Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Gymnotiformes (Knifefishes) >
Hypopomidae (Bluntnose knifefishes)
Etymology: Hypopygus: Greek, hypo = under + Greek, pyge = tail (Ref. 45335); minissimus: The specific epithet, minissimus, is from the superlative of the Latin minimus (smallest), in reference to the status of this species as the smallest known gymnotiform (Ref. 88778).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
South America: Hypopygus minissimus is known only from the upper Orinoco in Venezuela (vicinity of San Fernando de Atabapo, Río Cunucunuma, and Río
Sipapo), and from a tributary of the Casiquiare canal in Venezuela (Río Candela) (Ref. 88778).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.2 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 88778)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Hypopygus minissimus is diagnosed from congeners by the following combination of characters: the absence of oblique bands (versus presence in all congeners), the absence of scales at midbody (versus presence in all congeners), the absence of the sixth infraorbital bone (versus presence in all congeners except H. hoedemani and H. lepturus), the total number of anal-fin rays (102–113 versus 136–170 in all congeners except H. hoedemani and H. lepturus), and the dorsal rami of the intermittent branch of the anterior lateral line nerve visible as two black parallel lines (versus not visible in H. ortegai) (Ref. 88778).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
de Santana, C.D. and W.G.R. Crampton, 2011. Phylogenetic interrelationships, taxonomy, and reductive evolution in the Neotropical electric fish genus Hypopygus (Teleostei, Ostariophysi, Gymnotiformes). Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 163:1096-1156. (Ref. 88778)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5039 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00380 (0.00145 - 0.00994), b=3.06 (2.83 - 3.29), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).