Rhadinoloricaria bahuaja (Chang & Castro, 1999)

Family:  Loricariidae (Armored catfishes), subfamily: Loricariinae
Max. size:  16.4 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater
Distribution:  South America: Madre de Dios basin in Peru; Rio Grande and Rio Manuripe in Pando, Bolivia.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 1-1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6-7; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 4-4; Vertebrae: 33-34. Distinguished from all other species of Crossoloricaria by having more teeth (4-8 premaxillary and 8-11 mandibular teeth); more coalescing plates (17-20); maxillary barbel longer (68-109 % HL), reaching middle or proximal third of pectoral fin; barbels of lower lip more developed (16-27% HL); interorbital width greater (16-21% HL); and first ray of dorsal, pectoral and pelvic fins produced beyond branched fin rays. Furthermore, it is distinguished from C. rhami by these osteological features: tip of first dorsal-fin pterygiophore passes between paired neural spines of 8th centrum and contacts posterior border of transverse process of 7th centrum; pectoral fin reaches anterior half of pelvic fin; pelvic skeleton with ischiac process of basipterygia elongated, longer than in C. rhami; and last pterygiophore of anal fin bears a bifid posterior process, ending at the middle of haemal spine of 18th centrum.
Biology:  Occurs in the main river and major tributaries, always over sandy beaches. Stomach contents include larvae of aquatic insects, small seeds and debris. The holotype (male, 11.59 cm SL) carried 53 fertilized eggs (3.2-3.4 mm diameter) on its lips and another specimen was carrying 31 unfertilized eggs (3.1-3.4 mm diameter).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 25 April 2014 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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