Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Loricariidae (Armored catfishes) > Hypostominae
Etymology: Hypostomus: Greek, hypo = under + Greek, stoma = mouth (Ref. 45335); khimaera: Derived from the Greek, cimaira or khímaira, a mythological creature with hybrid body, formed
essentially by three animals, a lion, a snake and a goat. The specific name khimaera makes an allusion due to the new species possess features of conspicuously distinct species. A noun in apposition.
Eponymy: From Greek mythology, the Khimaera (or Chimera) was a creature with a hybrid body formed by three animals (lion, goat, snake). The name was chosen because the catfish possesses features of conspicuously distinct species. (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
South America: Rio Paraguay basin in Brazil.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 16.4 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 97225)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal soft rays: 5. Hypostomus khimaera can be diagnosed from all congeners, except those belonging to the H. cochliodon group, by having the following unique combination of characters: absence of notch between metapterygoid and hyomandibula (vs. presence of notch); and strongly angled dentaries, less than 80° (vs. shallow angle between dentaries, generally more than 80°). It differs from all members of the H. cochliodon group, except from H. basilisko and H. soniae, by the presence of a dark tan stripe along the flank (vs. absence). It can be distinguished from H. basilisko and H. soniae by having black spots on the body and fins or at least in one of these (vs. absence of spots). In addition, it can be further separated from H. basilisko by having moderately developed keels (vs. highly developed keels) and 28 vertebrae (vs. 27); and from H. cochliodon by having 12-27 teeth (vs. 7-9), externalized opercle, exposed region easily visible (vs. almost entire internalized opercle, exposed region not easily visible; and 28 vertebrae (vs. 29) (Ref. 97225).
Facultative air-breathing in the genus (Ref. 126274); Syntopic with Hypostomus cochliodon in several localities of rio Paraguay basin. Commonly found in small streams than in larger streams. Generally collected along the
margins of deeper sites with sandy bottoms in the rio Aquidauana basin streams (Ref. 97225).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Tencatt, L.F.C., C.H. Zawadzki and O. Froehlich, 2014. Two new species of the Hypostomus cochliodon group (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the rio Paraguay basin, with a redescription of Hypostomus cochliodon Kner, 1854. Neotrop. Ichthyol. 12(3):585-602. (Ref. 97225)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01778 (0.00786 - 0.04025), b=2.89 (2.71 - 3.07), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
