Brazilian scientists have described a new species of big-headed trichomycterid catfish in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology.
Catfish experts Wolmar Wosiacki and Mrio de Pinna name the new species Trichomycterus igobi after a mythological character of the Tupi-Guarani Indian legend about the origin of the Iguau waterfalls (where this species is found).
Trichomycterus igobi is distinguished from other members of the genus in having a large head, which is proportionally the largest head in the family, an almost entirely cartilaginous second hypobranchial, a mesially expanded palatine ossification, a narrow cleithrum, falciform in shape, the lack of a proximal posterior concavity on the third ceratobranchial, a rigid spine-like morphology of individual procurrent rays of the caudal fin, extension of the dorsal caudal-fin procurrent ray series (extending for ten neural spine tips), and 10"11 branchiostegal rays.
The new species is known from the Iguau River drainage (itself a tributary of the Paran River drainage) in southern Brazil.
According to the authors, this species presumably lives in fast-flowing streams with a rocky substrate.
For more information, see the paper: Wosiacki, WB and M de Pinna (2008) Trichomycterus igobi, a new catfish species from the rio Iguau drainage: the largest head in Trichomycteridae (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae). Neotropical Ichthyology 6, pp. 17"23.