Cat-eLog Right Pseudopimelodidae Right Microglanis  |  | 

Down Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name Microglanis berbixae  Tobes, Falconí-López, Valdiviezo-Rivera & Provenzano, 2020
Common Name
Type Locality Quebrada Sune, a tributary of Pachijal River, Esmeraldas River basin, Pacific slope, Parroquia de Pacto, Pichincha Province, Ecuador, 0°05'28.56"N, 78°53'53.04"W, elevation 960 meters.
Etymology Micro - small, glanis - catfish - in reference to the rather small forms of catfish that this genus contains. The specific name “berbixae”, honor María Resurección Sesma Lizari, “Berbixe”, mother of Ibon Tobes Sesma, for its unconditional support and infinite love. A genitive.
Down Species Information
Identification The genus Microglanis was described by Eigenmann (1912) to include small pimelodids with the head as wide as long, the skull covered by skin only; the occipital crest small; frontal fontanel not extending much if any behind the eye, and a minute occipital fontanel sometimes present; eye without a free orbital margin; dorsal and pectoral spines well developed; and premaxillary patches of teeth without backward projecting angles.

Microglanis berbixae is distinguished from congeners by its color pattern. Head and body uniform, pale brown, yellowish or grayish, without any kind of blotches, bands, or dots, except a transverse lunate band, dark brown or black, at caudal-fin origin (vs. head and body mottled or marbled brown with whitish or cream blotches, bands, or dots in other species). M. berbixae is further distinguished from M. variegatus, its geographically closest species, by belly pigmentation; in M. berbixae the belly color is uniform, yellowish or grayish brown, without aggregates of small black dots/melanophores (vs. usually possessing a whitish or creamy belly with randomly arranged aggregates of melanophores).
Sexing Females and males can be sexed by their genital papillae: Female: Cylindrical-shaped papilla with truncated ending and a small pointed flap. Male: Elongate and triangular papilla, pointed tip, no flap.
Down Habitat Information
Distribution Found in two small rivers of the Pachijal River system, the Sune and Mashpi Rivers, part of the Esmeraldas River Basin, Pacific Ocean versant, northwestern Ecuador, Pichincha province.
Ecuador Pacific Coast Rivers, Esmeraldas (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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IUCN Red List Category Not Evaluated
pH 7.8 - 7.8
Temperature 20.0-23.5°C or 68-74.3°F (Show species within this range)
Other Parameters In nature, found in two streams: Both with shallow rapids. Water temperature 20.3ºC - 23.2ºC , conductivity 46.5 - 78.7 μS cm-1, dissolved oxygen saturation 74.9% - 89.4%, and pH 7.8.
Down Husbandry Information
Furniture In the wild, specimens have these microhabitat preferences: central area of small streams, characterized by shallow rapids (< 20 cm; < 0.3 m s-1) with sand, gravel, pebbles and small scattered boulders. Riparian forest almost intact, shading 90% - 100% of the stream.
Compatibility Non aggressive and sociable with its own and other species.
Suggested Tankmates In wild, fish communities included these spp.: (mostly) Rhoadsia altipinna and Andinoacara blombergi, with fewer specimens of Bryconamericus dahli, Astroblepus cyclopus, Astroblepus sp., Trichomycterus sp., Pseudopoecilia festae, and Pimelodella modesta.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Down Further Information
Reference Neotropical Ichthyology v. 18 (no. 2), pp 4, Figs. 1, 3-7.
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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Last Update 2021 Jul 14 02:25 (species record created: 2020 Jul 03 11:50)