Platydoras hancockii
| Platydoras hancockii | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Platydoras hancockii | ||||||||||||
| ( Valenciennes , 1840) |
Platydoras hancockii is a freshwater fish from the family of thorn catfish (Doradidae). Like all thorn catfish, Platydoras hancockii is native to South America, its range is in the north of South America.
features
Platydoras hancockii becomes up to 15 cm long. As with all Platydoras species, the head is large, broad and slightly flattened. The mouth is almost terminal and is surrounded by three pairs of barbels. Compared to those of other Platydoras species, it has the largest eyes, their average diameter is more than 59% of the interpupillary distance. The 24 to 28 bone plates along its body sides are higher than in the other representatives of the genus. The height of the tenth bone plate is 12 to 17.8% of the standard length. As with three other species of the genus, a light longitudinal stripe runs on these bone plates, which in Platydoras hancockii is light yellow to whitish. The central spines of the bone plates lying on the longitudinal stripe are usually provided with a small, dark point. In young fish this contrasts more strongly with the light color of the longitudinal stripe than in old animals and is completely absent in some individuals from the river basin of the Rio Negro .
- Fin formula : dorsal I / 6, anal 11–13.
Distribution and way of life
Platydoras hancockii occurs in northern South America. Its distribution area includes the river systems of the Rio Negro and Orinoco in northern Brazil and Venezuela, and the Essequibo and Demerara in Guyana . There it lives mostly hidden under roots or leaves in rivers, flooded areas and swamps. The catfish are sociable and form groups that can contain several hundred specimens.
literature
- Nivaldo M. Piorski, Julio C. Garavello, Mariangeles H. Arce, Mark H. Sabaj Pérez: Platydoras brachylecis, a new species of thorny catfish (Siluriformes: Doradidae) from northeastern Brazil . Neotropical Ichthyology, Volume 6, No. 3, pp. 481-494, 2008 doi : 10.1590 / S1679-62252008000300021
Web links
- Platydoras hancockii on Fishbase.org (English)