Loricaria coximensis Rodriguez, Cavallaro & Thomas, 2012

Family:  Loricariidae (Armored catfishes), subfamily: Loricariinae
Max. size:  9.36 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater
Distribution:  South America: Rio Coxim and first order tributary within 500 meters from the powerhouse of the Ponte Alta Hydroelectric facility, municipality of São Gabriel do Oeste in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil.
Diagnosis:  Distinguished from all other congeners except Loricaria holmbergi, Loricaria lundbergi, Loricaria parnahybae, and Loricaria pumila by having abdominal plates confined to the pre-anal shield and posterior median abdominal area, usually loosely joined or separated by naked areas, pectoral girdle mostly naked, with isolated plates near base of pectoral fins and posterior to gill opening (vs. abdominal plates well developed and tightly arranged across the entire median abdominal area, including the pectoral girdle). Differs from these other four species by meristic counts and several morphometric proportions, particularly a broader head, 19.4-21.3% SL (vs. 14.1-19.1% SL) (Ref. 90156).
Biology:  Gut contents of one specimen contain only seeds which conforms with previous observations of granivory in other species of Loricaria (Ref. 90156).
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered (CR); Date assessed: 07 November 2018 (B2ab(iii)) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.