Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Characiformes (Characins) >
Crenuchidae (South American darters) > Characidiinae
Etymology: Characidium: Diminutive of Charax, -akos = a fish without identification (Ref. 45335); amaila: Named for Amaila Falls, a striking feature of the Guiana Shield escarpment in western Guyana that will have altered flow following completion of a dam that is now being planned. A noun in apposition.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
South America: upper Kuribrong River (Potaro-Essequibo drainage), upstream of Amaila Falls in Guyana.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 8.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 94269)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 12; Anal soft rays: 8; Vertebrae: 35. It is distinguished from most congeners by lacking scales on the isthmus and chest, and by having 8-13 premaxillary teeth, the first four pectoral-fin rays noticeably thickened, 34-36 lateral line scales, and branchiostegal membranes that are free from each other across the isthmus. It differs further by its large adult body size (max. = 85.5 mm SL), and by having a tan body base color with a dark midlateral stripe that originates on the upper lip and continues posteriorly to the base of the middle caudal-fin rays, a gray to dark-black dorsum with two horizontal rows of small light spots formed by aligned light-colored scale centers, a dark humeral spot, up to 15 irregular black bars that extend from dorsum to lower sides, a light opercular margin, and fins that are uniformly dusky. Several cranial, vertebral, and swim bladder characteristics make this species distinct from other congeners (Ref. 94269)
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.
Collected from each of five separate rapids habitats encountered in the upper Kuribrong watershed. Inhabits shallow sandstone bedrock rapids with abundant attached macrophytes, including a representative of the Podostemaceae, a representative of the Eriocaulaceae
(Rhondonanthus capillaceus), and a third species with long grass-like leaves (Ref. 94269).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Lujan, N.K., H. Agudelo-Zamora, D.C. Taphorn, P.N. Booth and H. López-Fernández, 2013. Description of a new, narrowly endemic South American Darter (Characiformes: Crenuchidae) from the Central Guiana shield highlands of Guyana. Copeia 2013(3):454-463. (Ref. 94269)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01122 (0.00514 - 0.02450), b=3.04 (2.87 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.6 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
🛈
