| Family: |
Phreatobiidae (Cistern catfishes) |
| Max. size: |
4.21 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
demersal; freshwater |
| Distribution: |
South America: artificial wells near Río Paraguá, a tributary of the Río Iténez in Bolivia. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-7; Anal soft rays: 19-20; Vertebrae: 45-46. Distinguished from other siluriform genera by having the following combination of characters: dorsal and ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays extended rostrally, dorsally reaching a vertical position on dorsal-fin base posterior to dorsal-fin insertion, ventrally continuous with anal fin; caudal fin round; all anal-fin rays unbranched; mouth prognathous, with jaws displaced dorsally on head; adductor mandibulae muscle hypertrophied, covering most of skull and inserting posteriorly onto first neural spine; first pectoral-fin ray soft, not spinous; bright red in life. Differs uniquely from its congeners by the absence of eyes, presence of 25-34 dorsal procurrent caudal fin rays; 14-16 ventral procurrent caudal fin rays; 45-46 vertebrae (Ref. 59347). |
| Biology: |
Occurs in artificial wells with transparent water, depth range 6 to 12 m and diameter of approximately 1 m (Ref. 59347). The water in the wells is used locally for human consumption. This fish is often mistaken for parasitic leeches " sanguijuelas" due to its bright, blood-red color and vermiform shape. For this reason, this is killed upon incidental capture when extracting drinking water from wells. |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Critically Endangered (CR); Date assessed: 24 April 2014 (B2ab(iii)) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
| Country info: |
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