A small freshwater fish found in Central and South America, sometimes kept in aquariums for its ability to eat algae and insects.
From Spanish 'botete,' a diminutive form reflecting the fish's small size, likely derived from indigenous Mesoamerican languages where such fish were first identified and named by local peoples.
The botete is a living example of how indigenous peoples had detailed names for local fish long before European scientists arrived—the Spanish word is actually a respectful borrowing from people who had studied these fish for centuries!
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