Plesioptopoma curvidens Reis, Pereira & Lehmann A., 2012

Family:  Loricariidae (Armored catfishes), subfamily: Hypoptopomatinae
Max. size:  9.15 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater
Distribution:  South America: Known from the type locality, the upper portion of the Rio Paraopeba, a tributary to the upper Rio São Francisco in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 1-1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-7; Anal soft rays: 6-6. Can be diagnosed from non-Hypoptopomatinae loricariids by having the ventral surface of the coracoid with an exposed area supporting a few odontodes laterally, close to the pectoral-fin insertion, and, except from Kronichthys, by having the odontodes on the ventral surface of the pelvic-fin unbranched ray distinctly bent and turned mesially. Differs from all hypoptopomatines, except Parotocinclus prata, by having the premaxilla and dentary tooth series strongly curved mesially, in such a way that the mesial portion of the tooth series in both sides are turned and run parallel to each other vs. tooth series straight or slightly curved). It is also distinguished from the remaining hypoptopomatines, except Pseudotocinclus, by having the caudal peduncle distinctly quadrangular in cross-section (vs. caudal peduncle ovoid in cross-section), and except from Gymnotocinclus by having the anterior margin of the snout devoid of dermal plates (Ref. 90155).
Biology:  The type locality is a small stream of about 2-4 meters wide and up to 0.5 meters deep with clear water but heavily polluted by organic sewage and with fair amounts of marginal, submerged, and emergent vegetation, and with bottom mostly sandy with patches of gravel and pebbles (Ref. 90155).
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered (CR); Date assessed: 07 November 2018 (B2ab(iii)) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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