Taxonomy & naming
Curculionichthys paresi was described in 2014 by Roxo, Zawadzki and Troy in ZooKeys (volume 395, pages 57–78), originally under the name Hisonotus paresi. It was subsequently transferred to the genus Curculionichthys, which is why the authority is cited in parentheses as (Roxo, Zawadzki & Troy, 2014). The Catalog of Fishes (Eschmeyer, CAS) tracks the valid combination Curculionichthys paresi.
The genus name combines the Latin curculionem — a weevil, alluding to the elongated snout — with the Greek ichthys, 'fish'. The species epithet paresi honours the Paresi, an Indigenous people of Mato Grosso. The genus belongs to the subfamily Hypoptopomatinae, the small armoured catfishes that include Otocinclus and Hisonotus. Diagnostic features noted for the species include contrasting dark geometric spots on the anterodorsal portion of the body, paired rostral plates at the tip of the snout, odontodes arranged in longitudinally aligned rows on the head and trunk, and a continuous median series of perforated plates.
Morphology
Curculionichthys paresi is a diminutive loricariid reaching only about 1 in in standard length (SL), placing it among the smallest armoured catfishes. The body, as in the genus, carries an elongated, snout-forward profile — the 'weevil' allusion of the genus name. Distinguishing characters include contrasting dark, geometric spots across the anterodorsal body, paired rostral plates at the snout tip, odontodes set in longitudinally aligned rows along the head and trunk, and a continuous median series of perforated lateral plates. No pronounced sexual dimorphism is recorded in the cached source; the maximum length is reported from male or unsexed specimens.
Habitat
Curculionichthys paresi is restricted to small tributaries of the rio Sepotuba — the riacho Águas Claras, riacho Maracanã, and riacho São Jorge — within the upper rio Paraguay basin of Mato Grosso, Brazil. It is a freshwater, demersal, tropical fish of small forest and savanna streams (riachos). Such headwater streams in this region are typically shallow, clear, and well-vegetated, though no specific water chemistry for the species is recorded in the cached source.
Feeding
No dedicated diet study has been published for Curculionichthys paresi. Its estimated trophic level of about 2.6 and its membership in the Hypoptopomatinae are consistent with a grazing habit — feeding on the aufwuchs of algae, diatoms, biofilm, and fine detritus that coats submerged plants, wood, and stones in its stream habitat. Specific feeding observations are not documented.
Mating
No courtship or mating behaviour has been described for Curculionichthys paresi. The species is known essentially from its original description, and reproductive biology in the genus is poorly documented.
Breeding
No spawning data has been published for Curculionichthys paresi. Spawning mode, clutch size, and parental care are unrecorded, and there are no documented captive-breeding reports.
In the aquarium
Curculionichthys paresi is not an established aquarium species, and no husbandry guidance specific to it has been published. By analogy with related small Hypoptopomatinae such as Otocinclus and Hisonotus, it would be expected to need a mature, stable aquarium with abundant biofilm and algae for grazing, clean and gentle water conditions, and only peaceful tankmates. These are inferences from related genera rather than documented requirements, and the species should be regarded as data-sparse.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List assessed this species — under its original name Hisonotus paresi — as Least Concern (LC), with the assessment dated 7 November 2018. Least Concern indicates no evidence of significant decline at present. The species nonetheless has a narrow documented range confined to a few small rio Sepotuba tributaries, so localised habitat change in the upper rio Paraguay basin could affect it. No species-specific threats are detailed in the cached source.