Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Loricariidae (Armored catfishes) > Hypoptopomatinae
Etymology: Schizolecis: Greek, schizein = to divide + Greek, lekis, -idos = a little plate (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Francisco Günther (d: 1912) collected specimens for the Museu Paulista, São Paulo, including the holotype of this species. (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Subtropical
South America: southeastern Brazil.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 4.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 36885); 3.1 cm SL (female)
Inhabits streams with rocky and sandy bottom, mostly in shallows and backwaters up to 30 cm deep, with slow water flow (0.5-10 cm/sec). Forages mostly during the day with some night activity also recorded. Grazes on microscopic algae, mostly diatoms and green algae growing on rocks and submersed vegetation; occasionally takes chironomid and simuliid larvae. Before grazing on a patch with dense sediment, it makes wiggling head-down movements to dislodge sediment. When scrapping algae off the substrate, it makes vigorous mouth movements, and moves by jerky movements probably related to its mouth making alternate grazing and attaching to the substrate. Grazing leaves characteristic, parallel and elongated marks on the substrate. Density may reach about 0.09 fish.m-2 in stream stretches shaded by forest canopy and 0.15 fish.m-2 in sunned stretches (Ref. 26630).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Burgess, W.E., 1989. An atlas of freshwater and marine catfishes. A preliminary survey of the Siluriformes. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., Neptune City, New Jersey (USA). 784 p. (Ref. 6868)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 1.0000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00813 (0.00413 - 0.01600), b=3.02 (2.85 - 3.19), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.2 ±0.08 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).