Ancistrus is a genus of nocturnal freshwater fish in the family Loricariidae of order Siluriformes, native to freshwater habitats in South America and Panama. Fish of this genus are common in the aquarium trade where known as bushynose or bristlenose catfish. Sometimes, they are called bushynose or bristlenose plecos instead, but this may lead to confusion as "pleco" usually is used for Hypostomus plecostomus and a few of its close relatives but is also classed and or sold as a pleco by most places.
Hypostomus is a genus of fish in the family Loricariidae. They are native to tropical and subtropical South America. H. plecostomus is the popular freshwater aquarium fish formerly known as Plecostomus plecostomus. There is a lot of confusion as to the precise taxonomic structure of the Loricariidae.
Otocinclus is a genus of catfish in the family Loricariidae native to South America which are commonly called "dwarf suckers" or "otos". This genus, like other loricariids is characterized by rows of armour plating covering the body, as well as the underslung suckermouth. They are generally small in size; O. tapirape is the smallest of the species (2.4 cm), while O. flexilis is the biggest (5.5 cm). These species have adaptations that allow them to breathe air. A duct forms at the junction between the esophagus and the stomach and expands into an enlarged, ring-like diverticulum, diagnostic of this genus, which allows air-breathing. Otocinclus are popular aquarium fish. They are often purchased as algae eaters. It is difficult to breed them in captivity, and only wild caught Otocinclus are available to hobbyists. This genus is widely distributed east of the Andes of South America, throughout the lowlands from northern Venezuela to northern Argentina, but are generally absent from the Amazon and the Orinoco lowlands.
The zebra oto or tiger oto is a fish of the genus Otocinclus of the family Loricariidae that originates from Peru.
Cordylancistrus is a genus of suckermouth armored catfish native to South America. It is much the same as Chaetostoma. The few differences are a wider head, longer cheek odontodes, and plates on the snout. Cordylancistrus can be found in rivers and streams high in the Andes, from Venezuela to Colombia.
Hemiancistrus is a genus of suckermouth armored catfishes. These species are native to South America. The taxonomy of this genus is complex and unclear, and major work has to be done. Many of these fish are popular aquarium fish.
Farlowella is a genus of fish in the family Loricariidae native to South America. This genus is broadly distributed in Amazon, Orinoco, Paraná and coastal rivers of the Guyana Shield. It is absent from the Pacific slope of the Andes and from the coastal rivers of the Brazilian Shield. Many of these species are kept in aquarium. This genus has a unique body shape that resembles of a thin stick of wood. The body is slender and elongate, often with a pronounced rostrum and a brownish color with two lateral dark stripes beginning at the tip of the rostrum, passing over the eyes and ending at the tail, which are periodically interrupted on the caudal peduncle.
The Hypoptopomatinae are a subfamily of catfishes of the family Loricariidae, composed of 17 genera and approximately 80 species. This subfamily represents about one-tenth of all loricariid species.
Loricaria is a genus of armored catfishes native to South America.
Neoplecostominae is a subfamily of South American catfishes of the family Loricariidae. Species of this subfamily live in high-mountain and swift-flowing river habitats.
The Hypostominae are a subfamily of catfishes of the family Loricariidae. Most members of the subfamily are restricted to tropical and subtropical South America, but there are also several species in southern Central America. Hypostomus plecostomus, which is popular in the aquarium trade, has been introduced to several regions far from its native range.
Ancistrini is a tribe of catfishes of the family Loricariidae. Most are restricted to tropical and subtropical South America, but there are also several genus in southern Central America.
Pareiorhina is a genus of armored catfishes native to South America where they are only found in Brazil. These species are known to occur at altitudes above 650 metres (2100 ft) in various rivers of the Grande, Paraíba do Sul, São Francisco and Tietê River basins. This genus was first erected by Gosline in 1947 as a monotypic genus to include Rhinelepis rudolphi. It was not until 2003 that a second species, P. carrancas, was described. The third species, P. brachyrhyncha was described in 2005. Pareiorhina forms a monophyletic subunit with Neoplecostomus within the paraphyletic subfamily Neoplecostominae.
Chaetostoma also known as the Bristlemouths is a genus of suckermouth armored catfishes native to South America with one species C. fischeri extending into Panama. Most species inhabit flowing rivers in the lower Andes and its foothills. Some species are kept in unheated aquaria.
Chaetostoma carrioni is a species of armored catfish from South America. These fish reach 7.8 centimetres (3.1 in) SL. These fish are demersal and live in tropical, freshwater habitats. They are found in the Marañón River basin in Ecuador.
Panaqolus is a genus of small catfish in the family Loricariidae native to rivers in tropical South America.
Panaque titan is a recently described species of freshwater fish from the Loricariidae family of South American armoured catfish. It is known from several rivers in the Napo river basin, Ecuador, where it was perhaps first encountered in 1975. In the aquarium trade there are two forms of fish that resemble P. titan; Panaque sp. L191 from the Caqueta river, Colombia and Panaque sp. L418 from the Huallaga river, Peru.
Peckoltia pankimpuju is a species of armored catfish from the Loricariidae family, native to the Marañón River in the upper Amazon basin of Peru. It is commonly called the coal pleco, Peruvian lyre-tail, and L350 under the L-number code. It reaches up to about 40 cm (16 in) in length.
Andeancistrus is a genus of suckermouth armored catfishes native to South America. This genus is diagnosable from all other members of the Chaetostoma group by having a fully plated snout, lacking cheek odontodes that extend past the opercular flap, and by having eight branched dorsal fin rays.
