Trichomycterus caudofasciatus Alencar & Costa, 2004

Family:  Trichomycteridae (Pencil or parasitic catfishes), subfamily: Trichomycterinae
Max. size:  5.29 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater
Distribution:  South America: southeastern Brazil.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-11; Anal soft rays: 9-9; Vertebrae: 35-37. Distinguishable from all other species of the genus by the combination of the following characters: 7-8 pectoral-fin rays, long filamentous first pectoral-fin ray (about 50-70% pectoral-fin length), 10-20 opercular odontodes, 30-52 interopercular odontodes, opercular patch of odontodes wide, and 6-7 branchiostegal rays. Can be easily distinguished from T. alternatus, T. longibarbatus and T. pantherinus by possessing a single median last supraorbital pore (vs. paired pore). Distinguished from all other species of the genus from the Brazilian Shield River basins by having a unique color pattern of four gray bars on the caudal fin (Ref. 53352).
Biology:  Inhabits both turbid and clear water with shallow water (40-100 cm deep). Sometimes found swimming in daylight, but mostly collected under marginal vegetation or under vegetal debris on the bottom (Ref. 53352).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 07 November 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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