Neoplecostomus botucatu Roxo, Oliveira & Zawadzki, 2012

Family:  Loricariidae (Armored catfishes), subfamily: Hypoptopomatinae
Max. size:  10.22 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater,
Distribution:  South America: Known only from the type-locality, Córrego Águas de Madalena, tributary of Rio Pardo, Rio Paranapanema basin, in the municipality of Botucatu, São Paulo state, Brazil.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 1-1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-7; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 6-6. Distinguished from all species of the genus Neoplecostomus, except N. paranensis, due to the lack of, or reduction in size of, the adipose fin (vs. adipose fin moderate to well developed and always present). It can be separated from N. paranensis by the presence of conspicuous dark spots all over the body and the absence of some fins and dorsal bands (vs. lacking conspicuous dark spots and having five dark bands on dorsum evident). It further differs from N. paranensis by a greater head depth 55.6-63.9% in head length and greater mandibular width 12.5-17.8% in head length (vs. 44.4-55.4% and 8.4-12.4%, respectively) (Ref. 89726). Description: adipose fin ill-developed and not always present; dorsal-fin with one flexible spine, followed by seven branched rays; anal fin with one flexible unbranched ray and five branched rays; pectoral fin with one spine and six branched rays; pelvic fin with one unbranched ray and five branched rays (Ref. 89726).
Biology: 
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered (CR); Date assessed: 18 May 2022 (B2ab(iii)) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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