Hyphessobrycon amaronensis García-Alzate, Román-Valencia & Taphorn, 2010
Hyphessobrycon amaronensis
photo by Garcia-Alzate, C.A. / Romàn-Valencia, C.

Family:  Characidae (Characins; tetras), subfamily: Stethaprioninae
Max. size:  2.74 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  pelagic; freshwater
Distribution:  South America: Colombia.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-8; Anal soft rays: 14-16; Vertebrae: 31-33. This species is distinguished from other species of the H. heterorhabdus group by the following characters: dorsal-fin rays 3 simple, 8 branched (vs. 2 simple and 9 branched rays, except in H. oritoensis, H. notidanus and H. ocasoensis that have iii, 8; pored lateral line scales 3-5 (vs. 7-23); scales in the lateral series 27-28 (vs. 29-35, except in H. proteus which has 27-30); 3 scales from lateral series to anal fin (vs. 4-7); anal-fin rays 2 simple (vs. iii-iv) and 14-16 branched (vs. 18-27) except in H. diancistrus with 14-16 branched anal-fin rays); length of the caudal peduncle, mean 26.75% SL (vs. 8.84-15.89% SL); upper jaw length, mean 15.66% SL (vs. 22.70-30.51%); males with a convex modification at base of anal fin in the anterior anal-fin rays (vs. no modification) (Ref. 84248).
Biology:  Found over organic detritus and decomposing vegetation, apparent water color was brown to black, low dissolved oxygen (0.42-0.75 mg/l), as was conductivity (42-43 μs) and oxygen saturation (5.3-10 %), slightly acidic pH (6.0-6.2). Five stomachs of cleared and stained specimens indicate a diet mostly composed of algae, Clorophyta, Vlothix (47.72% N, 22.72%V); also present are Cladocera, Alonella (20.45% N, 13.63% V); Clorophyta, Spirogyra (17.04%N, 9.09%V); insect parts (9.09%N, 18.18%V), dipteran larvae, Tabaridae (5.47% N, 5.47% V); Ephemeroptera, Oligoneuridae (1.13%N, 4.54%V) and unidentified digested material (27.27%V) (Ref. 84248)..
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 09 October 2014 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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