SCOTCAT.COM  

Danté Fenolio (1)

Description: Trichomycterus dali is readily distinguished from epigean and hypogean congeners by the presence of two conspicuous, ridge-like adipose folds lining dorsally throughout the body, one anterior (pre-dorsal) and one posterior (post-dorsal) to the dorsal fin, both distinctive autapomorphies in the genus. Other characters that easily distinguish the new species, although not exclusive, are: highly reduced skin pigmentation (except for T. gorgona and caverestricted congeners, T. chaberti, T. itacarambiensis, T. spelaeus, T. sandovali, T. santanderensis and T. uisae); total loss of eyes, not visible externally (except for T. sandovali and T. spelaeus); barbels long, especially the nasal (99.3- 143.5% HL) and the maxillary (97.0-131.3% HL) (except for T. longibarbatus and T. spelaeus); scapulocoracoid with a conspicuous anterior process projected forward (except for T. sandovali, T. spelaeus and T. uisae), with a narrow base, a wide apex and a rounded distal margin; and pectoral-fin ray count reaching I,9 (except for T. hualco). Characters possibly exclusive, but about which many taxa lack information, are listed as complementary diagnoses: cranial fontanel unique, extending from the posterior half of supraoccipital to the posterior region of the frontal bones, with a conspicuous constriction on the meeting point of supraoccipital and the two frontal bones; supraorbital long and cylindrical, without projections, with a needle appearance; 27-29 interopercular and 16-19 opercular odontodes. Colouration: Body generally white, tending to translucent, dorsal ridge darker than body, with light yellow color. Internal organs seen by transparency. Etymology: The specific name (a noun in apposition) is an allusion to the Spanish artist Salvador Dali, in reference to his famously long moustache (or whisker).

None

None

Trichomycteridae

South America: Brazil, Known exclusively from subterranean waters in at least three caves in Serra da Bodoquena karst area: Buraco das Abelhas, Saracura and Morro do Jericó caves.

8.0cm. (3¼ins)

16-26°c (59-79°f.)

6.0-7.0.

Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2017. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 06/2017 ).
Rizzato, P.P., E.P.D. Costa Jr. and M.E. Bichuette, 2011. Trichomycterus dali: a new highly troglomorphic catfish (Silurifomes [sic!]: Trichomycteridae) from Serra da Bodoquena, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Central Brazil. Neotrop. Ichthyol. 9(3):477-491.