Hemigrammus machadoi Ota, Lima & Pavanelli, 2014

Family:  Characidae (Characins; tetras), subfamily: Stethaprioninae
Max. size:  3.58 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater
Distribution:  South America: Rio Paraguai and rio Madeira basins in Brazil.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-11; Anal soft rays: 26-30; Vertebrae: 34-35. Hemigrammus machadoi can be distinguished from most congeners by its wide dark horizontal stripe across the eye (vs. eye stripe absent or, when present, vertical, except H. barrigonae, H. lunatus, and H. ulreyi and by its well defined narrow dark stripe at the basis of the anal fin (vs. dark stripe at the basis of anal fin absent, except H. barrigonae, H. boesemani, H. lunatus, H. mimus, and H. ulreyi). It differs from H. boesemani, H. geisleri, and H. mimus by having a distinct dark humeral blotch (vs. humeral blotch absent) and by the absence of a blotch on caudal peduncle or any distinct patch of pigmentation on caudal fin (vs. dark blotch on caudal peduncle present in H. boesemani and H. geisleri, a dark marking present at the basis of each caudal-fin lobe basis in H. mimus); from H. barrigonae and H. ulreyi by absence of a narrow, well-defined longitudinal midlateral dark stripe (vs. present) and by the absence of a discrete blotch on caudal peduncle (vs. present in H. barrigonae) and a dark pigmentation patch on the basis of anteriormost dorsal-fin rays (vs. present in H. ulreyi). It can be distinguished from Hemigrammus lunatus the following characters: a conspicuous vertically elongated dark humeral blotch, extending horizontally from second through sixth lateral-line scales, and vertically from third row above lateral line to first row below it (vs. a small roundish humeral blotch, extending horizontally from fourth through sixth lateral-line scales, and vertically from fourth through fifth scale rows above lateral line); 4-5 gill-rakers on upper branch and 9-10 on lower (vs. 6-7, and 11-12, respectively); the higher number of cusps on inner premaxillary, dentary, and maxillary largest tooth (5-7 cusps, mode 7, in premaxillary and dentary, vs. 5; 3-5 cusps, mode 5, in maxillary vs. 1-3); and 34-35 total vertebrae (vs. 32-33) (Ref. 96864). Description: Dorsal-fin rays ii,9; anal-fin rays iv, 22-26; pectoral-fin rays i,10-12; pelvic-fin rays i,7; 3-4 scales rows between lateral line and pelvic-fin insertion (Ref. 96864).
Biology:  Inhabits slow flowing, low-gradient streams and small rivers, with clear, sometimes slightly dark-stained waters and bottom composed mainly of sand and clay. Also found in clear water wetlands. In igarapĂ© Barreiro and at some sites at the rio GuaporĂ©, this species seemed to prefer its surrounding with abundant aquatic vegetation (Ref. 96864).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 07 November 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.