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 they are known as bushynose or bristlenose catfish. In the aquarium hobby they are often referred to as bushynose or bristlenose plecos instead, but this may lead to confusion as "pleco" usually is used for Hypostomus plecostomus and its allies and is often used as a catchall term for any loricariids remotely resembling that species.
Loricariidae is the largest family of catfish, with 92 genera and just over 680 species. Loricariids originate from freshwater habitats of Costa Rica, Panama, and tropical and subtropical South America. These fish are noted for the bony plates covering their bodies and their suckermouths. Several genera are sold as "plecos", notably the suckermouth catfish, Hypostomus plecostomus, and are popular as aquarium fish.
Hypostomus is a genus of catfish 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. The taxonomic structure of the Loricariidae is still being expanded by scientists. Hypostomus is a highly species-rich and widely distributed catfish genus.
The genus Panaque contains a small number of small to medium-sized South American suckermouth armoured catfishes that are notable for being among the very few vertebrates that feed extensively on wood. In addition, algae and aufwuchs are an important part of the diet, and they use their rasping teeth to scrape this from rocks. These fish are also popular aquarium fish, where the sound of scraping as these fish forage for food is easily audible.
Pseudorinelepis genibarbis is a species of armored catfish native to Brazil, Peru and Ecuador where it is found in the Amazon basin.
The zebra pleco is a species of catfish endemic to a small section of the Rio Xingu in Brazil. It occurs in the big bend area of the river, downstream from the town of Altamira, Para. It was first described in 1991. It gets its name from its black and white stripes, resembling the colouration of a zebra. This species grows to a length of 6.4 centimetres (2.5 in) SL. This species was exported from Brazil in for sale as aquarium fish. However, currently, the Brazilian government bans the export of certain fish species, including H. zebra.
Pterygoplichthys, sometimes collectively known as janitor fish, is a genus of South American armored catfishes. These fish are commonly known as sailfin armoured catfish or sailfin plecs, especially in the aquarium trade.
Acanthicus is a genus of large, South American suckermouth armored catfishes native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins, and possibly in Guyana. The name Acanthicus is derived from the Greek, akanthikos meaning thorny, spiny. Fish of this genus are known as lyre-tail plecos. These species are found in large rivers, primarily in areas with a rocky bottom and a moderate or strong current.
Baryancistrus is a genus of freshwater Loricariid catfish. They inhabit flowing sections of rivers, especially clearwater, in the basins of the Amazon and Orinoco in Brazil and Venezuela. The largest species reach up to 34 cm (13 in) in total length.
Pseudancistrus is a genus of suckermouth armored catfishes native to South America.
Peckoltia is a genus of small South American armored suckermouth catfishes. Many of these fish are popular aquarium fish.
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.
Corymbophanes is a genus of armored catfish native to South America where they are only known from Guyana. Corymbophanes was originally placed in its own tribe Corymbophanini, but the first comprehensive molecular phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily Hypostominae found Corymbophanes to be nested within the tribe Ancistrini.
Neblinichthys is a small genus of suckermouth armored catfishes native to South America.
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.
Dekeyseria is a genus of suckermouth armored catfishes native to tropical South America.
Pseudacanthicus is a genus of medium to large-sized suckermouth armored catfishes native to South America, where found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as rivers of the Guianas. They are primarily found in fast-flowing waters, sometimes relatively deep. They are sometimes kept in aquariums.
Pseudolithoxus is a genus of suckermouth armored catfishes with five described species from the basins of the Orinoco, Casiquiare and upper Rio Negro in Venezuela. Additionally, a possibly undescribed species is known from the Trombetas and Nhamundá rivers in Brazil.
Peckoltia sabaji is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the basins of the Rupununi, the Essequibo River, and the Takutu River in Guyana, as well as the basins of the Casiquiare canal, the Rio Negro, the Cinaruco River, and the Orinoco in Venezuela. It is usually found among boulders in medium to large rivers. The species reaches 19.8 cm SL and is of disputed classification.
Hemiancistrus guahiborum is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Orinoco drainage in Venezuela. The species reaches at least 12.55 cm SL and was described in 2005 by David C. Werneke and Jonathan W. Armbruster of Auburn University, Nathan K. Lujan of the American Museum of Natural History, and Donald C. Taphorn of the Royal Ontario Museum on the basis of its distinctive coloration and morphology. It appears in the aquarium trade, where it is usually known either as the orange-seam pleco or by its L-number, which is L-106.
