Creagrutus ortegai is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a characin, belonging to the family Stevardiidae.Vari, R.P. and A.S. Harold, 2001. Phylogenetic study of the Neotropical fish genera Creagrutus Günther and Piabina Reinhardt (Teleostei: Ostariophysi: Characiformes), with a revision of the Cis-Andean species. Smith. Cont. Zool. 613:1-239.
Distribution It is native to South America, occurring in the Huallaga River basin and in the headwaters of the Aguaytía River, both located in central Peru.Vari, R. P.; Harold, A. S. (2001). "A new species of Creagrutus (Teleostei: Characiformes) from the Río Huallaga basin, Peru". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 114 (2): 379–386. The Huallaga River is a major tributary of the Marañón, which together with the Ucayali forms the main stem of the Amazon. Flowing from the eastern slopes of the Andes into the lowland rainforest, the basin encompasses diverse habitats ranging from swift mountain streams to broad floodplain channels.Ortega, H.; Hidalgo, M.; Trevejo, G. et al. (2012). Lista anotada de los peces de aguas continentales del Perú. FAO & Ministerio del Ambiente del Perú. The Aguaytía River, a tributary of the Ucayali, originates in the Andean foothills and contributes to the hydrological complexity of the upper Amazon system. These regions are recognized as biodiversity hotspots, supporting high levels of endemism and ecological diversity. The species’ occurrence in the Huallaga and Aguaytía underscores its role within the interconnected aquatic communities of the western Amazon basin.
Size This species reaches a length of .
Etymology The species is named in honor of Peruvian ichthyologist Hernán Ortega, a colleague and co‑author on other studies, who collected nearly all known specimens and contributed extensively to the knowledge of Peru's freshwater fishes.
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