Potamotrygon sp. "Itaituba"
Common Names: Polka-Dot River Stingray, Spotted River Ray, Galaxy River Ray, Black 'Estrella' Ray.
Distribution: Rio Tapajos, Xingu River Basin, Itaituba, Brazil
Maximum Size (Disc Width): appx. 18"
Juvenile Tank Footprint: 72"x18"
Adult Tank Footprint: 96"x36"
Feeding Habits: P14 tend to finicky eaters at first, but once acclimated they have good feeding habits. P14 usually accept specialty live foods upon arrival, and wean to prepared foods easily.
Info: Potamotrygon sp. "Itaituba" is believed by many to be a seperate species than Leopoldi, as well as the Black Diamond variant. However, others believe it is a variant of P13 Leopoldi, because of the region it is collected from. It is distinguished from normal Leopoldi by it's differentiated pattern and extra spotting around the disc margin, smaller maximum size, and a mottled underside. Until further genetic DNA testing is done to scientifically classify each species separately, we will not know if these are a polymorph or separate species.
P14 Note: P14 was originally designated for the Leopoldi - Eclipse variation by Dr. Ross. However, after some time in the pet trade P14 was somehow re-designated to the 'Black Estrella' or 'Black Galaxy' ray that looks similar to Leopoldi. This has created some confusion, and although P14 was first designated for Eclipse rays, it is better suited at this time for Itaituba rays. Seeing as Eclipse rays are just a variant of Leopoldi, and can be formed with age and genetics, while many believe that P14 is an entirely separate species.
Variants: Potamotrygon Leopoldi has a number of color and pattern variants, including "Black Isle, Black Diamond, Eclipse, Itaituba"
Synonyms: Trygon Garrapa, Potamotrygon Garrapa, Potamotrygon Leopoldi.
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