Aspidoras mephisto Tencatt & Bichuette, 2017

Tencatt, Luiz Fernando Caserta, Britto, Marcelo R., Isbrücker, Isaäc Jan Hendrik & Pavanelli, Carla Simone, 2022, Taxonomy of the armored catfish genus Aspidoras (Siluriformes: Callichthyidae) revisited, with the description of a new species, Neotropical Ichthyology (e 220040) 20 (3), pp. 1-159 : 95-96

Aspidoras mephisto Tencatt & Bichuette, 2017

Aspidoras mephisto Tencatt & Bichuette, 2017:1‒24 (original description; type locality: Anésio III cave, Goiás State, Brazil).

Diagnosis. Aspidoras mephisto can be distinguished from all its congeners by presenting conspicuous reduction of pigmentation (vs. well-developed pigmentation). Additionally, Aspidoras mephisto can be distinguished from its congeners, with exception of A. velites , by having conspicuously smaller preadipose azygous plates (vs. conspicuously larger); it differs from A. velites by having dorsal-fin spinelet (vs. spinelet absent); parieto-supraoccipital fontanel located mesially on bone (vs. located posteriorly on bone, close to origin of posterior process); absence of conspicuous dark brown or black stripe from anteroventral portion of orbit to upper lip lateral area (vs. presence of such stripe); and absence of striated small platelets on ventral surface of trunk (vs. presence of striated small platelets). See Tencatt, Bichuette (2017:8‒9) for a more detailed diagnosis.

Conservation status. Aspidoras mephisto can be classified at least as Endangered (EN) by criterion B2abiii, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories and criteria (IUCN, 2019). For details supporting this status, see Tencatt, Bichuette (2017:20‒21).

Material examined. Same as listed by Tencatt, Bichuette (2017:3, 8).