Leporinus venerei
Leporinus venerei is a small headstander tucked into the still backwaters and lagoons of northern and northeastern Brazil — a piece of the country's vast, understudied freshwater biodiversity. Reaching barely 5.
4 inches, it sits well outside the world of recreational fishing and is encountered mainly by ichthyologists and specialized aquarists. What sets it apart within a large genus is a tooth arrangement found in no other Leporinus.
Scientific Name: Leporinus venerei
- Tall, deep body with a terminal mouth; the anal fin runs notably dark and is elongated relative to body size.
- Three round dark blotches mark the lateral line — one below the dorsal fin, one near the adipose fin origin, and one at the caudal peduncle base; the rear two are often faint or inconspicuous.
- The single reliable genus-level ID feature: a 4/3 dental formula (4 teeth on the premaxilla, 3 on the dentary) shared by no other known Leporinus.
- Maxes out at 13.6 cm (5.4 inches) standard length — noticeably smaller than the larger Leporinus species commonly kept in aquariums.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- A Brazilian endemic, originally described from the rio Araguaia basin; DNA barcoding has since confirmed its presence across multiple drainages in Maranhão State and the Tocantins River basin.
- Lowland river systems of northern and northeastern Brazil, where it occupies lentic environments — lagoons and calm backwaters rather than fast-flowing channels.
Specific Spots
- A benthopelagic species of still-water lagoons and sheltered backwaters; calm, low-current areas away from the main river channel are where this fish lives.
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