dcsimg

Diagnostic Description

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This species is distinguished from both epigean and cave restricted species of the genus by having the posterior fontanel divided into two widely separated opening; anterior opening with triangular shape pointed posteriorly; and, posterior opening with triangular or sub-conical to circular shape, the former pointed anteriorly. The following set of characters useful for identification and shared with other species of Trichomycterus include: relatively deep head (45.6-54.1% of HL); narrow mouth (39.3-45.3% of HL); longer nasal, maxillary and rictal barbels (71.4-95.3%, 89.3-112.8% and 50.8-64.1% of HL, respectively), tip of maxillary barbel surpassing pectoral-fin origin; opercular odontodes 10-14; posteriormost branchiostegal rays considerably longer than anterior ones; tip of first pectoral ray prolonged as medium length filament (44.9-55.6% of pectoral-fin length); pelvic-fin origin anterior to vertical through dorsal-fin origin, pelvic fin covering urogenital papilla but not reaching origin of anal fin; obliquely rounded caudal fin, its upper portion slightly longer than lower portion; body color pattern plain dark-gray without spots (Ref. 87778).
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Estelita Emily Capuli
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Trophic Strategy

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The collection site (Cueva del Indio) is located 7 km south of the municipio La Paz on the east side of Serranía de los Yariguíes at 2200 meters above sea level in departamento de Santander, Colombia. The entrance to the cave is not connected to an epigean stream and covered by cloud forest and some swampy bottomland. The cave is fed by water jets which percolate through the ceiling near the entrance and flow inwards. Among its 860+ m of explored passages are found many galleries formed by gently sloped tunnels andpassageways. During the dry season, isolated sump pools in each gallery were observed. The bottom of the wells is rocky and contains much sediment composed chiefly of bat excrement. Aside from bats, the cave is inhabited by crickets and gastropods and some cydnid bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) and Diptera were found inside the wells. Water temperature during sampling was 15 °C, cave temperature was 17.5 °C (Ref. 87778).
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
FishBase
Recorder
Estelita Emily Capuli
original
visit source
partner site
Fishbase