Achondrostoma occidentale, also known as the Western ruivaco,[3][1] is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the familyLeuciscidae, , which includes the daces. Eurasian minnows and related fishes. This species is endemic to Portugal to the north of Lisbon on the Atlantic slope of western Portugal.[1]
Achondrostoma occideetale belongs to the genus Achondrostoma, this name places the prefix a-, meaning "without", in front of the genus name Chondrostoma, which is a combination of chondros, a word meaning "gristle" or "cartilage", with stoma, meaning "mouth". This is an allusion to the lack of the horny plates in the mouths of these fishes, which are present in Chondrostoma . The specific name, occidentale, means "western" and is a reference to this species distribution within the Oeste area of Portugal, oeste meaning "west".[5]
Description
Achondrostoma occidentale differs from other species in its genus by having 40-43 canaliculate scales on the lateral line with 6 or 7 scales above and 2 or 3 scales below the lateral line. The axillary pelvic scale is shorter than or equal to the base of the pelvic fin. There are 14 scale rows around the caudal peduncle, the diameter of the eye exceeds the length of the snout. The snout is typically conical and pointed and there is no obvious angle at articulation of lower jaw on the ventral profile of the head. This species has a maximum standard length of 9.5cm (3.7in).[6]
Distribution and habitat
Achondrostoma occidentale is endemic to a small area of western Portugal along the Atlantic coast north of Lisbon. Here it has been recorded from the Alcabrichel, Sizandro and Safarujo rivers. These are short seasonal rivers, much of which dry out in the summer when the fish take refuge in permanent pools until the rain comes in the autumn and winter.[1]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
