Pseudoloricaria laeviuscula

Taxobox
name = "Pseudoloricaria laeviuscula"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Siluriformes
familia = Loricariidae
subfamilia = Loricariinae
tribus = Loricariini
genus = "Pseudoloricaria"
genus_authority = Isbrücker, 1971
species = "P. laeviuscula"
binomial = "Pseudoloricaria laeviuscula"
binomial_authority = (Isbrücker, 1971)
synonyms = "Loricaria laeviuscula"
Valenciennes, 1840

"Pseudoloricaria laeviuscula" is the only species of the monotypic genus "Pseudoloricaria", a genus of the family Loricariidae of catfish (order Siluriformes).cite journal|url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2007f/zt01462p040.pdf|title=The genera of the Neotropical armored catfish subfamily Loricariinae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae): a practical key and synopsis|first=Raphael|last=Covain|coauthors=Fisch-Muller, Sonia|journal=Zootaxa|volume=1462|pages=1–40|year=2007|formattPDF] The phylogenetic position of "Pseudoloricaria" is uncertain.

This species is distributed in the middle and lower Amazon basin, including the Negro and Branco Rivers. "P. laeviuscula" is found over sandy bottoms, in clear waters, in the main flow of rivers, and in neighboring temporary ponds.

"P. laeviuscula" reaches a length of about 30 centimetres (12 in) SL.FishBase species|genus=Pseudoloricaria|species=laeviuscula|year=2007|month=May] Although reproductive habits are unknown, this species is probably a lip brooder. Sexual dimorphism includes hypertrophied development of the lower lip suggesting that "P. laeviuscula" is a lip brooder. This species shows derived features such as a reduction in size and number of teeth, premaxillary teeth absent, a circular head shape, and eyes reduced in size without iris operculum.

References