Phractura gladysae Pellegrin, 1931

Family:  Amphiliidae (Loach catfishes), subfamily: Doumeinae
Max. size:  12.4 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater
Distribution:  Africa: known only from the type locality in the upper Louesse River (Kouilou basin) in Republic of Congo (Ref. 81646).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): -0; Anal spines: -0. Diagnosis: barbels tapered, not reaching edge of branchiostegal membrane; gap between supraoccipital process and nuchal plate; scutes on body thin, forming a narrow ridge; interorbit narrow, width 1.2-1.4 times orbit diameter; caudal peduncle long, 2.3-2.4 times in SL, slender (depth 35-40 times in length), encased in bony scutes (Ref. 81646). Description: body firm, depressed and tapered to caudal; dorsal and ventral bilateral bony ridges (scutes very narrow) from adjacent to dorsal fin and behind pelvic fins, respectively, caudal peduncle encased in bony scutes; head length 6.5 times in SL, head depressed, obtusely pointed; snout long, 61-65% of HL; nostrils separated, in mid-snout; eyes moderately large, orbit 17-20% HL, narrowly separated, interorbital width 1.2-1.4 times orbit diameter; mouth subterminal, small, oval-shaped; upper lip papillose, lower lips divided by triangular pad; barbels papillose, maxillary pair 40-47% HL; branchiostegal membrane continuous below, straight; supraoccipital process slender, not reaching nuchal shield; humeral process pointed; origin of dorsal less than head length behind head; dorsal fin in advance of pelvics; dorsal fin pointed, trailing edge concave; pectoral fins falcate, not reaching pelvics, leading ray curved, pectinate, padded; pelvic fins pointed, reaching to base of anal fin, leading ray pectinate, padded; anal fin slender, trailing edge straight; caudal small, forked; adipose small, behind anal base; ano-genital pores slightly nearer origin of pelvics than origin of anal; males with conical genital papilla (Ref. 81646). Coloration: generally brown on head, body and flanks, yellow below, with 5-6 irregular large light spots along back; fins irregularly spotted with black (Ref. 81646).
Biology:  Maximum total length reported 14.0 cm (Ref. 3818).
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 16 February 2009 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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