Potamotrygon falkneri (lat.) - a species of stingrays of the genus of river stingrays of the same family from the order of stingrays . Lives in the tropical waters of the Parana River Basin , South America . The maximum recorded length is 89.2 cm. The pectoral fins of these slopes form a rounded disk. Dorsal and caudal fins absent. The tail ends in a poisonous spike [1] . Not an object of target fishing. Of interest to decorative aquariums [2] [3] .
| Potamotrygon falkneri |
|
| Scientific classification |
|---|
| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| View: | Potamotrygon falkneri |
|
| International scientific name |
|---|
Potamotrygon falkneri Castex & Maciel , 1963 |
| Synonyms |
|---|
- Potamotrygon castexi Castello and Yagolkowski, 1969
|
| Security status |
|---|
Not enough data IUCN Data Deficient : 161353 |
|
The species was first scientifically described in 1963 [4] . The species was named by the British Jesuit Thomas Faulkner (1707-1784) for his scientific and missionary activities in Argentina in the 18th century [5] .
Potamotrygon falkneri live in South America, in the tropical waters of the Parana Basin in Brazil , Paraguay , Uruguay and Argentina [3] .
The wide pectoral fins of the river Potamotrygon falkneri fuse with the head and form an oval disk. Dorsal fins and caudal fin absent. Behind the eyes are sprays . The ventral fins are rounded and almost completely covered by a disc. On the ventral side of the disc are nostrils and 5 pairs of gill slits [1] . The tail is rather short and thick in comparison with other representatives of the river stingray family. On its dorsal surface at the end there is a poisonous spike. Every 6-12 months it breaks off and a new one grows in its place. At the base of the spike are glands that produce poison, which spreads along the longitudinal grooves. In the normal state, the thorn rests in a recess of flesh filled with mucus and poison [6] .
The body color is dark brown with numerous yellow spots of irregular shape, the diameter of which exceeds the diameter of the eyes. The teeth are rather small, with blunted crowns, the width exceeds the length. Sharp teeth are characteristic only for mature males. The maximum recorded length is 89.2 cm, the width of the disk is 48.5 cm [3] .
Potamotrygon falkneri , probably like the other caudate-like, breed by egg production .
The species is not subject to target fishing. Suffers from environmental degradation due to anthropogenic factors. There is insufficient data to evaluate the conservation status of the species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature [3] .
