Lebiasinidae - Lebiasina bimaculata Valenciennes, 1847 |
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| SOURCE FOR OCCURRENCE IN ECUADOR: This is a relatively common species and there are many references for its occurrence in Ecuador (e.g., Eigenmann, 1922; Barnhill et al., 1974; Gery, 1977; Glodek, 1978; Barriga, 1991; Laaz et al., 2009). |
| ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION: Cuvier, G. and A. Valenciennes. 1847. Histoire naturelle des poissons. Tome dix-neuvième. Suite du livre dix-neuvième. Brochets ou Lucioïdes. Livre vingtième. De quelques familles de Malacoptérygiens, intermédiaires entre les Brochets et les Clupes. Histoire naturelle des poissons. v. 19: i-xix + 1-544 + 6 pp., Pls. 554-590. |
| TYPE SPECIMENS: |
| TAXONOMIC STATUS: Valid (Eschmeyer and Fricke, 2011). No major taxonomic issues. |
| RANGE ECUADOR: Occurs throughout western Ecuador from Esmeraldas to El Oro provinces (Glodek, 1978; Barriga, 1991; Laaz et al., 2009). Collected in Santa Rosa River, El Oro province in July 2008 by Aguirre and collaborators. |
| RANGE OUTSIDE OF ECUADOR: Also found west of the Andes in Peru (Gery, 1977; Glodek, 1978). |
| COLLECTIONS IN ECUADOR: |
| MAXIMUM SIZE: 16 cm SL (Fishbase, 2011). |
| DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: This is a small primitive looking characiform fish that can be distinguished from most other fishes in western Ecuador by its distinctive body shape and coloration. Lebiasina bimaculata has a small dark spot at the base of the caudal fin, a dark blotch at the base of the drosal rays, a dark humeral spot behind the head, and a conspicuous bright red spot at the base of a scale on the lateral line just behind the humeral spot (Eigenmann, 1922). Curiously, this species is polymorphic for the presence of an adipose fin, with most specimens lacking it (Eigenmann, 1922). |
| ECOLOGY: Known as the "huaija" in western Ecuador, L. bimaculata inhabits stagnant pools along the sides of streams and has relatively high tolerance of low oxygen levels (Laaz et al., 2009). It feeds on stream invertebrates (Eigenmann, 1922) and may be omnivorous (Laaz et al., 2009). |
| ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE: Not of economic importance as a food fish because of its small size. However, can be useful in controlling mosquito larvae (Eigenmann, 1922; Fishbase, 2011) |
| CONSERVATION STATUS: NA. |
| LINK TO FISHBASE PAGE: Click here for link |
| SPECIES PROFILE CREATED BY: Windsor Aguirre |
| SPECIES PROFILE CONTRIBUTORS: NA |
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