A new sarcoglanidine trichomycterid catfish has been described today in the ichthyological speed journal Zootaxa.
Microcambeva ribeirae, a member of the trichomycterid subfamily Sarcoglanidinae, was found in the Rio Ribeira do Iguape basin in Sao Paulo, in southeastern Brazil, and has just been described by Costa, Lima, Roberto and Bizeril of the University of Rio de Janeiro.
The new catfish is believed to be the southernmost member of the Sarcoglanidinae, a group which includes six genera and seven species.
Very little is known about sarcoglanidines and very few have been discovered, mainly because they are very tiny and translucent, with most adults measuring about 20-25mm, and because they live in areas that are very hard to fish, such as sand banks.
The new species is believed to be most closely related to M. barbata, and shares similar morphological characters with it.
For more information see: Costa, WJEM., Lima, SMQ., Carlos Roberto, SF and SF Bizeril (2004) - Microcambeva ribeirae sp. n. (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) a new sarcoglanidine catfish from the Rio Ribeira do Iguape basi, southeastern Brazil. Zootaxa. 563: 1-10.