Aspidoras azaghal Tencatt, Muriel-Cunha, Zuanon, Ferreira & Britto, 2020

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 : 40

Aspidoras azaghal Tencatt, Muriel-Cunha, Zuanon, Ferreira & Britto, 2020

Aspidoras azaghal Tencatt, Muriel-Cunha, Zuanon, Ferreira & Britto, 2020:3 (original description; type locality: unnamed Igarapé I, tributary to the Igarapé do Pontal , itself a tributary to the lower rio Xingu basin).

Diagnosis. Aspidoras azaghal can be distinguished from all its congeners by the absence of the median foramen at the dorsal-fin spine base (vs. presence). Additionally, the species can be distinguished from its congeners, with exception of A. velites , by the absence of the first dorsal-fin element, the spinelet (vs. presence); from A. velites it differs by having the parieto-supraoccipital fontanel located medially on bone (vs. close to origin of posterior process), absence of a longitudinal dark brown or black stripe along flank midline (vs. presence) and ventral surface of trunk covered by relatively small irregular and/or roundish platelets (vs. relatively large, irregular and/or elongated platelets). See Tencatt et al. (2020:3–4) for a more detailed diagnosis.

Conservation status. Aspidoras azaghal is currently known only from its type locality, the Igarapé do Pontal basin within the limits of the Parque Nacional da Serra do Pardo , a Conservation Unit. Despite the relatively scarce available material and restricted geographical distribution, the species occurs in a protected area and no threat to the species is currently known. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN) categories and criteria (IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee, 2019), Aspidoras azaghal can be classified as Least Concern (LC).

Material examined. Same as listed by Tencatt et al. (2020:3).