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Teleostei (teleosts) > Characiformes (Characins) > Crenuchidae (South American darters) > Characidiinae
Etymology: Characidium: Diminutive of Charax, -akos = a fish without identification (Ref. 45335); amaila: Named for Amaila Falls, a striking feature of the Guiana Shield escarpment in western Guyana that will have altered flow following completion of a dam that is now being planned. A noun in apposition.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical

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South America: upper Kuribrong River (Potaro-Essequibo drainage), upstream of Amaila Falls in Guyana.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 8.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 94269)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 12; Anal soft rays: 8; Vertebrae: 35. It is distinguished from most congeners by lacking scales on the isthmus and chest, and by having 8-13 premaxillary teeth, the first four pectoral-fin rays noticeably thickened, 34-36 lateral line scales, and branchiostegal membranes that are free from each other across the isthmus. It differs further by its large adult body size (max. = 85.5 mm SL), and by having a tan body base color with a dark midlateral stripe that originates on the upper lip and continues posteriorly to the base of the middle caudal-fin rays, a gray to dark-black dorsum with two horizontal rows of small light spots formed by aligned light-colored scale centers, a dark humeral spot, up to 15 irregular black bars that extend from dorsum to lower sides, a light opercular margin, and fins that are uniformly dusky. Several cranial, vertebral, and swim bladder characteristics make this species distinct from other congeners (Ref. 94269)

Collected from each of five separate rapids habitats encountered in the upper Kuribrong watershed. Inhabits shallow sandstone bedrock rapids with abundant attached macrophytes, including a representative of the Podostemaceae, a representative of the Eriocaulaceae (Rhondonanthus capillaceus), and a third species with long grass-like leaves (Ref. 94269).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

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Lujan, N.K., H. Agudelo-Zamora, D.C. Taphorn, P.N. Booth and H. López-Fernández, 2013. Description of a new, narrowly endemic South American Darter (Characiformes: Crenuchidae) from the Central Guiana shield highlands of Guyana. Copeia 2013(3):454-463. (Ref. 94269)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)

Endangered (EN) (B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)); Date assessed: 01 November 2023

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01122 (0.00514 - 0.02450), b=3.04 (2.87 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.6 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).

Characidium amaila Lujan, Agudelo-Zamora, Taphorn, Booth & López-Fernández, 2013