Lepidocharax diamantina
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Lepidocharax diamantina faces severe threats from mining activities in the Diamantina region of Brazil, where iron ore extraction and associated infrastructure development directly impact its freshwater habitats. Water pollution from mining runoff and sedimentation degrades the clear, fast-flowing streams this endemic characin requires. Agricultural expansion and cattle ranching in the surrounding watershed contribute additional pollution and habitat fragmentation, while climate change threatens to alter the delicate hydrological balance of its restricted range.
Habitat
This endemic characin inhabits clear, fast-flowing streams and tributaries within the Diamantina River system in Minas Gerais, Brazil. It prefers well-oxygenated waters with rocky substrates and moderate current, typically found in headwater streams of the São Francisco River basin.