Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Trichomycteridae (Pencil or parasitic catfishes) > Trichomycterinae
Etymology: Ituglanis: Greek, itys, ityos = circle + Greek, glanis = a fish that can eat the bait without touching the hook; a cat fish (Ref. 45335); bambui: Specific name in reference to the carbonate geological unit, the Bambui Group, where it occurs, and in recognition to the Brazilian speleological association, Grupo Bambui de Pesquisas Espeleologicas (GBPE), for its contribution to Brazilian speleology.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 7.9 - 8.6. Tropical; ? - 24°C (Ref. 55401)
South America: tributaries of the mainstream in the Angelica Cave in central Brazil.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 4.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 55401)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 9; Vertebrae: 36 - 37. Distinguished from its epigean and cave congeners by the combination of the following characters: small size (max. 4.63 cm SL); pigmentation pattern intermediate between epigean and cave Ituglanis species, with small light brown spots on body, spots twice larger than in I. epikarsticus and I. ramiroi; eyes relatively developed when compared to cave species but reduced when compared to the epigean ones, with diameter varying from 0.2-0.3 mm (3.4-6.1% HL) in adults to 0.5 mm (5.7% HL) in juveniles (vs. 0.8-1.1 mm, 10.4-13.7% HL in adults of epigean Ituglanis species; n=6, 5.57-6.3 cm SL). Maxilla with prominent medial-posterior projection; fronto-lachrymal as long as maxilla, posteriorly pointed; posterior process of palatine 1/2 of palatine length, with medial concavity accentuated; vomer elongate with a small constriction in neck; opercle with 11 odontodes and interopercle with 26 odontodes; caudal skeleton with upper hypural plate triangular and lower trapezoidal, neural spine of preural centrum with rounded extremity, dorsal procurrent rays 16 and ventral 14 (Ref. 55401).
Occurs in the upper mainstream tributaries inside a cave, near the sinkhole end (Ref. 55401). A solitary species with swimming activity on the bottom, in midwater and sometimes extending to the surface (Ref. 55401).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Bichuette, M.E. and E. Trajano, 2004. Three new subterranean species of Ituglanis from central Brazil (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 15(3):243-256. (Ref. 55401)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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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=0.00661 (0.00279 - 0.01564), b=2.99 (2.79 - 3.19), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).