2008/01/01 by Matthew R. Thomas, Lúcia Helena Rapp Py‐Daniel · 33 citations
Environmental Science · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Fish biology, ecology, and behavior #Fish Biology and Ecology Studies #Fish Ecology and Management Studies #Biology #Loricariidae #Catfish #Dorsal fin #Sympatric speciation #Dorsum #Anatomy #Zoology #Fishery #Fish <Actinopterygii>
paper · pdf · doi:10.1590/s1679-62252008000300011
published in Neotropical Ichthyology 6(3), 379-394 (Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia)
openalex publication_date 2008/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/19
Three new species of Loricaria are described from large white- and black-water river channels of the Amazon basin of Brazil, the upper rio Negro drainage of southern Venezuela, and clear waters of the lower rio Tocantins. Loricaria spinulifera and L. pumila differ from other species of Loricaria by having unique patterns of abdominal plate development and hypertrophied odontodes forming conspicuous crests on dorsal surfaces of the head and predorsal plates. Both are small species of Loricaria, reaching sexual maturity at less than 120 mm SL, and exhibiting sexually dimorphic characters consistent with members of the L. cataphracta complex. Loricaria spinulifera differs from L. pumila in having a unique arrangement of buccal papillae and large thorn-like odontodes on the dorsum of the head. Loricaria pumila is the smallest known Loricaria, reaching sexual maturity at less than 80 mm SL. Loricaria lundbergi differs from other Loricaria by having a unique abdominal plate pattern, broad head, and small basicaudal plate. Loricaria lundbergi is sympatric with L. spinulifera in the lower rio Negro drainage, but is also known from the rio Baria system of the Casiquiare drainage. Loricaria pumila occurs in the lower rio Amazonas and lower rio Tocantins. All three new species exhibit varying degrees of reduction in eye size and pigmentation seen in other fishes inhabiting deep river channels of South America.