| Phreatobius sanguijuela | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | incertae sedis |
| Genus: | Phreatobius |
| Species: | P. sanguijuela |
| Binomial name | |
| Phreatobius sanguijuela Fernandez, Saucedo, Carvajal-Vallejos & Schaefer, 2007 |
|
Phreatobius sanguijuela is a species of catfish in the genus Phreatobius.[1]
This species was discovered in a hand-dug well in located within the Río Paraguá drainage, a tributary of the Río Iténez in Bolivia.[1] This species is endangered by environmental degradation due to pollution, water extraction for drinking and irrigation, mineral extraction, and associated erosion.[1] It is often killed when accidentally caught from wells because of a superficial resemblance to leeches.[1]
This small fish reaches a maximum length of 4.2 centimetres (1.6 in) SL.[1] P. sanguijuela differs from P. cisternarum in a number of ways, but the main differences are the absence of eyes (which are present in P. cisternarum).[1]