Taxonomy & naming
Farlowella mitoupibo was described by Diego J. Ballen, Alexander Urbano-Bonilla and José A. Zamudio in 2016, in Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters (volume 27, number 4, pages 325–332). The Catalog of Fishes (Eschmeyer, CAS) recognises it as a valid species. It belongs to the subfamily Loricariinae of the armoured-catfish family Loricariidae.
It is a long-snouted member of the twig-catfish genus Farlowella. Diagnostic features noted in its description include a disjunct (interrupted) midabdominal plate series, four lateral plate series on the anterior body, and hexagonal anterior median lateral plates.
Morphology
Farlowella mitoupibo is a comparatively large species: the maximum recorded size is about 8.5 in standard length (SL), the largest examined specimen being a male of 8.5 in SL. The body is elongate and twig-like with a long snout, in the typical Farlowella form, and is armoured with longitudinal rows of bony plates. The species is distinguished by a disjunct midabdominal plate series, four lateral plate series on the anterior body, and hexagonal anterior median lateral plates.
No detailed account of its coloration or sexual dimorphism beyond the male/female size data above is summarised here; full morphological detail appears in the original description.
Habitat
Farlowella mitoupibo occurs in the upper Guaviare River, part of the Orinoco basin in Colombia. It is a freshwater, demersal fish of tropical waters. Its habitat is described as a clear-water stream with slow to moderate current, over a substrate of sand with rounded stones, gravel and leaf litter — the kind of structured, well-oxygenated bottom that twig catfishes use for clinging and grazing.
Feeding
Farlowella mitoupibo has a low trophic level (estimated around 2.4), consistent with grazing on algae, biofilm and fine detritus from submerged surfaces such as wood, stones and leaf litter. No dedicated diet study has been published for the species; the estimate reflects its trophic position.
Mating
No courtship or mating behaviour has been published for Farlowella mitoupibo. As with most species in the genus, breeding behaviour remains undocumented in the literature.
Breeding
No breeding account has been published for Farlowella mitoupibo. Farlowella generally are egg-layers with paternal guarding of an adhesive egg clutch deposited on a hard surface, but no spawning, clutch size or parental-care data exist for this species.
In the aquarium
There is no established aquarium record for Farlowella mitoupibo, which is not known as a trade import. As a large twig catfish it would, by analogy with the genus, require a spacious tank with mature, clean, well-oxygenated water, gentle to moderate current, and abundant algae and biofilm — but this is genus-level guidance and not documented husbandry for F. mitoupibo.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List assessed Farlowella mitoupibo as Vulnerable (VU) on 1 December 2020, under criteria B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) — reflecting a restricted range in the upper Guaviare River combined with a continuing decline in the extent or quality of its habitat. The clear-water streams it depends on are sensitive to deforestation, sedimentation and other land-use changes in the Colombian Orinoco basin. The species is not listed under CITES. Its Vulnerable status places it among the more conservation-sensitive members of the genus and argues for protection of its limited habitat.