
demersal; freshwater; pH range: 4.88 - 5 |
| Distribution: |
South America: Trombetas River basin in Braizl and Marowijne river basin in Suriname. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 1-1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-7; Anal soft rays: 6-6. Parotocinclus halbothi can be diagnosed from other species of the genus from northeastern to southeastern Brazilian rivers and the río de La Plata basin by its cheek canal plate elongated posteriorly on the ventral surface of head and contacting the cleithrum (vs. canal plate not elongated posteriorly and not contacting the pectoral girdle). It is distinguished from its congeners from the Guianas, Orinoco, and Amazon basins, except Parotocinclus collinsae , by its lack of triangular patch of dark pigmentation on the anterior portion of dorsal-fin membrane (vs. present), by having unicuspid accessory teeth on both the premaxilla and dentary (vs. absent), and by its lack of Y-shaped light mark on the snout and head (vs. present). It differs from P. collinsae in having the small, circular, median abdominal plates arranged in 4 to 7 irregular longitudinal series (vs. median abdominal plates transversely elongated and arranged in one longitudinal series), the snout and rostrum pigmentation in a dorsal view not reticulated and without dark dots on the dorsolateral surface of head (vs. snout and rostrum pigmentation reticulated and with dark dots present on head), and by the rudimentary adipose fin without a membrane (vs. with obvious adipose fin having hyaline membrane) (Ref. 95582). |
| Biology: |
The type locality is a clear water stream with no aquatic vegetation, with average width of 3.1 m and depths of up to 56 during rainy season or 41 cm during dry season, fairly constant water current in the mid-channel, low-speed or still currents observed close to the stream margins or behind plant debirs, average water velocity from 0.44 - 0.76 m/s and water flow between 0.42 m3/s and 0.74 m3/s, low conductivity (10-11 μS/ cm2), high dissolved oxygen (6.16 mg/L to 7.6 mg/L), low dissolved organic carbon (3.02-3.11 mg/L), and substrate composed mainly of fine white gravel (40-50%), coarse sand (20-40), and leaf litter banks (18-30). Found in deeper parts of the main channel, mainly over gravel substrate. Syntopic with other fishes such as Aequidens pallidus, Apistogramma agassizi, A. eunotus, A. regani, Bryconops caudomaculatus, B. melanurus, Callichthys callichthys, Copella nigrofasciata, Erythrinus erythrinus, Gymnorhamphichthys rondoni, Helogenes marmoratus, Hoplias malabaricus, Mastiglanis asopos, Pyrrhulina aff. brevis, Rivulus dibaphus, and Synbranchus marmoratus (Ref. 95582). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
| Country info: |
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