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Essequibo biara (Psectrogaster essequibensis) — Curimatidae

Essequibo biara

Psectrogaster essequibensis
Family: Curimatidae

The Essequibo biara (Psectrogaster essequibensis) is a freshwater fish of the family Curimatidae that grows up to 17 cm.

Length
16.9 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Herbivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

The Essequibo biara is a detritivorous characin (Curimatidae) from rivers and floodplains of the Essequibo and Amazon basins in northern South America. The species grows to about 15 cm and has a deep, silvery body with a toothless, inferior mouth. As a detritus feeder it grazes over soft bottoms on organic mud, algae and micro-organisms. It forms large schools. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Essequibo biara?

The Essequibo biara has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Essequibo biara live?

The Essequibo biara lives in fresh water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Essequibo biara get?

The Essequibo biara grows to a maximum of about 17 cm.

Is the Essequibo biara dangerous to humans?

No, the Essequibo biara is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Essequibo-slijkkarper sourced
English name
Essequibo biara sourced
Scientific name
Psectrogaster essequibensis
Family
Curimatidae

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
16.9 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) sourced

Habitat & distribution

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

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Psectrogaster

More from the family Curimatidae

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