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Dorsal curimatid (Curimatella dorsalis) — Curimatidae

Dorsal curimatid

Curimatella dorsalis
Family: Curimatidae
LC · Least Concern

The Dorsal curimatid (Curimatella dorsalis) is a freshwater fish of the family Curimatidae that grows up to 15 cm.

Length
14.9 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Herbivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Mixed bottom
Danger
Harmless
Range
Amazon and Orinoco basins
Edibility
Rarely eaten

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Description

The dorsal curimatid is a small characiform from the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America. The species grows to about 15 cm and has a slender, silvery body without jaw teeth, sometimes with a mark at the dorsal fin. 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 Dorsal curimatid?

The Dorsal curimatid has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern. Toothless jaws; detritus feeder

Where does the Dorsal curimatid live?

The Dorsal curimatid lives in fresh water and is mostly found around mixed bottom. Amazon and Orinoco basins

How big does the Dorsal curimatid get?

The Dorsal curimatid grows to a maximum of about 15 cm.

Is the Dorsal curimatid dangerous to humans?

No, the Dorsal curimatid is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

Is the Dorsal curimatid edible?

The Dorsal curimatid is rarely eaten.

More photos

Dorsal curimatid (Curimatella dorsalis) — Curimatidae — 2
Wikimedia Commons — Douglas Lopes (CC BY 4.0)
Dorsal curimatid (Curimatella dorsalis) — Curimatidae — 3
Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology (CC BY-NC 4.0) via GBIF — UF
Dorsal curimatid (Curimatella dorsalis) — Curimatidae — 4
iNaturalist ((c) EmhartVuletich, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Dorsal curimatid (Curimatella dorsalis) — Curimatidae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) EmhartVuletich, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Fin

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All data

Identification

English name
Dorsal curimatid verified
Scientific name
Curimatella dorsalis
Family
Curimatidae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
14.9 verified
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
Mixed bottom sourced
Natural range
Amazon and Orinoco basins verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Herbivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Bottom silt, algae and organic material inferred
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced
Seasonality
Detritus-eating schooling fish; present year-round. sourced
Special features
Toothless jaws; detritus feeder sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Small in size and barely an angling target; mostly caught incidentally or as baitfish. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

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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