Poeciliopsis santaelena Bussing, 2008
Santa Elena toothcarp

Family:  Poeciliidae (Poeciliids), subfamily: Poeciliinae
Max. size:  4.72 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater
Distribution:  Central America: Peninsula Santa Elena, Area de Conservación Guanacaste in Costa Rica.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-7; Anal soft rays: 9-9; Vertebrae: 29-30. Diagnostic characters include: color pattern gray above, paler below; cross-hatching conspicuous; no spots, bars or other markings; fins dusky or clear; teeth of outer row slender, pointed, curved and loosely implanted in lips; mouth width less than eye diameter; interorbital width equal to or greater than postorbital distance; gill rakers 14-17 (mode 15); predorsal profile slightly curved; dorsal-fin origin over 6th or 7th anal-fin ray of females; distance between dorsal-fin origin and caudal-fin base 33.0 to 37.5% of SL in females, 36.8 to 42.0% in males; pectoral fin in females reaching to middle of pelvic fin; pectoral fin rays 14 to 16 (mode 15); and caudal-fin rays 15 to 17 (mode 16) (Ref. 78743).
Biology:  The type locality, Rio Potrero Grande, is a river whose flow is reduced to just a few pools during the long dry season and flows fully only during very rainy season (Ref. 78743). It is characterized by clear water and some algal mats of Cladophora sp. (Ref. 78743). This species occurs in association with Gobiomorus maculatus, Sicydium salvini, Agonostomus monticola and Eleotris picta (Ref. 78743).
IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable (VU); Date assessed: 06 February 2020 (D2) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 


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