Morphology Data of Megaleporinus obtusidens
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Britski, H.A., J.L.O. Birindelli and J.C. Garavello, 2012
Appearance refers to
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs
Different appearance
Different colors
Remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features
Body shape lateral elongated
Cross section
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth
Type of scales cycloid scales
Diagnosis

Can be diagnosed from most congeners, except Leporinus amblyrhynchus, L. conirostris, L. desmotes, L. despaxi, L. elongatus, L. jatuncochi, L. macrocephalus, L. muyscorum, L. piavussu, L. reinhardti, L. trifasciatus and L. wolfei, by possessing three teeth on each premaxilla and dentary (tooth formula 3/3; vs. tooth formulae 3/4, 4/4 or 4/3). Differs from Leporinus amblyrhynchus, L. conirostris, L. desmotes, L. despaxi, L. jatuncochi, L. macrocephalus, L. muyscorum, L. reinhardti, L. trifasciatus and L. wolfei by having three dark rounded blotches on the body and dark transverse bars usually persistent in large specimens (vs. body with a dark midlateral stripe in L. amblyrhynchus, and L. despaxi; transverse dark bands in L. desmotes and L. jatuncochii; body pale except for a single dark blotch on the caudal peduncle in L. conirostris; first blotch, below the dorsal fin, transversely elongated in L. macrocephalus, L. trifasciatus and L. wolfei; transverse bars faded in large specimens of L. muyscorum; and the blotch on the caudal peduncle longitudinally elongated, not rounded, sometimes making contact with the second blotch in L. reinhardti). Can be further distinguished from Leporinus muyscorum by having six or seven scale rows between lateral line and dorsal-fin origin (vs. five); from Leporinus elongatus by having 16 scales rows around the caudal peduncle (vs. 12). Differs from a similar species Leporinus piavussu by having 41 to 43, rarely 44 perforated scales in the lateral line (vs. 39 to 40, rarely 41). Individuals of Leporinus obtusidens from the upper Rio ParanĂ¡ basin can be separated from individuals of L. piavussu by having mouth directed somewhat or entirely downward, its cleft at horizontal through ventral orbital margin or slightly below (vs. mouth terminal, its cleft above horizontal through ventral orbital margin) (Ref. 93038)

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Megaleporinus obtusidens

Lateral Lines Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line
Pored lateral line scales 41 - 44
Scales in lateral series
Scale rows above lateral line 6 - 7
Scale rows below lateral line
Scales around caudal peduncle 16 - 16
Barbels
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb 11 - 13
on upper limb 10 - 11
total
Vertebrae
preanal
total 39 - 39

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes no striking attributes
Fins number
Finlets No. Dorsal   
Ventral  
Spines total
Soft-rays total 11 - 12
Adipose fin present

Caudal fin

Attributes forked

Anal fin(s)

Fins number
Spines total
Soft-rays total 10 - 11

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  more or less normal
Spines     
Soft-rays   15 - 19
Pelvics Attributes  more or less normal
Position    abdominal  behind origin of D1
Spines     
Soft-rays   9 - 10
Main Ref. (e.g. 9948)
Glossary ( e.g. cephalopods )
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cfm script by eagbayani, 17.10.00, php script by rolavides, 13/03/08 ,  last modified by sortiz, 06.27.17