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Toothless characin (Curimatella alburna) — Curimatidae

Toothless characin

Curimatella alburna
Family: Curimatidae
LC · Least Concern

The Toothless characin (Curimatella alburna) is a freshwater fish of the family Curimatidae that grows up to 19 cm.

Length
18.8 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Herbivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The slender curimatid is a small characiform from the Amazon and Tocantins basins in South America. The species grows to about 19 cm and has a slender, silvery body without teeth in the jaws, characteristic of the curimatids. It forms schools and feeds as a detritivore on bottom mud, algae and organic matter. The fish is harmless to humans and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Toothless characin?

The Toothless characin has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Toothless characin live?

The Toothless characin lives in fresh water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Toothless characin get?

The Toothless characin grows to a maximum of about 19 cm.

Is the Toothless characin dangerous to humans?

No, the Toothless characin is harmless to humans.

Is the Toothless characin edible?

The Toothless characin is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Slanke curimata verified
English name
Toothless characin verified
Scientific name
Curimatella alburna
Family
Curimatidae

Appearance

Max length (cm)
18.8 sourced
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Herbivore sourced
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Vissen met plantaardig aas of deegaas op een bodem- of dobbermontage. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Curimatella

More from the family Curimatidae

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