Harttiella pilosa Covain & Fisch-Muller, 2012
Harttiella pilosa
photo by Fisch-Muller, S.

Family:  Loricariidae (Armored catfishes), subfamily: Loricariinae
Max. size:  4.027 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater; pH range: 6.5
Distribution:  South America: Known only from the type locality, Critique Grillon, a tributary of Orapu River in Tortue Mountains, French Guiana.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-7; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 5-5. Can be distinguished from all congeners by its hispid appearance (vs. smooth to velvety in congeneric species) and its specific barcode sequences (JF292271, JF292272, JF292273). Differs from species belonging to the crassicauda group by a shorter head [mean = 23.74 ± 1.35% of SL vs 25.54 ± 1.41 < mean < 26.18 ± 1.34% of SL; (HSD, p-values < 0.0033)], and from other species of the longicauda group by a deeper body at dorsal-fin origin [mean = 11.92 ± 0.97% of SL vs 9.86 ± 0.79 < mean < 10.66 ± 0.87% of SL; (HSD, p-values < 0.0069)] (Ref. 90209).
Biology:  This species was encountered immediately upstream of a 30 m high waterfall and was collected downstream of the waterfall. The area of the river where this species was found was 10 m wide with shallow clear water and a bottom substrate consisting of gravel, pebbles, boulders, bed rock and sand mainly constituted of iron hydroxide (Ref. 90209).
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered (CR); Date assessed: 14 January 2021 (B2ab(iii)) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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